Natural Resources Researcher

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is seeking an experienced researcher to contribute to our work on human rights along the renewable energy value chain, from extraction of transition minerals to renewable energy installations, and support our work on contributing to a just and equitable energy transition.

Details

Reports to: Programme Manager, Natural Resources

Salary:  GBP 32,000-35,000, commensurate with experience and adjusted according to location (the range is aligned to London cost of living; if based in another location, the range will be adjusted down accordingly)

Closing date: 21st of June 2023

Location: Remote, with ability to work at least four hours per workday in the CET time zone. Location and/or experience in Asia or experience with the Australia and the Pacific region desirable.

Contract type: Full time (35 hours/week), 1-year (with possibility of extension)

Annual leave: 24 days/year

Start: As soon as possible

To apply: Complete and return this application form via our jobs portal. Kindly note that the application form is required; we will not accept CVs. If you need any additional support, please reach out to Giulia Vinzi at vinzi@business-humanrights.org

About the organization

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre works with diverse allies and partners to put human rights at the core of companies’ business models and end abuse; to empower communities and workers to secure their rights and gain accountability for abuse; and to encourage governments to create the right regulation and incentives to uphold human rights in business. We are a global organization that is rooted in five continental regions. We have a diverse Global Team of 80, based in 20 locations around the world. The Global Team members work with a rich network of human rights advocates in ten languages. Our work covers the full gamut of human rights in business, across three thematic programmes: responsible natural resource use and a just transition; accountable digital technologies; and workers’ rights in global supply chains. These are strengthened by three cross cutting approaches: civic freedoms and human rights defenders; corporate legal accountability; and racial and gender justice. This role will work closely with the civic freedoms and human rights defenders programme in particular.

We place strong emphasis on our alliances with grassroots organizations facing often profound inequalities of power in protecting their rights; alongside our ability to influence responsible business, investors, and governments for transformative change.

This post is in the Responsible Natural Resource Use and a Just Transition team. Our programme is focused on supporting a fast and fair transition to clean energy and zero carbon economies. We seek to promote human rights across the renewable energy value chain. We are focused on transition minerals, and the installation of renewable energy where the fast transition is increasingly endangered by companies’ poor human rights record, the lack of investor due diligence, and the absence of adequate regulation.

About the position

The successful candidate will support strategic research and analysis on the renewable energy value chain. This will include generating new insights and propositions for a more just transition through the analysis of structural causes of corporate abuse in these supply chains. In particular, the researcher will help us deepen our efforts to embed human rights, and protect and amplify the voices of human rights defenders, as an essential part of the response to the climate crisis, and a core component of the global work towards a just transition. As the Resource Centre seeks to expand and strengthen our advocacy on improving the human rights policies and practices of companies in the value chain for renewable energy technologies, the researcher will support our nascent work on community equity models – focusing in particular on examples of Indigenous co-ownership and ownership of renewable energy projects – currently underway or proposed, especially in North America, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America. The researcher will also support the Resource Centre’s regional teams in their work on the just transition, primarily in South and Southeast Asia. The researcher may also support other Natural Resources research and writing tasks as well as external representation.

As Natural Resources Researcher, you will have excellent research, analysis and communications skills, a strong understanding of and personal commitment to working on a just energy transition, with emphasis on key rights, and a track-record of working with networks and building close relationships. You will also ideally have some experience of undertaking primary research on relations between large corporations and local communities.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include:

• Conduct research: design and deliver high impact research and analyses that assess company policy, and practice in renewable energy sectors, exploring in particular  business models that respect Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination, center co-equity and co-ownership practices, and that focus on preventing and addressing retaliation against HRDs. Support regional research on renewable energy value chains, including in Lead in further advances in research along the renewable energy value chain, including research on supply chains and scoping potential deeper work on climate justice for the theme.
• Conduct outreach and engage constructively with companies and investors: take up allegations of abuse with company HQs to seek responses to allegations of human rights abuse, conduct follow-up outreach for remedy and build relationships to enhance human rights due diligence; engage with companies and investors on the salient risks of the sector and help coordinate virtual and in person workshops, roundtables, and knowledge sharing spaces, bringing together various stakeholders.
• Build transparency and accountability with partners: support regional researchers and our global network of external partners to strengthen our research process, and to strategically identify allegations of abuse for deeper-dive investigations and coordinated advocacy.
• Contribute to organisational and responsible natural resource use strategies: With allies and colleagues, support the Natural Resources team to build and implement our strategy across all our programmes and regions.
• Develop high quality written and digital materials: Write compelling content for our website and outreach, including case summaries, blog posts, briefing notes and papers, and articles to be submitted to relevant media outlets.

Essential skills and experience

• Natural Resources commitment and expertise: Strong experience working on the broad natural resource sector and/or environmental justice issues with experience including renewable energy supply chain expertise and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights highly desirable. At least three years’ experience in project delivery, policy research, campaigning, or advocacy in this area. A clear understanding, vision, and strategic insight on human rights in business and the global economy. Global South or direct experience working with/for/on behalf of Indigenous communities, is an advantage.
• Research & analytical skills: Strong experience in researching and writing briefings preferably in the field of renewable energy development. Skill and enthusiasm to deliver compelling evidence and analysis, handle big data sets, and design rigorous methodologies regarding human rights issues. Able to search and identify relevant information online and offline; adept at undertaking systematic data collection to a high level of detail and accuracy; ability to generate compelling and feasible propositions for change in policy and practice that drive systematic change. Experience in understanding corporate finance, different ownership structure, investment structures in private and public markets, and/or alternative economic models is highly desirable. While not a large part of the role, experience in conducting primary research at a community level is desirable.
• Communication skills: proven ability to effectively communicate to a broad range of audiences, through a range of channels (briefings, benchmarks, blogs, dashboards, etc.), especially on digital platforms. Excellent writing ability and English language skills are required. French or Spanish desirable. Strong speaking skills and experience representing organisations to external audiences are critical.
• Partnership: Commitment to, and at least three years’ experience in working with diverse international partners. Experience working with Indigenous communities or Human Rights Defenders in the natural resource /environment and land context highly desirable.
• Strategic thinking: A strong understanding of natural resources and human rights in a global context is essential. The ability to grasp, analyse, summarise, and present complex information coherently to external audiences is required. Demonstrated experience thinking critically about impact is required.
• Values: Strong, demonstrated commitment to natural resources and human rights, and a just transition. Sharing the values and ethos of the Resource Centre.
• Team player: Experience of working in high performing multi-cultural and international teams, working with colleagues to deliver high impact programs. Experience with remote, inter-disciplinary, and culturally diverse teams.
• Organisation and initiative: Able to work efficiently and methodically to support achievement of deliverables; strong prioritization skills; self-motivated and comfortable working independently within agreed framework while maintaining communication with a global team in different time zones and geographies.

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a diverse, global team. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background and we acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in this area of work and seek to directly address that through our hiring practices. We particularly encourage applications from women, BAME applicants, people with disabilities, and people who identify as LGTBQ+ or Indigenous. Given the focus of the work, if you identify as an Indigenous, Aboriginal or First Nations person, we encourage you to self-identify on your application.

TO APPLY: Complete and return this application form via our jobs portal. Kindly note that the application form is required; we will not accept CVs. If you need any additional support, please reach out to Giulia Vinzi at vinzi@business-humanrights.org