Senior Research Fellow - Social Science Specialist

About the role

The Senior Research Fellow – Social Science Specialist in the Centre for Sustainable Development Reform (CSDR) is expected to lead, with Director oversight, the research effort of the CSDR through identifying opportunities to integrate social and equity considerations across the research portfolio, while developing their research expertise through the pursuit of defined projects relevant to their particular field. The CSDR team is made up of multi-disciplinary focussed researchers who are working on topics at the intersections of economics, politics, law, environmental management, data science and development. The Senior Research Fellow leads the development of robust social accounting frameworks and works to understand how bespoke surveys, standardised data sets, advanced quantitative analysis, and qualitative data can inform government policy and decision making in the marine environment, while building capacity among national statistical offices and government agencies to implement these frameworks for developing an equitable and sustainable ocean economy. This role also works with coastal communities and governments to shape development planning through the application of frameworks such as social accounts which document livelihood dependencies, stewardship contributions, and traditional knowledge and make visible the importance of nature to people.

Responsibilities

• Lead social science expertise as a senior team member and project leader in collaborative interdisciplinary research concerning topics: sustainable development of the ocean economy and ocean-based sectors, social accounting, sustainable development policy and practise partnerships with Pacific Islands countries and beyond, design of legislative and policy enabling frameworks for Beyond GDP development, sustainable development of natural capital and ecosystem services.
• Provide strategic leadership for the social accounting research program within CSDR, including setting methodological standards for the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership.
• Lead the design, testing, and refinement of social accounting methodologies for ocean accounts, including the development of indicators, data collection protocols, and analytical frameworks that can be adapted across diverse cultural and institutional contexts.
• Collaborate with colleagues across all relevant projects within the CSDR to support the broad spectrum of work being undertaken. This role will focus on the integration of social and equity considerations across the breadth of the research portfolio of the CS