Researcher- Housing, Justice and Participatory Action (G4 full/part time)

London | UK based

Employer: International Institute for Environment and Development
Sector/Specialism: Charity

Researcher: Housing Justice and Participatory Action Research (G4 full/part time)
London (with options for sponsorship for overseas candidates to work in the UK)
The closing deadline for applications is 14th July 2022

Home working in any country outside the UK may be considered, given that the candidate has the right to work in that country, and the pay and benefits package will depend on the country where the successful candidate lives/works.

The Organisation

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) is a policy and action research organisation promoting sustainable development and linking local priorities to global challenges. We are based in London and work on five continents with some of the world’s most vulnerable people to strengthen their voice in the decision-making arenas that affect them. With more than 150 members of staff working with associates and partners around the world, IIED has been at the forefront of evidence-based policymaking in sustainable development for over 50 years.

This is a permanent, full/part time role based in the Human Settlements Group, which has worked on urban environmental and poverty issues since the 1970s aiming to support more equitable and sustainable development in urban centres in low- and middle-income countries. Our poverty focus is vital and informs everything we do because people on very low incomes, living in slums or squatter settlements, are the most vulnerable to environmental challenges.

We are now seeking a Researcher to join our Human Settlements Group. We are also happy to discuss part-time working arrangements between three and five days per week.

The Benefits

- A salary of between £41,031- £50,976
- 25 days' annual leave per year, increasing annually up to 30 days’ for full-time staff with 10 years' service
- 7.5% employer's pension contributions to the IIED pension scheme
- A range of flexible working options for all employees after a qualifying period
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption policies
- An employee protection scheme offering a flexible menu of benefits such as life insurance, spouse and partner life cover, critical illness and/or income protection cover

The full range of benefits can be found on our website.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced, high-calibre research professional, looking for an opportunity to meaningfully contribute to housing justice through collaboration with communication organisations in the global South.

Co-ordinating our research projects across Latin America and Africa, you will have the opportunity to exponentially increase your network, gain professional exposure and develop your research skill set across a range of contexts.

So, if you have the research experience to drive our development programmes on the international stage and have been looking for an opportunity to have a real impact on the ground, this is the perfect role.

The Role

As a Researcher, you will contribute to our Human Settlements Group’s work on housing justice, using participatory action research methodologies in the context of complex social and environmental challenges within the Global South.

Apart from working closely with partners in São Paulo and Lagos to implement a research project on civic media for housing rights, you will also help to design and co-produce large research projects and small research programmes aimed to advance IIED’s housing justice agenda.

Utilising your networking capacities, you will develop and build strategic partnerships with a range of external local and international organisations as well as potential funding donors.

Additionally, you will

- Co-ordinate project outputs and publications across a range of southern and internationally recognised outputs
- Co-ordinate projects from start to completion, including project budgets and donor financial reporting
- Manage the delivery of outputs by project partners
- Manage partner and subcontractor relationships

About You

To be considered a Researcher, you will need:

- Experience of urban research in low- and middle-income countries
- Evidence of a productive research background
- Experience of organising and delivering seminars and workshops
- Experience of managing Monitoring & Evaluation areas for projects
- Evidence of successfully preparing funding proposals from a range of donors
- Experience of publishing work in working papers, research reports, policy-briefs and academic journals or books
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office
- The ability to draft, manage and monitor budgets
- Excellent English communication skills
- Excellent project and/or programme management and collaboration skills
- Strong interpersonal skills across a variety of cultures and backgrounds
- A willingness to travel overseas commensurate with project requirements
- A postgraduate degree in development studies, urban studies, planning or architecture

Ideally, you will have a PhD (or equivalent work experience) in a related discipline, that has equipped you with knowledge of civic media issues or communications practices, familiarity with housing issues in Latin America and/or African countries, as well as mixed-methods data analysis.

It would be highly beneficial to have professional experience working with civil society organisations and of developing research uptake and communications strategies, such as leading and presenting in a major global forum (such as WUF or CoP)

Additionally, working knowledge of Portuguese, in addition to English, would be highly advantageous.

Other organisations might call this position Housing Justice Researcher, Developing Economies Researcher, Media Communications Researcher, Quantitative Researcher, Mixed Methodologies Researcher, Social Scientist, Policy Analyst, or Research Associate

IIED is a committed Disability Confident and accredited Living Wage employer, committed to equal opportunities and the highest standards of diversity, fairness and equality.

So, if you’re ready to co-ordinate our research programmes as a Researcher, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.