Job Description
This position can be based in any of the following WRI’s offices: US-DC or where state registered, WRI UK, WRI Hague, WRI Colombia, WRI Brazil, WRI Mexico, WRI Ethiopia, WRI Kenya, WRI India, WRI China or WRI Indonesia. Applicants will be expected to hold existing work authorization for their preferred location at the time application is submitted. WRI is unable to sponsor this role for visa work authorization.
About the Program: WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities: Over half the global population resides in cities and that figure is set to increase to 70 percent by 2050. WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities (WRI Ross Center) works to ensure cities grow in a way that is inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon. We use technical expertise, cutting-edge research, and on-the-ground partnerships to design solutions that promote sustainable city growth. Working across our network, we develop and help implement research-based solutions in sustainable mobility, urban development, as well as urban efficiency and climate, that reduce pollution, improve health, and create safe, accessible public spaces for all people to excel. WRI Ross Center builds on WRI’s global and local experience in urban planning and mobility and uses proven solutions and tools to increase building and energy efficiency, manage water risk, increase access to core urban infrastructure and services, encourage effective governance, and make the fast-growing urban environment more resilient to new challenges. Aiming to influence 200 cities with unique research and tools, the WRI Ross Center focuses on a deep cross-sectoral approach in selected megacities, and targeted interventions in an additional 50 urban areas, bringing economic, environmental and social benefits to people in cities around the globe.
Job Highlight: In this role, you will report to the Global Director of Research of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. You will be an important subject matter expert contributing expertise to all teams across the WRI Ross Center and its international offices. You will lead and conduct economic analyses that promote the goals of WRI Ross Center project teams working across urban issues. You will help build capability for urban and regional economic analysis, with a focus on analyzing how cities can create new economic activities, good jobs and inclusive economic growth. Across the Ross Center, you will help understand the relationship between urbanization and economic growth in different geographic contexts, focusing on the economic factors driving urban growth, the main economic sectors in cities, location of important economic clusters, and their relationship to urban infrastructure investments and policies. You will support the Ross Center in analyzing the employment and welfare effects of policies and investments across sectors of the urban economy, supporting local and regional economic and industrial development strategies.
You will collaborate with WRI’s Cities program teams in the global and international offices to create a community of practice of staff working on related issues in multiple countries, and with WRI’s Economics Center. It involves development of high quality analytical and research products designed to inform policy, influence the Ross Center’s diverse audiences, and support action on the ground. You will be housed in and supported by the Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) team of the WRI Ross Center. The RKE team focuses on gathering data to fill knowledge gaps, leading research on urban challenges, and providing evidence for priority solutions cities and other urban change agents can implement. The team also crafts targeted engagements and builds partnerships that help promote the WRI Ross Center’s research and influence on the ground.
What will you do: EXPERTISE RELEVANT FOR THE GLOBAL SOUTH (25%):
- Design research and conduct analysis of potential employment and wider socioeconomic impacts at the city and regional scale of transport, clean energy, nature-based solutions, housing, water and sanitation infrastructure, and other investments made in urban areas, or policies affecting urban areas. These analyses will account for the multiplier effects of investments across economic sectors, and help measure changes to jobs, income, poverty, and economic output, and social, environmental, and health benefits. You will support the economic case for/against making such investments for an audience of local and national decision makers (e.g., investment in climate resilient water and sanitation infrastructure).
- Develop approaches to estimate impacts of policies and investments on not just formal but also informal employment and businesses (e.g., economic impacts of investment in electric vehicles in cities on informal transport workers, formal businesses, the city, and the regional economy). Expertise in analyzing the informal urban economy in multiple contexts is an important part of this work.
- Engage with the WRI Economics community and project managers working on economic issues across the Ross Center network to create an internal community of practice, promoting the integration of an economic dimension in all relevant WRI Ross Center projects.
- Author or co-author internal knowledge products (e.g., reports, briefs, data products) and external journal publications (as relevant) and present findings of economic analyses to external audiences.
LEAD AND DESIGN RIGOROUS URBAN ECONOMIC ANALYSES (25%):
- Bring evidence-based knowledge on how to coordinate spatial and economic development planning at the city and regional scale; understand economic linkages facilitated by urban infrastructure connections and labor flows between large and small cities/towns.
