Junior Researcher

The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) is seeking a dynamic junior researcher for the first placement of a new six-monthly paid work experience programme to support its Just Transitions projects.

The Just Transitions Junior Researcher will play a critical role in supporting the programme’s multi-year policy-influencing, and ecosystem-building research projects. The Junior Researcher will support with administrative and research tasks across the programme’s diverse projects, requiring a candidate with strong research skills, attention to detail, ability to multitask, and to work autonomously in a remote work environment. The ideal candidate is passionate about advancing human rights and climate justice, with a demonstrable willingness to learn, adaptability, and a positive approach to problem solving.

About the Organisation

IHRB was founded in 2009. Our vision is to achieve a more just, regenerative global economy where:

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• Workers and communities are free and able to use their voices effectively to ensure their rights are respected.
  
• Businesses demonstrate respect for the rights of workers and communities, and the natural systems they depend on, in their purpose, operations, relationships, and value creation.
  
• Financial actors use their leverage to positively impact the scale and performance of their partners’ human rights and environmental responsibilities.
  
• Governments actively implement a smart mix of long-term incentives and disincentives that drive rights-respecting and planet-aligned business.
  

IHRB’s mission is to make respect for people and planet part of everyday business. We advance our mission through human rights-based research, targeted convening, and development of collaborative action with businesses, governments and civil society to shape policy, advance practice, and strengthen accountability at all levels.

About the Just Transition Programme

The Just Transitions programme seeks to contribute to a wider understanding of just transitions through research and testing effective approaches for companies and governments to integrate the voices and concerns of those impacted by climate-related policy and action at every level. Our foundational report, Just Transitions for All: Business, Human Rights and Climate Action, set out the benefits of approaches that considers all the salient rights of workers, communities, and consumers affected by transitions, as well as those facing the impacts of climate change. IHRB's four essential elements for safeguarding the "just" in just transition offer further context and guidance for how to combat the confusion and risk of co-option that is growing as the concept gains popularity. 

IHRB is piloting a junior researcher programme with 6-month placements suitable for incoming professionals, applicants who might be returning to work, or those transitioning into a new field. This initiative aims to create a pathway for individuals to gain experience while actively contributing to IHRB’s mission of shaping policy, advancing practice and strengthening accountability in order to make respect for human rights part of everyday business.

In particular, the Just Transitions Junior Researcher will support the Just Transitions Programme team to implement a number of multi-year policy-influencing, and ecosystem-building research projects, including, but not limited to:

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  The Cost of Green Conflict:The growth of renewable energy around the world is bringing with it significant distress, disruption, and dissent from indigenous groups, communities, and workers. This two-year project will seek to evidence and quantify the operational, reputational, and opportunity costs to renewable energy companies across a mix of green technologies when they fail to secure or maintain their social licence to operate.
  
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  Just Stories: Narratives illustrating the benefits of meaningful engagement between public and private enterprises and workers, communities, and indigenous groups are rare to non-existent within the net-zero agenda. This project will highlight change-makers – from transitioning institutions and the frontline groups most affected – who are finding ways of doing things differently, working in meaningful partnership to navigate the social, environmental, and economic trade-offs involved in the race to net-zero.
  
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  Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETP): Just Energy Transition Partnerships are experimental models at the nexus of the financing and social imperatives of net-zero. Our work on JETPs analyses the human rights risks and social opportunities associated with private sector involvement in South Africa, Indonesia, and Senegal, with a view to elevating key lessons learned to all stakeholders and countries seeking to secure catalytic climate finance deals with robust social safeguards and standards.
  
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  Just Transitions Finance: There is significant potential for better social impact considerations into each component of the spectrum of finance, to harness the critical role of capital in driving rights-respecting and people-centred transitions across every industry. IHRB seeks to elevate understandings of how each component part of the financial system has a role to play in turning the flat spectrum of finance into a dynamic system with people and planet at the centre.
  

