The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) is seeking a dynamic junior researcher for a six-month fixed term paid work experience programme to support its Just Transitions projects.
The Just Transitions Junior Research Fellow will play a critical role in supporting the Programme’s multi-year policy-influencing, and ecosystem-building research projects. The Junior Research Fellow will support with administrative and research tasks across the Programme’s diverse projects, requiring a candidate with strong research skills, attention to detail, ability to multitask, and to work autonomously in a remote work environment. The ideal candidate is passionate about advancing human rights and climate justice, with a demonstrable willingness to learn, adaptability, and an entrepreneurial approach to problem solving.
About the Organisation
IHRB was founded in 2009. Our vision is to achieve a more just, regenerative global economy where:
Workers and communities are free and able to use their voices effectively to ensure their rights are respected.
Businesses demonstrate respect for the rights of workers and communities, and the natural systems they depend on, in their purpose, operations, relationships, and value creation.
Financial actors use their leverage to positively impact the scale and performance of their partners’ human rights and environmental responsibilities.
Governments actively implement a smart mix of long-term incentives and disincentives that drive rights-respecting and planet-aligned business.
IHRB’s mission is to make respect for people and planet part of everyday business. We advance our mission through human rights-based research, targeted convening, and development of collaborative action with businesses, governments and civil society to shape policy, advance practice, and strengthen accountability at all levels.
About the Just Transition Programme
The Just Transitions Programme seeks to contribute to a wider understanding of just transitions through research and testing effective approaches for companies and governments to integrate the voices and concerns of those impacted by climate-related policy and action at every level. Our foundational report, Just Transitions for All: Business, Human Rights and Climate Action, set out the benefits of approaches that considers all the salient rights of workers, communities, and consumers affected by transitions, as well as those facing the impacts of climate change. IHRB’s four essential elements for safeguarding the “just” in just transition offer further context and guidance for how to combat the confusion and risk of co-option that is growing as the concept gains popularity.
IHRB’s junior research fellowship offers a 6-month placement suitable for incoming professionals, applicants who might be returning to work, or transitioning into a new field. This initiative aims to create a pathway for individuals to gain experience while actively contributing to IHRB’s mission.
In particular, the Just Transitions Junior Research Fellow will support the Just Transitions Programme team to implement a number of multi-year policy-influencing, and ecosystem-building research projects, including, but not limited to:
The Cost of Green Conflict: The growth of renewable energy around the world is bringing with it significant distress, disruption, and dissent from indigenous groups, communities, and workers. This two-year project will seek to evidence and quantify the operational, reputational, and opportunity costs to renewable energy companies across a mix of green technologies when they fail to secure or maintain their social licence to operate.
Just Stories: Narratives illustrating the benefits of meaningful engagement between public and private enterprises and workers, communities, and indigenous groups are rare to non-existent within the net-zero agenda. The JUST Stories project will highlight change-makers – from transitioning institutions and the frontline groups most affected – who are finding ways of doing things differently, working in meaningful partnership to navigate the social, environmental, and economic trade-offs involved in the race to net-zero.
