Consultant - Research Assistant, Tax Incentives and Sustainable Investment

About

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 200 experts come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.

Scope

IISD is launching a new work program on Tax Incentives and Sustainable Investment. It is a joint initiative of IISD’s Tax Program and Investment Law and Policy Program. Our goal is to provide developing country governments with in-depth, multidisciplinary support to evaluate and reform tax and non-tax incentives as an investment promotion tool. To achieve this goal, we will combine our unique tax, investment, and sectoral expertise to produce challenging research and practical guidance to support the revision of incentives and the underlying investment architecture. We will strengthen the capacity of developing countries to undertake coherent reform of incentives and investment legal and policy frameworks, and we will leverage our ability to convene investment policy-makers to build a dialogue on investment incentives and priorities for reform. Finally, we will examine the role of investment incentives in the energy transition.

Objectives

We are looking for a Research Assistant to work in the Tax Incentives and Sustainable Investment program for a total of 3 months, from January to March 2024. There may be the possibility of extending the consultancy and potentially having the successful candidate join IISD as staff. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape an emerging area of work at IISD. The Research Assistant is expected to:

• Lead the development of short high-quality research and knowledge products on the impact of the global minimum tax on fiscal and financial policy measures to promote investment, as well as its interaction with investment law and policy frameworks;
• Contribute to the development of high-quality knowledge products on the role of tax and non-tax incentives in the energy transition;
• Supporting the organization and delivery of technical assistance and capacity-building events for governments on tax incentives and investment frameworks;
• Support IISD to further develop a relevant network of contacts, stakeholders, and partners for the work on tax incentives and sustainable investment.

Profile

We are looking for a motivated individual interested in the intersection between tax, investment, and (potentially) the energy transition. The Research Assistant should be a currently completing a master’s or PhD program, or a recent graduate. The position profile calls for a person with interdisciplinary skills. A background in tax or investment, from either a law or economic perspective, or a combination of these, would be ideal. Candidates should be able to work independently and remotely, have an attention to detail, be comfortable collecting, organizing, and synthesizing large quantities of information, and willing to spend long hours extracting information from a variety of sources. Fluency in English is required, proficiency in other languages would be a plus (e.g., French, Spanish).

Contractual Arrangement

We expect the Research Assistant to work 5 days per week between the months of January and March. The Research Assistant will be contracted and paid according to IISD’s student contractor policies.

Tasks

Knowledge Development

• Contribute to two policy briefings on key topics linked to the impact of the global minimum tax on fiscal and financial policy measures to promote investment, as well as its interaction with investment law and policy frameworks.
• Develop two short articles (1,000–2,000 words) that summarize key insights from the briefings for the Investment Treaty News. The target audience for this work is non-tax specialists, particularly in investment promotion agencies.
• Contribute to research on the design and use of tax and non-tax incentives for incentivizing investment in renewable energy. This research will be used to develop a flagship report to be published later in 2024.

Technical Assistance

• Contribute to the selection of three deep dive countries for technical assistance commencing in 2024. “Deep dives” represent our long-term approach to government technical assistance. Country selection involves identifying potential countries through desktop research, drafting invitation letters, setting up calls with potential partners, and preparation of outcome documents.
• Contribute to the delivery of technical assistance on the impact of the global minimum tax on fiscal and financial policy measures to promote investment, as well as its interaction with investment and trade law and policy frameworks in two to four countries. This will involve carrying out research and analysis of selected investment legal frameworks and tax incentives from each country.

Outreach and Partnerships

• Support organization and delivery of one public IISD webinar on the impact of the global minimum tax on fiscal and financial policy measures to promote investment, as well as its interaction with investment law and policy frameworks.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Knowledge and Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in law, economics, or public or social policy
• 2–3 years of experience working in investment law or policy and tax
• Demonstrated excellent writing and communication skills
• Strong grasp of investment and tax issues
• Excellent English (written and spoken)
• Commitment to IISD’s vision for sustainable development

Skills, Competencies, and Attributes

Essential

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

• Strong analytical, research, and writing skills in English.

• Strong writing skills and oral communication skills in English.

• Strong presentation and networking skills.

• Strong IT skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

• Willingness and ability to travel internationally for work.

• Ability to work effectively in a remote, asynchronous team.

• Flexibility and adaptability to work effectively across different topics and themes at the same time and to pick up knowledge on new topics quickly.

• Strong commitment to the ideals, values, and mission of IISD.

Ideal

• Experience with economic analysis.

• Knowledge of the global minimum tax.

• Knowledge on investment treaties, investment laws, or investment contracts.

• Knowledge of the energy transition, particularly the tax and investment environment.

• French and/or Spanish language skills are highly desirable.

For more details on what we are looking for in our candidates, please refer to the IISD competencies on our website.

Location: Europe or Africa. Anywhere with a suitable internet connection.

Remuneration: Remuneration commensurate with experience and qualification

Start Date:  ASAP

Closing Date:  The candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will be closed once filled.

Candidates must submit a cover note (one page maximum) outlining their interest in the consultancy and why they are suitable. They will be required to provide references and a piece of written work on request. This written work should be on a topic relating to tax and investment, e.g., a research report or policy brief.

Selected candidates will be interviewed by IISD and may be required to submit a written test.

Application Procedure

All submissions must be in English.

Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR.

• A CV (no longer than two pages)
• A cover letter (one page)

We thank all candidates for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

IISD is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, to correct the conditions of social injustice and disadvantage in employment around the world, we encourage candidates from historically marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify themselves as 2SLGBTQIA+, to apply for this position. We offer reasonable accommodations in our recruitment process and seek applicants' advice on how best to accommodate their needs.

IISD does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, colour, disability, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

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