Timeframe & Contracting

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  Expected start date: August 2024 (ideally)
  
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  Hours: Full-time (5 days, 37.5 hours per week) or willing to consider part-time (4 days/ 30 hours) for the right candidate
  
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  Duration: 6 months (fixed term)
  
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  Location: Remote/Home-based. Location flexible within 1-2 hours of GMT timezone. Candidates must already have permission to work in the country of their location, must possess their own laptop and have access to good internet connectivity.
  
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  Pay: £1,725 per month (based on full-time, 37.5 hours per week). Equivalent of £20,700 per annum, pro-rata. IHRB's compensation is calculated based on a London, UK benchmark.
  
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  Contracting: This post will have a consultancy agreement subject to UK law.
  

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Just Transitions Programme Manager, and working closely with the Head of Just Transitions and wider Just Transitions project teams, the Just Transitions Researcher will support the full suite of programme functions, including but not limited to:

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  Desk research & literature review:  Supporting desk review of sustainability science and policy literature on a range of questions related to responsible corporate climate action. For example, theresearch related to renewables company involvement in local conflict at project sites; examples of meaningful engagement within decarbonisation initiatives across a diversity of sectors and geographies; how various JETP countries are shaping the role of business in key policy instruments; specific financial instruments aligned with just transition principles.
  
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  Stakeholder mapping & supporting interviews: Supporting lead researchers with mapping key stakeholders and transcribing a series of in-depth and confidential interviews with corporate, finance, legal, and sustainability professionals across a range of sectors, in particular renewable energy for the Cost of Green Conflict project.
  
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  Event organisation: Supporting the organisation with events, communications and planning, such as New York Climate Week, COP29, G20, and World Bank/IMF annual meetings .
  
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  Project communications: Supporting the team with developing key messaging materials and multimedia dissemination campaigns.
  

Alongside the tasks outlined above, the Just Transitions  Researcher will be invited to attend internal management meetings where appropriate, gaining insights on pertinent business and human rights issues as well asvaluable mentoring and networking opportunities with IHRB staff and partners.

Requirements

Experience & Knowledge:

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  Minimum 2 - 3 years of work experience.
  
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  Open to candidates of all ages, including applicants who might be returning to work or transitioning to a new field.
  
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  Have a demonstrable interest in human rights, climate action, and social justice issues.
  
• Proven research and writing experience, preferably with a demonstrable focus on human rights, climate, or development economics.
  

Skills & Abilities:

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  Proven data and quantitative analysis skills, including proficient use of Google Sheets
  
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  Ability to write and present clear, well researched, solutions-oriented analysis and recommendations into digestible internal briefings, including proficient use of word processing and presentation software (eg Google Docs, PPT, etc).
  
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  High capacity to organise and manage multiple priorities within a fully remote team, demonstrating willingness to learn, adaptability, and a positive approach to problem solving.
  
• Collaborative working style and strong team player.
  
• Ability to undertake work with awareness of political and commercial sensitivities and careful diplomacy.
  
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  Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English required. Additional language skills are desirable but not essential.
  
  

Location & Travel:

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• Location is home-based and therefore flexible globally, but timezones within 1-2 hours of GMT will be preferred in order to coordinate well with the rest of the project team. Candidates must already have permission to work in the country of their location.
  
• We particularly encourage applications from individuals in regions where we currently have a limited presence (e.g. Africa, Middle East, Central America, South America), as well as those from backgrounds typically underrepresented in our field.
  
• No travel will be required for this role.
  
  

Timeline & Process

Deadline for applications: 5pm GMT on 14th July 2024

Interviews: Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an initial 30 - 45 min video interview via TeamTailor. The first round of interviews will be held between the 22 - 24 July 2024 between 12 pm - 4 pm GMT, with IHRB’s Head of Just Transitions and IHRB's Just Transitions Programme Manager.

Expected start date: As soon as possible, ideally in August 2024. An offer will be subject to receipt of two satisfactory references.