UNPAID VOLUNTEER - (Deputy) Director of Research (Energy and Environment)

Role Title: Deputy Director of Research (Energy and Environment)

Role Nature: Volunteer

Location: Home-based

The Blockchain & Climate Institute (BCI) is an international volunteer-led think tank supporting and advocating the application of blockchain and other emerging technologies in the global fight against climate change.

We are looking to recruit a highly experienced and enthusiastic VOLUNTEER (or what we call a ‘pro bono officer’) who will serve as the Deputy Director of Research (Energy & Environment), managing the focused research function of the organization, and further developing the division with key objectives of operationalizing growth strategy and strengthening BCI positioning as the preferred thought leader of digital technology development trend and research into its influence or potential value in global climate policy actions.

The ideal candidate is a self-starter and experienced, and looking to make a difference in international climate change governance. The successful candidate will be a competent leader or senior executive with rich experience in working with globally distributed teams, managing ecosystem partners, and executing capability development projects from inception to completion. Working with initiative and having the desire to find solutions to climate-related actions should be second nature. Experience as a researcher or most senior thought leader in an academic organization will be highly beneficial, as will research experience in a non-profit environment.

We are currently seeking a motivated, experienced, and innovative leader to join our growing organization. Reporting to the Director-General (DG), you will be responsible for leading applied research on a wide range of environmental and energy policy innovation and driving the enhancement of existing capabilities, socializing it for stakeholders across the various climate-related actors. Research and evidence underpin all projects designed and implemented by the BCI on various climate change policy areas, including green finance, renewable energy, carbon emissions trading, biodiversity conservation, environmental law enforcement, etc. You will drive BCI's growth by forging new working relationships and synergies across the contextual organizational knowledge and establishing BCI as a leading player across the climate ecosystem of stakeholders. The key responsibility for this role is to ensure that BCI leadership has the evidence, insight, and understanding of industry issues and trends that allow them to provide the most appropriate support to governments and international organizations in terms of applied digital technology use cases and research-based policy innovation. You must be a natural communicator who can gain consensus, be accurate, and understandable, and provide actionable plans to guide BCI’s research activities to be more functional, more agile, adding to BCI’s core growth aspirations.

Responsibilities:

Strategic planning

• Working closely with the Director-General for further developing Research Division II with the primary focus on climate adaptation, energy, and environmental policy;
• The identification, investigation, and reporting of the latest research on energy, digital technology, and climate policy development worldwide;
• Monitoring and evaluation of how existing climate policies and regulations impact digital innovations in particular jurisdictions;
• Liaising with other divisions across BCI to conceptualise and develop proposals/project ideas;
• Contributing research expertise to projects, external speaking engagements, and networking opportunities as appropriate; Active participation in webinars, climate forums, and sectorial engagement activities to effectively communicate the BCI research agenda;
• Developing or strengthening existing research (including technical knowledge and skills) of relevant institutions with roles to play in climate policy, through regular webinars or other engagement channels;
• Understanding situational interpretations and analyzing data to identify and understand challenges, present and explain findings to the Executive Committee and Advisory Board.

Research leadership:

• Development of surveys, analysis of data, production of statistics, and review of existing research evidence in collaboration with other Research Division II members in the BCI to provide timely, relevant, and robust research findings or briefings for BCI leadership and partner governments;
• Taking ownership of operationalizing the strategic priorities of Research Division II;
• Coordinating the research conducted within RD II;

Team supervision:

• Supervising RDII's team of Research Officers including task allocation, biweekly meetings and project execution tracking; Providing feedback, guidance and comment on Research Officers’ work;
• Reviewing and approving all documents (e.g. concept notes, briefing notes, research reports) before forwarding to DG's Office;
• Leading the recruitment activities for Research Division II;
• Holding onboarding sessions with newly joined Research Officers;
• Utilising both traditional and modern technology assessment tools, such as interviews, surveys, and evaluations, strategic frameworks for effective market engagement;
• Providing digitized tools for advisory services to BCI strategic projects targeted to climate policymakers or negotiators; · Executing subject research requirements for climate-related actions, energy sector, and emerging technology patterns, particularly Artificial Intelligence & Blockchain;

Requirements

Education & training

• A postgraduate degree in environmental policy, environmental technology, or a relevant discipline (Digital Transformation, Sustainability) is required;

• Additional professional qualifications or certifications a plus;

Relevant experience

• 10+ years’ experience working in a similar role is essential, ideally acquired in a consulting practice, start-up, public sector, and non-profit environment;
• Experience in building long-term relationships with stakeholders;
• Significant research experience in an academic/industry/ private sector environment;
• General knowledge of environmental and energy-related policies, initiatives, and issues (more in-depth knowledge of one or more areas is desirable, e.g. renewable energy, adaptation, biodiversity & conservation);
• Experience in stakeholder engagement, public speaking, communicating research ideas to non-specialist audiences;
• Experience writing a variety of research outputs ranging from summaries for policymakers to in-depth technical/scientific documents;
• Demonstrable experience in executive education focusing on blockchain, Artificial Intelligence or other emerging digital technologies;
• Working experience in using tool capabilities for research, advisory services, and talent development;
• Proven experience in the execution of tailored and specialised research projects;

Skills & abilities

• Strong working knowledge of talent development best practices;
• High-level awareness about climate frameworks, the energy industry, and Blockchain technology;
• Familiarity with common business software, project management programs, and IT systems;
• Able to develop and present detailed, actionable research-based project proposals and plans;
• Excellent organizational and time management skills;
• Good communication and interpersonal skills; ability to quickly and effectively build rapport;
• Excellent written English skills; A second language is advantageous;
• Aptitude for innovative and big-picture thinking;
• A natural leader with a growth mindset and driving the innovation-led research agenda.
• Proven ability to effectively multitask and prioritize actions;
• Excellent problem-solving and data management skills;
• Excellent attention to detail and proactive attitude.

General & Specialist Knowledge:

• Strong innovation skills or specialized research expertise is essential for this role;
• Executive-level awareness of Blockchain Strategy and environment, sustainability & governance actions;
• Innovative and creative leader to drive conceptualization of contextual and deep research topics (Sector-specific product/capability development and deployment experience is preferred) ;
• Experience in publishing research-based articles in the areas of climate actions, sustainability, and technology use cases;
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint is essential to perform in this role;
• Some knowledge on topics central to the BCI such as climate change, adaptation finance, energy sector, and blockchain technology preferred.

Benefits

Blockchain and other emerging technologies. Climate change and sustainability. These are two hot topic groups that have been headlining media outlets, dominating conferences & events, and gaining increasing traction in research and pilot projects. BCI is here as an expert platform to help governments, inter-governmental and regional organizations as well as relevant corporates to negotiate the complex landscape of emerging technologies for environmental good. We cement our expertise by putting in the hard work in researching, identifying, and analyzing the applications of emerging technologies so that informed decisions can be made by the stakeholders in the climate change and action network.

Benefits you will get from volunteering with BCI are enormous and some include:

• Your mind will be mentally stimulated, hence providing you with a sense of purpose;
• You will advance and boost your professional career by helping you to make professional connections and giving you real-world experience at the intersection between climate and emerging technologies; and
• Help you develop long-lasting professional relationships with others. People who come together to make the world a better place forge a close connection.

Before you apply

Please apply with your CV and cover letter. If shortlisted, you will be contacted by one of our recruiters to complete assessments related to the role. If successful, you will be asked to complete an in-tray exercise based on the role you have applied for prior to an interview with the Division Director. Please note that your details will be held in respect of GDPR compliance, for future volunteering opportunities with the BCI.