JET (Senior) Researcher and Project Lead

JOB PURPOSE

The main objective of this position is to lead work on green industrial policy and South African energy policy that advances a just transition towards an environmentally sustainable economy that protects workers and affected communities and ensures decent work, social inclusion, reduction of poverty, and access to reliable and affordable renewable energy.

ABOUT YOU

You should have significant research experience and some thematic expertise in the area of just transitions, green industrial policy, and energy policy, particularly in South Africa. You should have strong research leadership skills and the ability to collaboratively lead, manage, and execute research projects.

You should value working towards a fairer and more just world.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Research

• Designing and undertaking primary and secondary research in the focus research and policy areas, leading to a range of outputs including Research Reports, Working Papers, journal articles and summary materials, such as factsheets.
• Oversight of the green industrial policy and South African energy systems work.
• Reviewing, commenting on, and editing research outputs by other project teams and IEJ members, or external consultants.
• Leading on convening research and policy forums in focus areas, for example, conferences or symposiums.
• Participating in workshops and conferences.

Advocacy

• Conducting media engagement (radio, TV interviews etc.).
• Leading, representing IEJ in and participating in meetings with external stakeholders including government and union officials.
• Oversight of all advocacy activities related to this stream of work.
• Building partnerships and collaborating with trade unions, civil society role players and other relevant stakeholders.
• Representing IEJ in relevant forums.

Strategic contributions

• Thinking about how to frame IEJ’s position on key political and strategic issues.
• Developing key messages.
• Developing language for the communication of IEJ, including visual messaging.

Mentoring

• Assisting, when required, in building the capacity of junior researchers and researchers to produce publishable documents.
• Where applicable, assisting in mentoring through managing and revising the work of these junior researchers and researchers

Project management and donor relations

• Preparing and managing the preparation, management of, and implementation of project plans.
• Undertaking line management of more junior project staff.
• Preparing reports of project work undertaken.
• Preparing donor narrative reports.
• Lead donor calls for applications.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Required skills and experience include:

• A PhD (for Senior Researcher) or Masters (for Researcher) or equivalent professional experience.
• Excellent research background with existing publications.
• Training in energy policy, economics, political economy, finance, or social sciences.
• Strong analytical and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to engage with media and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of thematic focus area.
• Project planning and staff management expertise.
• Interested in and passionate about the mission of the IEJ.
• Excellent computer literacy is essential, especially in MS Outlook, MS Word and MS Excel.
• Strategic and analytical thinker; proactive and performance‐orientated.
• Organised, self‐reliant, good problem‐solving, results‐oriented multi‐tasker with management skills and judgment.
• Flexible and resilient.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal skills.
• Presentation skills and the ability to effectively interface with all team members and stakeholders.

ABOUT THE JUST ENERGY TRANSITION PROJECT

The IEJ has an active area of work around the just transition. Within this, we undertake project work to support an approach to climate policy that promotes human rights, gender equity and social transformation while advancing economic policies that ensure environmental sustainability. We also work with trade unions to build momentum behind alternative policy propositions that balance the urgent need for employment creation while addressing climate imperatives such as renewable energy generation.

The project will work to position green industrial policy as a central driver for transformative economic change. This involves a holistic approach that integrates structural economic shifts, the labour process, social reproduction, and the international financial architecture. A fundamental principle of this work is to ensure that workers and communities are the primary drivers, owners, and beneficiaries of the green industrialisation process.

The project also focuses on the practical implementation of green industrialisation strategies within African countries. The project will actively identify and pursue opportunities for:

• Localising Manufacturing: Building domestic capacity for the manufacturing of renewable energy components and technologies.
• Developing Green Sectors: Cultivating a broad range of environmentally sustainable sectors to drive industrial growth and diversification.
• Leveraging Critical Minerals: Strategically utilising the continent’s significant reserves of critical minerals to support and enhance green industrialisation pathways.

Finally, the project also addresses the critical need for an enabling regulatory and institutional environment. The project will undertake a thorough analysis of the energy system’s legal and institutional configuration. The objective is to design and advocate for an energy system structure that is optimally aligned with the goals of green industrialisation and broad-based economic diversification, ensuring that the benefits of the energy transition are widely distributed.

CONTRACT

The contract will be a full-time three-year contract, with the possibility of extension depending on funding, beginning as soon as possible. The appointment could be either at the Senior Researcher or Researcher level.

SALARY (TCTC) (2026 LEVELS)

• Senior Researcher (Project Lead): R916 321 – R1 145 401
• Researcher (Project Lead):  R737 241 – R909 051

LOCATION

The position is based in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. The IEJ currently operates on a hybrid work model where all staff are expected to be in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This may change in future.

The IEJ is committed to gender and racial equity and transformation and will consider this when reviewing applications.

Queries can be sent to applications@iej.org.za. No applications submitted by email will be accepted or replied to.