Project & Research Analyst, Air Quality

Job Summary

In this role, you will support the growth of the Air Quality program, joining a team of experts actively engaged in helping cities and countries reduce emissions, rethink solutions to clean air, and leverage tools, analyses, and technical support to improve their air quality. You will support a variety of projects and activities in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. See specific job responsibilities below.

This position is remote due to Covid-19, but you will be based at WRI’s office in Washington, DC once restrictions have lifted.

Job Responsibilities

Project Management (40%)

• Support coordination of air quality projects in the region to ensure consistency and high-quality deliverables. This includes coordination with diverse team of researchers, decision makers, and practitioners to implement projects and advance research within the air quality program
• Collaborate with local partners and WRI staff globally to advance the Air Quality program’s research and project implementation including to prepare work plans, follow up on project implementation and prepare of progress reports among others
• Organize internal and external conferences, meetings, training, events, and other activities as part of the Global Air Quality Program
• Support the Project Manager on regular funder reporting as needed with the WRI Global, WRI India, WRI Indonesia, WRI Africa teams, as well as external partners and funders
• Coordinate travel of program staff as relevant

Research and Data Analysis (40%)

• Contribute to the research and data analytics for the Air Quality team, with particular emphasis on data-based arguments and short-form writing
• Contribute to the maintenance and improvement of data for several Air Quality projects
• Contribute to the scoping and development of new activities for the Air Quality program and communicate with external stakeholders if necessary
• Co-author knowledge products including publications and online posts

Engagement & Communications (20%)

• Support project-related outreach and communications activities as needed, including trainings, webinars, brownbags, and engagement with external partners
• Assist the Communications Manager with editing plans, blogs, and other communications material
• Write content for WRI communications activities, including website content, blogs, social media and newsletters
• Prepare Powerpoint presentations and written and graphic content to presentations and reports

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in urban development, international relations, public policy, environment, or other related fields
• Detail-oriented and highly organized with a minimum of 1 year of hands-on experience
• Adaptable to rapidly changing priorities and have the ability to manage multiple projects with varying deadlines
• Demonstrate research skills such as analyzing complex data and resolving complex challenges
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to work well in a team
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, including proactively identifying problems and working with team members to develop solutions
• Ability to diffuse conflict to ensure productivity, and have strong commitment to WRI’s mission and the values of integrity, innovation and respect that underpin all aspects of our operations
• US work authorization required for this position

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with online data platform development and vendor management Experience with formatting in MS Word, data visualization a plus

Potential Salary

$46,000 – $60,000. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply:
Please submit a cover letter with resume. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

Program Overview

Air Quality WRI’s air quality program is a global initiative that seeks to identify, build awareness of, and eliminate the root causes of air pollution that damages climate, human, and ecosystem health. The program has three main areas of work: (i) engagement with city stakeholders to use participatory science to diagnose and develop targeted, cost-effective clean air solutions to protect human health and climate, (ii) working with the science community to convert innovative methods into tools and products that communities and policymakers can use to better manage their impact on the atmosphere, and (iii) working with national governments and business networks to design and implement broader regional-to-global air quality governance. It is a part of the WRI Ross Center on Sustainable Cities, with additional oversight from the Data Lab and engagement with Climate, Governance, Energy, and other programs at WRI. The team is global, with senior experts distributed across WRI’s network of international offices. Within the Air Quality program lies a new clean air initiative called the Clean Air Catalyst, which is a new flagship program launched by The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and a global consortium of organizations, led by World Resources Institute (WRI) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to accelerate clean air solutions in low- and middle-income countries. Clean Air Catalyst will work with communities around the world to identify and raise awareness of local pollution sources, and build focused coalitions to deliver interventions that lead to sustained progress on cleaner, healthier air. More details of the Catalyst can be found here: https://urban-links.org/project/clean-air-catalyst/ WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities The decisions that national leaders, local officials, developers, and planners make today will determine how billions of people in urban centers will thrive over the next century. Already, half the global population resides in cities. That figure is set to increase to 70 percent by 2050. Traditional models of city development can lock us into congestion, sprawl, and inefficient resource use. However, compact, connected, and efficient growth can help ensure more competitive cities, and provide a better quality of life for citizens. WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities (WRI Ross Center) works to ensure cities drive economic opportunity while sustaining natural resources. We use technical expertise, cutting-edge research, and on-the-ground partnerships to design solutions that enable sustainable city growth. Our analysis and tools allow cities to effectively manage their natural resources and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Working across our network, we develop and support the implementation of research-based solutions in sustainable mobility, urban development, as well as urban efficiency & climate that reduce pollution, improve health, and create safe, accessible public spaces for all people to thrive. WRI Ross Center builds on WRI’s global and local experience in urban planning and mobility and uses proven solutions and action-oriented tools to increase building and energy efficiency, manage water risk, 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, WRI Ross Center focuses on a deep cross-sector approach in selected megacities on two continents, and targeted assistance to additional 50 urban areas, bringing economic, environmental and social benefits to people in cities around the globe.

WRI Overview

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 in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.

We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence and respect.

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.
 
We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years and our operating budget is now $150 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of 1,000+ people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa ,  Brazil , China ,  Europe ,  India ,  Indonesia ,  Mexico  and the United States  as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  

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.