We are recruiting a Research Associate who is committed to supporting SEI Latin America’s work related to water management carried out in pursuit of a more sustainable future for human communities and natural ecosystems. You will contribute to the implementation of research, policy engagement and capacity development.
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Type of contract: Fixed-term labour contract
Deadline: 17 July 2022
Join SEI Latin America and be part of the continued development of our institute’s presence in this dynamic region. Current staffing levels within the center include 25 colleagues hailing from six different countries in the Americas conducting policy relevant research on water management, Agenda 2030 implementation, just energy transitions and sustainable and equitable bioeconomy. We seek to continue building a team of talented and committed environment and development professionals to generate further growth within and greater impact by our centre. As a regional center, we have implemented or are currently implementing work in 10 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean and are actively seeking colleagues from across the region (applicants from outside of the Americas will need to demonstrate exceptional relevant skills and experience in Latin America to be seriously considered).
Position description
We are recruiting a Research Associate who is committed to supporting SEI Latin America’s work related to water management carried out in pursuit of a more sustainable future for human communities and natural ecosystems. You will contribute to the management and implementation of research, policy engagement and capacity development activities carried out within SEI Latin America.
Main responsibilities
- Under the supervision of the Water Programme lead, guide the technical implementation of projects managed by the SEI Latin America Water Programme, developing and deploying analytical tools and participatory processes that promote holistic, transparent and robust decision-making related to water resources and aquatic ecosystems.
- Propose and develop new research activity on innovative approaches to sustainable water management.
- Design and implement activities focused on stakeholder engagement, capacity building and decision support with public and private institutions in the water and environment-related sectors.
- Plan and perform work in the office, in the field and in collaboration with public and private institutions to collect data and information necessary for the implementation of projects.
- Prepare written material to disseminate project results, including reports, scientific publications, guides, manuals and presentations.
- Supervise the work of technical staff and external consultants related to the project activities under your responsibility.
- Support fundraising and the development of new proposals relevant to the Water Programme.
Who you are
You possess either an MS in engineering, economics, earth science or environmental science or policy with a minimum of four years of relevant professional experience or a PhD in these same fields with more limited professional experience. You are organized, collaborative, proactive, focused on problem-solving and have excellent writing and communications skills in both Spanish and English (ability in Portuguese would be a plus). You should have the ability to guide the work of younger colleagues, meet deadlines and travel to sometimes distant locations.
In addition, to be able to work effectively within the SEI Latin America Water Programme, you should preferably possess most of the following specific skills and experience, listed in order of priority:
- Knowledge and experience modeling surface or groundwater hydrology, water resources systems, water quality or water management-aquatic ecosystem interactions.
- Experience developing and deploying applications of SEI’s signature WEAP software as part of prior modeling experience.
- Solid knowledge and experience in the use of scientific computing tools and programming languages (R, MATLAB, Python and/or Julia).
- Experience preparing scientific reports and publications based on research results, with a history of peer-reviewed publications a definite plus.
- Experience supporting or leading overall project management activities (control of project timelines, staffing allocations and budgets).
- Experience in collaborative work with public or private sector actors.
- Experience supporting or leading the supervision of external contracts.
- Experience supporting or leading the preparation of proposals for project funding.
How to apply
We are reviewing applications on an ongoing basis, so please submit your application soon, but no later than 17 July 2022. Applications should be written in English and consist of a CV and cover letter (maximum one page). As we only accept applications through our recruitment system, please apply online using the button below and include:
- Cover letter highlighting relevant qualifications and experience
- Curriculum vitae.
Questions?
Inquiries concerning the content of the position can be directed to Tania Santos, Research Fellow ([email protected]). Inquiries concerning the recruitment process can be directed to Juanita Gómez González, Operations Manager ([email protected]).
About SEI
Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is an independent international research institute founded in 1989. Its mission is to support decision-making and induce 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 top think tanks on environmental policy issues in the 2020 Global Go To Think Tanks Index 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 Oxford and SEI York) and US (SEI US).