- Understand the policies, institutions, and political economy that create a disconnect between spatial growth plans, locations of key economic and industrial clusters, and where urban infrastructure investments are directed, especially in growing cities of the global south.
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- Analyze how this disconnect results in inequitable growth, perverse incentives for industries and employers, informal development, sub-standard amenities, and poor quality of life for workers and their families.
- Measure the full social and economic costs, benefits and development outcomes of urban policies that better coordinate spatial and economic planning.
- Integrate spatial, demographic, macroeconomic and other data at the city and regional scale, applying spatial econometric skills to understand relationships among key factors; conduct ex-ante feasibility studies and ex-post evaluations of urban projects and policies (e.g., impacts of public transport infrastructure on employment and land values in cities).
- Bring experience of multiple global urban databases and sources of economic data, especially relevant to developing countries where the WRI Ross Center is most active. In the absence of existing data, the expert must have experience collecting primary data, or developing creative approaches for using proxy data.
COMMUNICATE ANALYTICAL RESULTS TO KEY TARGET AUDIENCES (25%):
- Communicate the results of economic analyses in a manner that is precise, well structured, and tailored to decision-makers (not to other professional economists). Use formats and language that are easy to understand by diverse audiences.
- Use evidence, critically assess economic research and arguments presented by project partners, stakeholders, and others, and share findings and summaries with colleagues throughout our network.
- Engage public and private sector decision-makers in one-on-one meetings, group briefings, and other venues to communicate WRI’s recommendations.
- Understand political economy issues in different contexts where WRI works when designing and communicating economic analyses.
MANAGE AND COLLABORATE WITH TEAMS ACROSS PROJECTS AND COUNTRIES (25%):
- Anchor a new practice on local and regional economic development across the Ross Center network, connecting staff with related areas of expertise, mentoring staff, and developing this capability in all our offices.
- Manage teams to effectively plan, design, and conduct economic analyses that promote the goals of project teams working across urban sectors. Support connections of economic analysis and evidence to action on the ground.
- Support institutional and donor reporting (narrative, quantitative and financial) regarding economic impacts of projects as part of WRI’s monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) strategy.
- Contribute to presentations and funding proposals in collaboration with teams across the Ross Center network.
- Identify and develop new relationships with funders and partners through external outreach.
What will you need:
- Education: Masters in related field (urban and regional economics, applied economics, economic geography, development economics, urban planning, environmental economics or public policy with focus on urban issues). Ph.D. can be substituted for years of experience.
- Experience: Minimum of 10 years in relevant field, with experience designing research and conducting economic analysis on urban issues and communicating analytical results to multiple audiences. 3+ years of experience in a leadership role
- Demonstrated knowledge in urban and regional economic analysis in context of cities in developing countries is required. Subject areas of emphasis include knowledge of economic clusters, urban growth theories, urban labor markets, use of input-output models and related methods, specifically in data-poor contexts.
- Experience doing consulting or project work on inclusive economic growth in developing countries with a range of institutions, including the multilateral development banks, the private sector, the public sector, or non-governmental think tanks.
- Knowledge of urban issues and contexts of the global South is required and work experience in WRI’s main engagement countries preferred (Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Turkey, Indonesia, Ethiopia).
- Experience collecting primary and secondary data at city scale in the global South, and the ability to perform econometric and other analyses using such data.
- Experience authoring published research.
- Ability to produce high quality written under deadline; ability to summarize complicated analyses in brief and clear messages.
- English. Fluency in another language.
- Prior management and mentorship of one or more junior staff
- Strong quantitative, analytical research and econometrics, including spatial econometrics, skills and statistical analysis skills with experience using statistical software such as Stata, SPSS, R for example.
- Detail oriented and flexible, responsible, with an outstanding work-ethic
- Ability to collaborate across teams and work both independently and as part of a global team
- Ability to travel internationally as needed.
Potential Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors. WRI offers a competitive remuneration and benefits package which vary by country location.
How to Apply
Please submit a resume with cover letter by the date of 1 May 2023. You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.
What we offer:
- A competitive salary
- Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US.
- The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
- A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work.
- The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI.
- Long-term commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours.
- Generous leave days that increase with tenure.
About Us:
Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.
The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.
Our mission and values:
- WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.
- Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect.
Our culture:
WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.
Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.