Global Director of Research, Energy

Tags: climate change finance English Environment
  • Added Date: Monday, 31 March 2025
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This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days/month in the office. You can be based in our office in Washington DC, London, or The Hague. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position. To be eligible for this position in US, you must be a resident of DC, Maryland or Virginia at the start of employment.

About the Program:

The WRI Polsky Center for the Global Energy Transition (also known as WRI Polsky Energy Center) harnesses analytical power, convening ability, and global reach to help orchestrate a transition to a sustainable, inclusive, and carbon-free energy future by overcoming critical barriers.

As global energy demand surgesโ€”driven by the advent of AI, rapid electrification, and evolving economic needsโ€”the nonpartisan Center combines WRIโ€™s renowned experts, a world-class Advisory Group, and a diverse network of partners to deliver pragmatic, scalable solutions. These solutions tackle systemic challenges such as modernizing and expanding energy grids, scaling financing and its deployment, responsibly sourcing critical minerals, and preparing the workforce and entrepreneurs of the future.

The WRI Polsky Energy Centerโ€™s ambition is to accelerate the energy transition by driving innovation, spurring economic growth, and making sustainable energy reliable, accessible, and inclusive for all. Its approach focuses on pragmatic strategies that turn bold ideas into real-world results by addressing policy, economic, and technical barriers across diverse contexts.

Job Highlight:

You will be responsible for integrating equity into your work.

The Global Energy Program is hiring its first dedicated Research Director who will use WRIโ€™s standards for research and knowledge products to drive the global energy transition. WRI strives to conduct high quality research that informs target audiences and helps achieve concrete outcomes in support of our mission. We are one of the few nongovernmental organizations with central staff dedicated to creating a strong learning culture and ensuring research excellence across programs and country offices. Our Research Integrity team is responsible for setting and overseeing consistent quality standards for our research and knowledge products. This commitment to excellence ensures that WRIโ€™s project plans and knowledge products are firmly rooted in evidence

You will be supported by the Research, Data, and Impact team and the Global Energy Program leadership team. You will lead a team of senior research directors who are experts in key thematic areas, as well as Energyโ€™s Global Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager.

What will you do:

Develop and implement a research strategy for the energy program that informs and supports the programโ€™s institutional goals (40%):

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