Research Fellow – Bankable Climate Adaptation Solutions and Finance Mechanisms at the local scale

Based in Bangkok, SEI Asia has a diverse team of multinational experts who integrate scientific research with participatory approaches to co-develop and share knowledge, build partnerships, and influence policy for resilient development. SEI Asia’s work focuses on gender and social equity, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, water insecurity and integrated water resources management, transitional agriculture, renewable energy and urbanization.

SEI Asia is an affiliate of Chulalongkorn University (CU), Thailand. SEI and CU have an agreement to foster innovative scientific research combined with effective policy engagement on development and environmental challenges in Asia. The key areas of collaboration are intellectual engagement for joint research applications and fund mobilization, lectures and seminars for CU students, post-graduate supervision and examination, and CU–SEI employee links.

Under the Asia office of the Stockholm Environment Institute in Bangkok, the Centre for Finance for Sustainability Bangkok (CFSB) works with the private sector and financial hubs in the Asia Pacific region. Its purpose is to enable the financial sector in the region to align more closely with the global goals of the Paris Agreement, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

Following its launch in 2022, the CFSB hosts a set of projects on climate adaptation finance as well as the platform on finance for development and official development assistance called Aid Atlas. CFSB is now launching a large-scale project called Inclusive Climate Finance for Communities in the Asia Pacific (ICCAP). The main stakeholders of the ICCAP project are private sector financial service providers (FSPs) and public sector actors who will work in partnership to build viable, responsive and equitable financial instruments, models and systems to finance adaptation solutions for climate vulnerable communities in countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Furthermore, CSFB also works closely with SEI Finance for Sustainable Development Program to conducts research and activities to generate insights on the drivers and barriers to sustainable economic activities in low- and lower-middle-income countries at the global level.

The role

The Research Fellow will lead the research, development and deployment of bankable climate adaptation solution  and corresponding finance mechanisms at the community level in the Asia-Pacific region. They will be part of the CFSB and work in a participatory, stakeholder-centred, co-development environment with the following groups of stakeholders: national and sub-national policymakers, private and public institutional investors, financial service providers, green technology providers, small and medium enterprises, rural enterprises, civil society organisations, and climate at-risk and vulnerable groups and communities, including the poor, women, youth, migrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+, minority groups, and Indigenous Peoples. The Research Fellow will report to the Director of CFSB at SEI Asia.

The role will focus on:

• Researching, and working with the stakeholders to co-design and co-develop innovative bankable solutions, including the finance aspects, to the adaptation needs and priorities of vulnerable groups and communities in the Asia Pacific region
• Working with finance experts, financial service providers, institutional public and private investors, stakeholders from the financial community, and green technology providers, to co-design, implement and deploy corresponding innovative financial solutions
• Articulating and advocating for the role of finance in enhancing adaptive capacities, building resilience, and reducing vulnerabilities to climate impacts in Asia and the Pacific. 

The Research Fellow will contribute to CFSB’s interdisciplinary collaborations across SEI and partner organizations, as well as external events and engagements. They will support SEI’s financial sustainability by ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality outputs within project budgets. The position reports directly to the CFSB Director.

Key duties and responsibilities:

• Conducting cutting-edge applied research on bankable innovative and inclusive climate adaptation solutions, and the corresponding finance mechanisms, at the local scale
• Participating, facilitating, and contributing to, the co-design and co-deployment of bankable adaptation solutions at the implementation scale, including the finance aspects, through participatory approaches with the stakeholder groups identified above
• Tracking improvements in the adaptive capacities, resilience and vulnerabilities of these groups and communities through fit-for-purpose monitoring and impact assessment
• Documenting emerging insights and best practices on the role of finance in climate change adaptation 
• Acting as a thought leader on adaptation finance in implementing SEI’’s strategy and SEI Asia’s Climate Guidelines for Climate Resilient Development
• Contribute text in publications or project reports and participate in peer review and other forms of publications, as well as contributing to proposal development.
• Produce high quality outputs.
• Develop professional relationships and networks within and external to SEI and with current and potential partners and stakeholders.
• Initiate, contribute, and support fundraising activities to a variety of funders, including private funders, foundations, public funding across regions (for example IKI programme, UKPACT, etc.)  international organizations and agencies (for example regional commissions and UN agencies such as FAO, UNOPS, UNEP, UNDP, etc.), macroregional bodies (for example EU Horizon, etc.)
• Contribute to the communication of SEI´s work with partners and stakeholders.

Areas of accountability: 

• Support the development of thematic areas relevant to their expertise within the organization.
• Identify opportunities to connect own work with the work of others across SEI, in Asia and globally.
• Ensure completion of assigned tasks within assigned budgets and timeframes.
• May take on supervision of Research Associates (RA), Senior RA, Interns at Master’s and PhD level.
• Ensure professional behaviour and respectful engagement with colleagues inside and outside SEI.

Who you are

We are looking for a researcher with a strong interest and proven track record in the design, development and deployment of bankable climate adaptation solutions, and of the corresponding finance instruments, at the local scale through inclusive, stakeholder centred participatory approaches with the real-world stakeholders identified in the opening of the advert. 

Essential qualifications and knowledge:

• A PhD degree in field relevant to the position and a minimum of five years or a master’s degree with a minimum of eight years of working experience.
• Demonstrated experience in research, and the co-design, and co-deployment with the stakeholder groups listed above, of inclusive, responsive and locally grounded bankable adaptation solutions at the implementation scale.
• Excellent understanding of the economics of adaptation at the implementation scale.
• Excellent track record in developing financial solutions for locally led adaptation.
• Demonstrable track record of fund-raising from a variety of bodies, such as a track record of successful applications to private funders, foundations, public funding across regions (for example IKI programme, UKPACT, NORAD, SIDA, etc.), international agencies (for example UN agencies such as FAO, UNOPS, UNEP, UNDP, etc.), macroregional bodies (for example EU Horizon, etc.).
• Proven experience in using mixed method research tools and methodologies.
• Proven publication record including academic publications and/or non-academic briefs and reports.
• Experienced in participation in inter-disciplinary projects.

Desirable qualifications:

• Understanding of international finance flows for adaptation and the macroeconomic and political conditions that affect them.
• Understanding of project management in a support to research setting.
• Regional experience in Asia and the Pacific, particularly Southeast and/or South Asia, or specifically Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, Lao PDR, Nepal.
• Working knowledge of an Asian language among those spoken in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, Lao PDR, Nepal.

Personal skills required:

• Strong commitments to the ethos and the values of the SEI
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills. 
• Excellent ability to work on multiple projects in a client-based environment where clients are internal
• Excellent in teamwork and collaboration. 
• Excellent planning, organizational, and time management skills
• Excellent analytical, problem solving, and critical thinking skills
• Having a positive influence on the attitudes of individuals and teams. 
• Capable of providing and receiving feedback constructively and respectfully.

Additional information

With a team comprising over 17 nationalities, SEI Asia welcomes global applicants for all posts, and provides an internationally competitive level NGO salary and benefits package, with all employee contracts under Thai labour laws. For this position, we are seeking candidates with mid-level experience.

SEI is an equal opportunity employer and we consider all applicants on the basis of qualifications and competencies regardless but not limited to race, national origin, religious beliefs, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability and marital status. We are committed to ensuring diversity and equality within our organization and applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.