Area of Research:

Equity in Energy Sustainable Transitions

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will be part of a vibrant and agile team and help coordinate activities and operations for the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Sustainability Transitions. The Fellow will be crucial in a research program that will partner with marginalized communities in Toronto and other cities globally to catalyze the development of community-engaged and context-relevant approaches to just and equitable sustainability transitions. The CERC will focus on the following inquiry areas: (1) public health and well-being, by analyzing how to reduce energy-related physical and mental stress; (2) affordability, by examining ways to alleviate the unequal costs of the energy transition; (3) availability, accessibility, and use, by exploring how to overcome economic exclusion to benefit from programs, technologies and innovations; and (4) jobs and workforce development, by analyzing how to address employment disruptions and increase job opportunities in a net-zero world.

Salary: $90,000 

Description of duties:

  • Assist with the coordination of day-to-day program operations
  • Coordinate and assist with community-driven knowledge co-production, data collection, and analysis (i.e., data gathering, participatory workshops, listening sessions);
  • Communicate with study investigators, community committees, city officials, and collaborator organizations;
  • Help coordinate team meetings and community meetings, draft agendas and meeting notes;
  • Participate in the preparation of knowledge coproduction outputs (e.g., podcasts, factsheets, posters, and manuscripts) with community and city collaborators (presentations, newsletters, policy briefs);
  • Collaborate in proposal, report and manuscript drafting;
  • Prepare technical reports, summaries, and presentations;
  • Help coordinate the general operation and logistical planning of the program;
  • Support other research-related projects as assigned;
  • Other duties as assigned


Required qualifications:

  • Ph.D. in a related field (i.e., sociology, urban planning, geography) or an acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
  • Minimum two years of relevant work experience in a research coproduction environment.
  • Experience with community-guided research projects and implementing qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
  • Demonstrated experience facilitating knowledge coproduction activities.
  • Experience with qualitative and quantitative data collection, interpretation, and analysis.
  • Experience completing Research Ethics Board (REB) applications and editing content for grant applications.
  • Demonstrated experience fostering positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including community and city partners
  • Ability to foster positive relationships with multiple groups nationally and internationally
  • Experience working with people from equity-deserving populations or people with disabilities.
  • Proficient academic writing skills (protocol development, grant writing, manuscript development, poster, and abstract development).
  • Demonstrated ability to navigate and develop relationships with partners across national and international contexts and organizations.
  • Strong research and analytical skills
  • Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills (oral and written) with an ability to multi-task and prioritize competing demands
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • Strong commitment to accuracy and attention to detail
  • Demonstrated problem-solving skills and proven ability to meet deadlines
  • Demonstrated experience with literature reviews and syntheses.
  • Experience with coordinating research activities


Assets (Nonessential):

  • Proficiency with qualitative software and coding (e.g., MAXQDA, N-Vivo)
  • Proficiency with modelling software (e.g., fuzzy cognitive maps)
  • Experience with fieldwork in remote places


Application instructions

All individuals interested in this position must submit [any documentation required for application e.g. CV, references, publications, etc. to: [email protected]

Closing date:     January 20, 2024

Supervisor:  Patricia Romero-Lankao

Expected start date: Jan 30

Term: 2 years

FTE: 

[If the position will regularly require evening and/or weekend work, this must be indicated on the posting]

The normal hours of work are 40 hours per week for a full-time postdoctoral fellow (pro-rated for those holding a partial appointment) recognizing that the needs of the employee’s research and training and the needs of the supervisor’s research program may require flexibility in the performance of the employee’s duties and hours of work.

Employment as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto is covered by the terms of the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement.

This job is posted in accordance with the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement.

The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.