Senior Policy Researcher

Overview

This role involves leading policy research, producing in-depth analysis, and engaging with key policymakers, regulators, and partners. Reporting to the Director of the Canada Climate Law Initiative, the Senior Policy Researcher works with considerable latitude to advance the initiative’s policy objectives.

In addition to research and policy engagement, this position includes supervising research assistants and representing the initiative in external research and policy engagement activities.

Responsibilities

Research and Policy Engagement (50%)

• Lead ongoing strategic legal and policy research projects to advance policy objectives, including work with an interdisciplinary scholarly team.
• Conduct and complete legal and policy research on mandatory climate-related disclosures for issuers and federally regulated companies, greenwashing, international and national climate-related standards, and transition plans.
• Prepare comprehensive analyses used for policy briefing notes, letters, and submissions.
• Develop proposed research opportunities and research scopes for Director consideration and approval, including research questions, potential areas of inquiry, anticipated outputs, and required resources.
• Lead approved legal and policy research projects, independently determining day-to-day research approach, priorities, methodology, activities, and timelines within the approved scope.
• Identify emerging legal, regulatory, policy, and market developments and independently identify potential research opportunities aligned with strategic objectives.
• Identify research opportunities and analysis gaps and originate strategic research initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to participate in government, regulatory, standard-setting, and other public consultations and develop proposed policy submissions for Director consideration and approval.
• Collect policy feedback from the Director, Climate Governance Experts, external consultants, and ecosystem partners to inform policy recommendations.
• Identify emerging trends in domestic and international environments that may impact organizational objectives and work, and use these insights to provide recommendations.
• Maintain and update databases containing policy information and key contact information for senior policymakers, legislators, supervisors, and regulators.
• Independently engage with academic experts, research partners, practitioners, policymakers, and regulators at federal and provincial levels (including, for example, the Prime Minister’s Office, Finance Canada), and with subject-matter experts (including, for example, Science and Economic Development Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada) to inform the development and refinement of research questions and approaches.
• Lead consultations with experts and partners during research development and incorporate relevant feedback into research scopes and outputs.
• Conduct legal and policy research and translate complex legal and policy concepts into educational blog content for the initiative’s website.
• Review and quality-assure research and analysis prepared by research assistants and external research partners, including work undertaken with organizations and academic institutes.
• Oversee research assistants on policy-related research projects: assign responsibilities, provide clear instructions, set expectations and timelines, meet individually to discuss progress, provide feedback and guidance, review quality and accuracy, and assess performance.
• Coordinate research assistant schedules and workloads to accommodate academic schedules and other commitments while ensuring research activities meet project requirements and timelines.
• Participate in interviews and selection for research assistants in collaboration with the Director (formal hiring decisions and final approval remain with the Director).
• Read relevant published papers and reports and remain well-informed on climate and ESG-related developments.

Ecosystem Engagement and Thought Leadership (40%)

• Provide legal research to key partners in the sustainable finance ecosystem aligned with objectives to advance sustainable finance regulations and policies.
• Independently meet with research partners, policymakers, regulators, standard setters, government representatives, and other stakeholders to discuss initiative research, emerging policy developments, research opportunities, and areas of collaboration.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, including partners, consultants, policymakers, and regulators.
• Identify opportunities to collaborate with partners to advance climate governance and sustainable finance policy and regulation through policy submissions, presentations, strategic meetings, and related activities.
• Collaborate with partners on policy submissions, presentations, and strategic meetings, including with entities such as the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board and UN Principles for Responsible Investment.
• Identify opportunities to present to partners, financial and corporate market participants, and academia to enhance awareness of initiative work and advance policy objectives.
• Present research findings, legal analysis, and policy recommendations to external audiences, including policymakers, regulators, research partners, financial and corporate market participants, academics, and civil society organizations.
• Act as a subject-matter expert for climate governance and sustainable finance policy during public engagement activities including Chatham House roundtables, conferences, webinars, and other forums.
• Represent the initiative in external meetings and policy engagement activities without the Director, including meetings with government and regulatory bodies, research organizations, sustainable finance organizations, academic institutions, and other stakeholders.
• Uphold the initiative’s professional reputation and established relationships during independent external engagements.
• Provide thought leadership in media interviews, blogs, and other relevant ecosystem communications and public relations opportunities.
• Represent the initiative and communicate effectively with media in interviews.

Other Responsibilities (10%)

• Contribute to initiative strategy development and other program activities as required.
• Support broader organizational development, including (but not limited to) strategic planning, board engagement, communications, and event planning.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
• Minimum of two years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.
• Commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Law degree (LL.B., J.D.) and master’s degree.
• PhD completed or near completion in corporate and securities law, financial services law, public policy, climate governance, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to independently identify research opportunities and develop research scopes and proposals.
• Demonstrated strong analytical, legal research, and policy research skills.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead research projects from approved scope through completion.
• Demonstrated ability to critically review and quality-assure research undertaken by research assistants and external research partners.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with policymakers, regulators, standard setters, academics, research organizations, or other external stakeholders.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex legal and policy concepts to audiences with varying levels of subject-matter expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgement, discretion, and initiative in external stakeholder engagement.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or coordinating research assistants or junior researchers.
• Experience in corporate, securities, financial services, climate risk and governance, disclosure, sustainable finance, or related policy areas.
• Bilingualism (English and French).

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation range: $7,158.42 - $10,292.25 CAD Monthly
• Job end date: October 31, 2027
• Posting end date: October 28, 2026 (applications accepted until 11:59 PM on the posting end date)

Location

• Research | Sonia Li Trottier | Peter A. Allard School of Law

Reporting and Supervision

• Reports to the Director of the Canada Climate Law Initiative.
• Provides functional supervision and day-to-day direction to research assistants working on policy-related research projects, including assigning and coordinating research tasks, providing instructions and guidance, establishing timelines, reviewing progress, providing feedback, reviewing and quality-assuring completed work, and assessing performance. May manage student workers.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

• Decisions and actions are critical to ensuring the reputation and success of the initiative.
• Errors in judgement may cause financial hardship or serious reputational damage.
• Incorrect decisions/judgments may directly affect the initiative’s reputation.
• Inappropriate disclosure of confidential information or errors in performance may adversely affect the initiative, the Peter A. Allard School of Law, and the university.