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Job Description

KAPSARC seeks a passionate, experienced Program Director to lead and contribute empirical research and policy analysis on Climate and Environment topics. This includes energy efficiency and demand-side management, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and low-carbon oil, renewable energy and low-carbon power systems, global climate policy frameworks (UNFCCC and Paris Agreement) and policy mechanisms (carbon pricing, cap and trade,etc.), green growth and climate finance, climate-energy-water nexus and adaptation/resilience issues specific to the GCC.

The successful candidate will provide ongoing thought leadership, guidance and supervision to ensure research projects result in high-quality and actionable policy options. KAPSARC’s research involves a mix of analytical and policy-oriented research conducted in a dynamic, multicultural environment by a team of highly qualified and experienced researchers. The programs are organized by skill set and area of study (a functional organization), while the research portfolio is organized through the lens of research questions and initiatives. The ability to effectively manage a team in a matrixed organization is essential to ensure that project teams consisting of colleagues from several programs can effectively execute the organization’s projects and studies. The Program Director is a member of the Research Leadership Team and contributes to setting a tone of collegiality, intellectual risk-taking, teamwork and institutional collaboration. He or she is as accountable to colleagues in the Research Leadership Team as to the Vice-President of Research, in line with our aim to delegate authority down through the organization to the greatest possible extent.

Required qualifications

  • A Ph.D. in energy economics, environmental economics or public policy; Alternatively, a bachelor’s or master’s degree with significant experience.
  • A minimum of 18 years of confirmed professional experience working on energy market policy, or other policy-related fields, preferably within a research organization, government or an international organization.
  • Excellent command of the English language (spoken and written).

Experience

  • Experience in some of the following academic and/or policy fields: environmental economics, climate change policy including mitigation and/or adaptation, climate financing, carbon pricing and emissions trading, energy systems modeling, integrated assessment modeling, and sectoral decarbonization.
  • Knowledge of international best practices in reconciling energy development and environmental sustainability and/or human health protection.
  • Experience developing evidence-based public policy in climate change.
  • Proven ability to draft analytical and evidence-based policy-relevant papers that are clear, concise and reader-friendly; successful peer-reviewed publication is an advantage.
  • Demonstrated quantitative and/or qualitative research skills.
  • Strong ability to gather relevant information and data.
  • Ability to develop the capabilities of junior staff and help with their career development by delivering constructive comments and reviews.
  • Ability to manage in a functionally and topically matrixed institutional environment.
  • Good communication skills and an enthusiastic team player.
  • Planning research projects to which members of the program will contribute and managing progress.
  • Identifying relevant research questions and appropriate methodologies, leading to designing and proposing research initiatives or projects within the approved initiatives, and coordinating with the Research Leadership Team to ensure consistency across the portfolio.
  • Taking ownership of research initiatives that align with the Program Director’s expertise and being accountable to the Research Leadership Team for projects led by members of the Climate and Environment program.
  • Providing ongoing thought leadership, guidance and supervision to ensure that research projects result in high quality, concrete and actionable policy options.
  • Making significant contributions to projects or initiatives led by other colleagues.
  • Providing intellectual leadership in ensuring the relevance and impact of policy advice in relation to the program and contributing to the definition of strategic research directions.
  • Designing, conducting and disseminating research through effective communication approaches that meet the needs of different audiences and maximize the impact of KAPSARC’s work.
  • Collaborating effectively across KAPSARC and its stakeholder networks to ensure that KAPSARC’s advice on climate and environmental policy is developed and disseminated in a consistent and coherent way.
  • Carrying out statistical and advanced modeling or econometric work (preferred but not essential).
  • Drafting, editing and producing evidence-based policy papers, working papers, reports and other publications on the above topics that are clear, concise and reader-friendly.
  • Delivering presentations at conferences and workshops.
  • Partnering with Human Resources and Research Strategy Management Office to advance the professional development of new researchers in the domain.
  • Monitoring travel, expenses, and travel approvals in the program area.

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