Job Opening: Research Associate, Climate Policy (3 positions)

Location: Anywhere in Canada, remote

We believe the government’s role should be focused on creating the right incentives for the private sector to decarbonize. We are passionate about what we do and we are looking for three smart, ambitious Research Associates to join our team. This is an opportunity to help advance the development of key climate and energy policies in Canada. 

As a Research Associate, you will contribute to Clean Prosperity’s development of market-oriented climate policies. You will identify knowledge gaps, generate insights, and assess the policy implications for climate and energy policymakers. And you’ll get to do all this with the support of a motivated and welcoming team. 

Job description

The three new Research Associates will work on different tasks and topics, including:

  • Research and write on a wide variety of areas in Canadian (federal and provincial) energy and environmental policy. Review literature, meet with subject matter experts, and distill your findings for different audiences. 
  • Author published research and contribute to building a compelling policy vision for decarbonizing specific sectors.
  • Prepare briefing notes that analyze decarbonization options for sub-sectors of the Canadian economy. 

Topics of work will include:

  • Policy related to energy in general and emissions from buildings, transportation, agriculture, and electricity. 
  • Potential pathways to emissions reductions in various sub-sectors of the Canadian economy (e.g. fertilizer production, heavy-duty vehicles, residential buildings).

Since we are focused on policy change and have an active government relations team, our objective is to present your research to relevant policymakers and stakeholders. We want you to get as much out of this opportunity as possible, so if there are areas of our work that particularly interest you, let us know!

Skills/experience needed

The below list represents our ideal set of qualifications. We encourage you to apply if most of these are a fit, even if there are one or two that aren’t: 

  • A graduate or undergraduate degree with a focus on economics, public policy, law, environmental studies, engineering, energy systems, or a related discipline. 
  • Past work experience in the public sector, energy, environment, transportation, housing, or other related sectors.
  • Clear comfort and experience with qualitative and quantitative research, including literature reviews, interviews, and statutory interpretation. 
  • Understanding of current energy and climate policy landscape in Canada.
  • An understanding of Canadian public policy (experience with public policy development would be a significant asset).
  • Strategic thinker who can scope research questions, identify core challenges to execution, and define priorities accordingly.
  • Skilled writer who is able to produce compelling written briefs and reports, with a demonstrated aptitude for simplifying technical topics for policy audiences. 
  • Fun to work with! 

The team

We are a small but mighty team! You will report to the Vice President of Research and Outreach while also working closely with our regional directors on how to ensure that our research findings are considered and adopted.

Contract details

We are a virtual team so you can work from anywhere in Canada. 

We are looking for Research Associates to start in early October. We are hiring full-time roles for contract terms of up to three years each, but have some flexibility regarding the total length of the contract, employment status (employee or contractor), and the number of working hours per week depending on your circumstances. Our standard hours are between 9am and 5pm in your local timezone but we also have some flexibility to ensure that the hours work well for you. We’re much more concerned about high quality work than the time you’re working! 

While we are a nonprofit, many of our staff come from the private sector and we intend to pay a competitive salary which we will discuss in our first interview.

We can only consider candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

Our work environment

We are committed to creating a work environment that is fun, fulfilling, and effective. During the interview process, we will talk about culture and fit and discuss your work program. And while we have a strong culture already, we value the new ideas and fresh perspective that every new member of our team brings with them. 

Clean Prosperity is committed to diversity in its hiring processes. As such, we welcome applications from members of visible minorities, First Nations, Métis, Inuit, persons with disabilities, persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to help provide a diverse range of perspectives and lived experiences.

If interested, please send an email to ResearchAssociate@cleanprosperity.ca with subject line “Application for Research Associate” that includes: 

  1. Your resume 
  2. A cover letter that explains why you want to work with us, why you’d be a good fit, and something that you’re passionate about outside of work. Please also include whether you’re seeking full-time ongoing work or are looking for part-time or shorter-term work. 
  3. A writing sample (no more than five pages; something you have previously written). We are primarily looking for clarity of writing, organization of thought, and ability to distill technical information into simple language.

We regret that we cannot respond to every application we receive and as such, only successful candidates will be contacted for an interview.

All applications will be screened by humans, not by software. As such, there is no advantage to including large numbers of keywords or key phrases in your application. We are looking for applications that are written by humans, for humans.