Research Fellow: Migration, Climate Change, Disasters and Development At Stockholm Environment Institute

Research Fellow: Migration, Climate Change, Disasters and Development

SEI Asia is recruiting for a Research Fellow who is an experienced social science researcher with a strong interest and proven track record in designing and implementing successful research projects in the areas of migration, climate change disasters and adaptation. You also have good listening skills and capacity for collaboration in diverse and dynamic settings.

Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Type of contract: Full-time, fixed-term, two-year contract with possibility of extension depending on funding availability and performance
Deadline: 14 December 2022
Start date: ASAP

Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is an independent international research institute founded in 1989. Its mission is to support decision-making and catalyze and enable change towards sustainable development around the world by providing integrative knowledge that bridges science and policy in the field of environment and development. SEI ranked second among the world’s most influential think tanks on environmental policy issues in the 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Report compiled by the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program.

SEI has around 320 employees working at research centres in seven countries around the world. SEI’s headquarters are located in Stockholm, Sweden. Additional SEI research centres are located in Colombia (SEI Latin America), Estonia (SEI Tallinn), Kenya (SEI Africa), Thailand (SEI Asia), the UK (SEI York and SEI Oxford) and US.

Based in Bangkok, SEI Asia has a diverse team of multinational experts that integrates scientific research with participatory approaches to co-develop and share knowledge, build partnerships, and influence policy for resilient development. It focuses on gender and social equity, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, water insecurity and integrated water resources management, transitional agriculture, renewable energy and urbanization.

SEI Asia is an affiliate of Chulalongkorn University (CU), Thailand. SEI and CU have inked a long-term agreement until 2023 to foster innovative scientific research combined with effective policy engagement on development and environmental challenges in Asia. The key areas of collaboration are intellectual engagement for joint research applications and fund mobilization, lectures and seminars for CU students, post–graduate supervision and examination, and CU-SEI employee links.

The role

SEI Asia is recruiting a highly motivated Research Fellow with a strong background in migration, climate change and disaster research. The successful candidate will be based at SEI Asia in Bangkok, Thailand to develop and execute research on the links between climate change, disasters and development with migration and mobility. This exciting position will involve spearheading high-quality research from design to policy influence. The Research Fellow will join the Migration and Mobility Hub and SEI’s global initiative on climate change adaptation, as well as contribute to the work of the Climate Change, Disasters and Development cluster and other research clusters as appropriate.

The Research Fellow may also work across disciplines, sectors and teams, including those working on gender, water, urban and disaster issues. The position also offers opportunities to mentor early-career researchers and regularly contribute to the capacity building of multiple actors. A key part of the position is generating and communicating interdisciplinary research insights to a range of audiences, including high quality peer-review publications, policy briefs and blog posts or podcasts.

The position is based at SEI Asia in Bangkok, Thailand and will report to the lead of the Migration and Mobility Hub, in coordination with the Climate Change, Disasters and Development cluster lead and the SEI Asia Centre Director.

Main responsibilities

Research and policy influence

• Identify, formulate, develop, lead and implement research and policy dialogue on migration, climate change, disasters, and development projects that further the aims and objectives of SEI
• Ensure high quality research processes that lead to peer-reviewed articles and strategic knowledge products such as discussion and policy briefs for different audiences including policymakers and media
• Identify funding sources, lead or contribute to fundraising and seek to secure funding for projects
• Contribute to shifting agendas and improved policy and decision-making through collaboration and sharing research insights and recommendations in various forms and fora, from local to national, regional and global levels
• Support capacity-building processes, particularly around intersectional gender integration, with policy, private sector, research and civil society actors.

Centre development

• Provide guidance, mentoring and supervision for diverse junior staff in research development and implementation, support professional development of junior research staff and contribute to SEI staff capacity development initiatives
• Contribute to quality assurance processes in SEI to ensure scientific rigor in SEI and partner research, as well as in monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)
• In collaboration with SEI communications team, facilitate and support internal and external communications and outreach activities, including presentations, dialogues and media articles
• Identify funding sources, lead and contribute to fund mobilization for SEI Asia projects aligned to SEI mandates and priorities.

Broader SEI responsibilities

• Promote aims and objectives of SEI as set out in its mission and aligned to its 2020-2024 Strategy. This includes participating in and contributing to the development of SEI Asia and the climate and migration research theme.
• Implement projects in a timely way according to work plans and available budget, cooperating equitably and effectively with partners and support teams.
• Be a proactive team member, cooperating with and supporting colleagues in the team and collaborating with other groups within SEI Asia.
• Ensure constructive exchange of ideas with relevant institutes, scientists and experts, including other SEI centres.

Who you are

You are an experienced social science researcher with a strong interest and proven track record in designing and implementing successful research projects in the areas of migration, climate change disasters and adaptation. You also have excellent writing skills and are able to communicate with a variety of actors. You are an outstanding team player who has good listening skills and capacity for collaboration in diverse and dynamic settings.

Required qualifications and competencies

• Doctoral degree with minimum of 3 years or master’s degree with minimum of 6 years of professional research experience on migration, disasters, climate change and development
• Knowledge of current and cutting-edge migration theories and approaches
• Successful track record of applied research involving multi-stakeholder engagement and informing policy or development agendas or decision-making, as well as in leading research activities
• Solid and growing track record in scientific publications, as well as capacity in writing for general or practitioner audiences
• Proven ability to successfully design research projects, secure funding, implement and manage quality research projects and deliver effectively in a timely manner
• Proven experience in proposal writing and fundraising
• Competent in quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods approaches, including rigorous design, collection and data analysis
• Strong motivation, personal initiative and commitment to excellence and results, as well as enthusiasm for doing scientific research
• Excellent fluency in spoken and written English.

Desirable competencies

• Experience in working in Asia
• Demonstrated ability to work flexibly and effectively with a range of partners (government, civil society and/or private sector)
• Recent or current involvement in migration-related research
• Demonstrated understanding on the migration and mobility dynamics in Southeast Asia, or any country in the region, in the context of disasters and climate change and how these affect climate change adaptation.

Personal skills

• Excellent interpersonal, teamwork and communication skills
• Strong motivation, personal initiative and commitment to excellence in and influence through scientific research
• Proven capacity in people management skills
• Outstanding analytical, problem-solving and critical thinking skills
• Robust planning, organizational and time management skills
• Convey core values of SEI in daily work, including importance of high-calibre work and respect and trust.

Additional information

With a team comprising over 17 nationalities, SEI welcomes global applicants for all posts and provides an Internationally competitive level NGO salary and benefits package, with all employee contracts under Thai labour law.

Questions?

Inquiries concerning the content of the position can be directed to Albert Salamanca, Senior Research Fellow (albert.salamanca@sei.org), and Sara Vigil, Research Fellow (sara.vigil@sei.org).

Inquiries concerning the recruitment process can be directed to Kaniknart Sutthirak, HR Specialist (kaniknart.sutthirak@sei.org).