Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow — Water and Urban Initiative

Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow — Water and Urban Initiative

POSITION:Personnel Service Agreement
REFERENCE NO.:2015/UNU/IAS/PSA/RF/12
LOCATION:Tokyo, Japan
TIMEZONE:UTC +9
CLOSING DATE:2015•02•28

Organizational Unit: UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)

United Nations University objectives:

The United Nations University (UNU) is an international community of scholars engaged in research, postgraduate training and the dissemination of knowledge in furtherance of the purposes and principles of the United Nations, its Peoples and Member States. The University functions as a think tank for the United Nations system, contributes to capacity building, particularly in developing countries, and serves as a platform for new and innovative ideas and dialogue.
UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
UNU-IAS is a new UNU institute, created in January 2014 by consolidating the former UNU Institute of Advanced Studies and UNU Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP). It is based at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo. The mission of UNU-IAS is to serve the international community through policy relevant research and capacity development focused on sustainability, including its social, economic and environmental dimensions. UNU-IAS builds on a strong tradition of UNU research and capacity development in Japan, undertaken in collaboration with a global network of professionals and scholars, particularly in Africa and Asia.

For more information please visit http://ias.unu.edu.

Water and Urban Initiative (WUI):

The Water and Urban Initiative (WUI) contributes to developing and implementing sustainable urban and environment policy in developing countries in Asia. The main objective of the WUI project is to seek innovative and feasible approaches to improve water environment in cities in Asian developing countries.

Responsibilities:
Under the overall supervision of the UNU-IAS Director and under the direct guidance and supervision of the WUI Project Director, the Research Fellow shall perform the following tasks:

• Take a lead in planning the overall research plan of the project, ensuring the quality and quantity of the research outputs;
• Undertake research for developing tools for sustainable urban water environment policy in developing countries;
• Undertake research for UNU-IAS policy reports, journals and other UNU-IAS and UNU publications;
• Contribute to the international debates and processes on sustainability through policy-oriented research;
• Design and implement capacity development and networking, in close collaboration with the WUI Programme Coordinator, and in partnership with researchers and institutes in developing countries as well as relevant UN and international organizations;
• Assume responsibility for coordination of research activities in close collaboration with the WUI Programme Coordinator, including organizing and facilitating meetings, workshops and conferences, and undertake the project outreach activities;
• Build strategic partnerships and collaborations in line with the strategic directions of UNU-IAS and the WUI project;
• Contribute to the UNU-IAS Degree Programme through teaching classes and supervising students in close communication with the Academic Executive Officer and programme support staff; and
• Perform other duties requested by the UNU-IAS Director and the WUI Project Director.

Required qualifications and experience:

• PhD (no ABDs) in engineering, science or related field;
• Scholarly competence in urban development and water environmental management;
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and conduct research on urban planning and sustainable development, with inclusive perspective, linking its social and economic dimensions;
• Research management experience in water environmental science and engineering in major sponsored project;
• Research management skills and experience in environmental policy development are desirable;
• Work experience in universities as a faculty member and/or in international organizations and promoting major international initiatives is an asset; and
• Fluency in English and Japanese is essential. A working knowledge of other UN official languages is an advantage.

Remuneration:
Remuneration will commensurate with qualification and experience, and will range from JPY 600,000 to 650,000 per month. There are no other fringe benefits.

Duration of contract:

This is a full-time employment on a Personnel Service Agreement (PSA) with UNU-IAS. Initial appointment will be for one (1) year, with the possibility of renewal subject to satisfactory work performance. The combined duration of appointments shall not exceed six (6) years.
This is a locally recruited post. The successful candidate will be employed under a local contract and will not hold international civil servant status nor be a “staff member” as defined in the United Nations Staff Rules and Regulations. UNU does not sponsor a working visa for this position.

Applications from suitably qualified women candidates are particularly encouraged.

Starting date:1 April 2015.

Interested applicants should submit their applications by email (to iaswuirf@unu.edu), and must include the following:

• a cover letter setting out how the qualifications and experience match the requirements of the position;
• a curriculum vitae and a completed and signed UNU Personal History (P.11) form:http://unu.edu/about/unu-services/hr/applying-for-a-position#files
Please avoid using similar forms provided by other United Nations organizations;
• full contact information of three (3) referees (UNU-IAS will directly contact the referees in the event that the candidate is shortlisted); and
• an indication of the reference number of the vacancy announcement (2015/UNU/IAS/PSA/RF/12).
• a brief resume in Japanese (for Japanese only).
Please note that applications received after the closing date will not be considered