Senior Research Associate – Clean Energy Transition Africa at World Resources Institute (WRI)

Job Responsibilities:

Research & Publication (70%)

• Become the “go to” WRI expert on Africa’s power system, creating high quality analytical outputs, articulating an WRI Africa perspective on the most complex elements of the energy transition, and inform discussions with industry & policy makers
• Conduct long-term, in-depth quantitative and qualitative analysis (including power sector simulation, cost benefit analysis, and financial modeling), overcoming data gathering & analytical roadblocks and quality assuring outputs produced by others
• Competently build, direct and refine complex models of the power sector and energy economics, identifying analytical gaps, limitations and opportunities
• Synthesize analytical insights to bring clarity & structure on complex and disparate energy transition topics
• Formulate analytically robust, high-ambition, compelling narratives based on analytical work, refining for multiple audiences (e.g. senior executives, technical experts, policy makers)
• Refine analyses and subsequent narratives in close collaboration with partner organizations, industry players & external experts
• Produce knowledge products (e.g. articles, reports, briefs, data products) that adhere to WRI’s quality guidelines
• Produce workshop materials, policy briefs, technical papers, long-form reports, and other relevant materials with the support of the ETC’s Analytical Team

Communication & Stakeholder Engagement (20%)

• Work with the WRI communications team and partners to develop communication assets suitable for a broader audience, leveraging the team’s analysis and insights
• Work closely with the communications team to develop a communications strategy for the release and sharing of insights/briefs, co-authored op-eds, and other key thought leadership content
• Work with the energy transitions engagement lead to orchestrate stakeholder interactions, including bilateral meetings, workshops, and wider industry event participation
• Work with the energy transitions engagement lead to prepare and drive discussions with stakeholders to build a high-ambition consensus on steps to be taken to deliver a mid-century net-zero economy
• Engage in public speaking on technical elements of the program’s work

Analytical Program Management (10%)

• Structure the energy transition analytical program for Africa, developing appropriate methodologies and approaches, and synthesizing insights
• Managing and ensuring high-quality output from both the in-house analytical team (which may involve managing 1-2 junior analysts) and jointly supervise output from external sub-grant partners
• Ensure day-to-day management of multiple simultaneous workstreams and competing priorities, adapting to evolving policy and business landscapes
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with project partners and donors
• Contribute to research and fundraising proposals and the fundraising process
• Ensure sound donor stewardship, good grant management, and timely communication and reporting.

Job Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or Ph.D. in energy systems, energy economics, or related field, demonstrating significant mastery of analytical methods
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant research and analytics experience in a high-calibre environment specifically in the energy field, and with a focus on African country contexts
• Strong subject matter expertise in energy systems and international energy markets, with a track record of working with energy sector stakeholders in Africa
• Experience in conducting and publishing research on energy systems in Africa, with demonstrable execution of modeling techniques
• Demonstrated expertise in structing and prioritizing a complex, multiple-faceted research work program
• Demonstrable expertise in engaging with government, academia and CSOs involved in energy research in Africa
• Superb interpersonal and networking skills and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with others as well as independently and with the highest standards of integrity
• Proactive and self-starter, appetite for working autonomously in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills – confident leading high-quality quantitative and qualitative analytics on a range of different topics
• Able to structure analysis to solve critical questions and provide insights to senior stakeholders
• Detail-orientated while also able to understand the big picture and draw conclusions at the system-level
• Ability to develop compelling narratives based on quantitative and qualitative data, tailoring messages and content as appropriate for audience
• Proven track-record leading and managing an analytical project team
• Applying rigorous quality assurance (content, narrative and clarity of messages)
• Excellent communications skills (verbal, written, presentation)
• Confident writing concise, well-structured documents (in both report and presentation formats) conveying clear but subtle messages
• Comfortable presenting and facilitating discussions in a range of settings
• Sensitivity to the political and cultural environment of African stakeholder groups

Desirable

• Proficiency in French
• Experience in fundraising, proposal and bid writing