Research Officer (Adaptation Policy and Governance)

LSE is committed to building a diverse, equitable and truly inclusive university

Salary from £42,679 to £51,000 pa inclusive with potential to progress to £54,730 pa inclusive of London allowance

This is a full-time, fixed-term appointment for 18 months

The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment (GRI), based at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), is a world-leading centre for research and policy on climate change and global environmental challenges. It brings together international expertise from across LSE and beyond, including economics, finance, geography, environmental science, law, international relations, development, and political science.

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Research Officer to join two ongoing projects at the Institute. The first project is NATURANCE, a Horizon Europe project examining the technical, financial, and operational feasibility of solutions that integrate disaster risk financing with Nature-based Solutions investments. This project is a collaboration among a transdisciplinary consortium of partners and will run until March 2026. The second project is LSE’s contribution to the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance program, a multi-sectoral partnership focused on developing practical solutions to help communities in both developed and developing countries strengthen their climate resilience. Nature-based solutions and finance are key themes of this initiative.

The postholder will contribute to research, capacity building and policy influencing in these projects exploring the interlinkages between finance and nature-based solutions in addressing climate risks. This includes enabling and mobilising finance and investment for nature-based solutions in both the Global North and Global South. Additionally, they will facilitate knowledge exchange between the two projects and contribute to the Institute’s growing body of work on adaptation finance.

The appointee will play a central role in delivering high-quality research and impact-driven policy outputs, alongside dissemination and engagement activities. They will collaborate closely with Dr. Swenja Surminski, Anna Beswick, and Dr. Sara Mehryar and collaborate with projects’ partners and GRI’s adaptation research team.

Candidates must have a PhD or equivalent work experience in a relevant field, such as sustainable finance, climate change adaptation, economics, environmental management, human or physical geography, or closely related fields. Research experience in nature-based solutions for climate risk and/or adaptation finance is required.

They should excellent analytical skills, with the ability to produce rigorous high-quality research and analysis in a timely manner, excellent organisational skills with the ability to streamline project components, and ability to initiate projects and take a leadership role in delivering tasks effectively.

This is a full-time, fixed-term position for 18 months. The selected candidate is expected to start as soon as possible.

We offer an occupational pension scheme, generous annual leave, hybrid working, and excellent training and development opportunities.

For further information about the post, please see the how to apply document, job description and the person specification.

If you have any technical queries with applying on the online system, please use the “contact us” links at the bottom of the LSE Jobs page. Should you have any queries about the role, please email gri.hr@lse.ac.uk. 

The closing date for receipt of applications is Sunday 13 April 2025 (23.59 UK time). Regrettably, we are unable to accept any late applications.

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