Energy Research Associate, Systems Change Lab

This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days/month in the office. You can be based in our office in Washington DC, London, The Hague, Mexico City, Nairobi, Jakarta, Mumbai, Addis Ababa or Bogota. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

About Climate, Economics and Finance Program: The world needs to cut its emissions almost in half by 2030, reach net-zero by mid-century and adapt to prevent increasingly dangerous impacts of climate change. This will require a transformation in the economic, financial and governance systems at global and country levels, to simultaneously achieve the world’s people, nature and climate goals. To address this important challenge, WRI’s Global Climate, Economics and Finance (CEF) Program undertakes research and analysis; develop tools and standards; communicate and engage; and build coalition and capacity to accelerate climate ambition, country transitions and the required shifts in economic and financial systems and incentives. We work with national governments, policymakers, businesses, civil society, local governments, and other non-state actors as they pursue their own mitigation and adaptation goals. We work at the global level and in partnership with WRI’s twelve focus countries and regions and WRI’s ‘human system transition’ teams (focused on energy, cities and food/land/water) to deliver this transformation.

Job Highlight:

Reporting to Senior Associate, you will lead research and technical inputs on the energy system - including energy supply, industry, transport, and the built environment - for Systems Change Lab. Your work will entail validating and updating the list of required shifts for each sector that allows the world to achieve climate, nature and equity goals, evidence-based targets for each shift, the underlying barriers and drivers of change, the best available indicators to track progress, and high-quality, publicly available datasets for each indicator. You will also be an author across Systems Change Lab knowledge products, supporting regular progress assessments, contributing to annual reports and the Lab's dashboard, and conducting research on case studies and trend analysis of systems change within these sectors. You will work with technical experts and partners across government, research and advocacy organizations, funders, and the private sector, as well as researchers within WRI’s Energy, Cities, and Climate, Economics and Finance programs. You will also support the Lab’s communications and outreach efforts, maintain and cultivate key partnerships, and contribute to fundraising materials.

What will you do:

Research and analysis (60%):

• Spearhead the Lab’s efforts to validate, as well as revise where appropriate, targets, indicators, and datasets used to track progress across energy systems, spanning both energy supply, and end-use sectors like the built environment, industry and transport
• Conduct an assessment of global progress made towards energy supply, built environment, industry and transport targets for 2030, 2035 and 2050 in close partnership with the Lab’s research partners
• Lead global, national, and subnational research and analysis focused on identifying critical barriers to and drivers for accelerating transformational change across these sectors, as well as the most important enabling conditions need to overcome these obstacles
• Contribute in a writing role, as both a lead author and contributing author, to a wide range of knowledge products, such as the State of Climate Action reports, Systems Change Lab’s data platform, technical notes, sector-specific reports, articles and other outreach materials
• Develop new research questions aligned with the Lab’s strategy and manage the research teams needed to answer them

Partner Outreach & Project management (30%):

• Manage peer review processes with internal sectoral teams across WRI, as well as external partners, on a regular basis to advance on research and progress tracking for required transformations
• As the platform initiative expands into learning and sharing the ingredients for transformational change, and nudging and campaigning to accelerate action where it is most needed, act as relationship manager internally, as well as with partners and key relevant stakeholders for Systems Change Lab engagement efforts across energy supply, industry, transport, and the built environment. These efforts will be supported by our engagement team
• Support and, in some instances, lead fundraising activities for Systems Change Lab by cultivating funder relationships, developing concept notes and proposals, and reporting on them

Communications (10%):