Air Quality Research Analyst II
Program Overview
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
Clean Air Catalyst
WRI Indonesia air quality program is growing along with the new USAID-funded program called “Clean Air Catalyst”, which will be implemented by a global consortium that WRI is leading with EDF and other partners. The consortium includes six additional partners: Clean Air Toolbox for Cities (Columbia University), Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Internews Network, MAP-AQ, OpenAQ, and Vital Strategies. The program will work in three pilot regions with WRI international offices and local partners to test and refine a three-part data to action methodology for improving air quality and delivering climate co-benefits. We plan to work with local partners in three pilot regions – one of which is Jakarta, Indonesia – to test and refine a three-part data to action methodology for improving air quality and delivering climate co-benefits.
South East Asia (SEA) Air Quality Community of Practice
SEA Air Quality Community of Practice is part of Air Quality Program at the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. It is coordinated by WRI Mexico in collaboration with WRI Africa and is the first pilot in Latin America with an intersection with a project in Africa. The objective is to disseminate, share and promote best practices for the generation and use of data and tools for air quality management and climate change mitigation through a specialized community of practice through a series of technical seminars (Tech talks). This community is addressed to technical teams, government authorities from cities in Latin America and Africa, and specialists interested in the topics. As context, in 2020 and 2021, the CityAQ project was piloted to provide participating cities with station-level, bias-adjusted air quality forecasts to anticipate air quality events, communicate with stakeholders and more effectively manage local interventions. The new phase of this project funded by Clean Air Fund and UNEP science is called CanAIRy Alert aiming to include air quality data from low cost sensor networks to produce bias corrected station level forecast for 4 cities in Africa (Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali and Accra).
The outcomes of this initiative consist of: (1) strengthened knowledge, technical capacity, and a network for air quality experts, practitioners, and stakeholders in the context of air quality awareness, monitoring, modeling, and management in the three focused countries within Southeast Asia; (2) cross-border sharing of experience on air quality management and (3) guidance on the use of already available and successfully implemented tools for enhanced action on clean air solutions by stakeholders. This initiative include Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines as the main beneficiaries at the country level, while the secondary beneficiaries include other Southeast Asia countries, for example, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.
Job Highlight
The Air Quality Research Analyst II will play a pivotal role in advancing WRI Indonesia air quality initiatives by spearheading the design and execution of research works in order to achieved the desired outcomes and ensuring its quality to meets WRI Indonesia standard. In addition to conducting comprehensive research, this role will actively contribute to project success by strengthening engagement with various stakeholders through facilitation and research advisory support in various opportunity.
The Air Quality Research Analyst II will report to Air Quality Project Manager while working collaboratively with the rest of the project team and global office science team in relate to aligning research plan, data collecting, and analysis. This position will be based in Jakarta with office-flex working arrangement and expected to do travel when needed.
What You Will Do
Research and Knowledge (70%)
- Conduct robust and unbiased research on air quality including but not limited to emission inventories, source apportionment, personal exposure, air dispersion modelling, large-data set analysis and root cause analysis of air pollution.
- Managing large air quality data set both from internal and partner’s monitoring station and maintaining air quality instruments.
- Lead writing and publication of research-related communication and knowledge product including but not limited to concept notes, project-related reports, project’s proposal, technical notes, and presentations deck.
- Contribute and coordinate primary and secondary data collection
- Coordinate and communicate with corresponding managers and/or lead to ensure the alignment of research product with project objectives
- Provide advisory on research collaborations among partners policy makers and the general public
- Ensure high-quality data inputs by providing feedback and supervise the data collection process and analysis
Project Management (10%)
- Support Project Manager in managing overall day to day work delivery.
- Participate in online/offline meeting related to science or research activities such as CAC Global Science Check-in and other project’s activities and initiatives
- Develop and fulfil administrative requirement related to project’s activities implementation Produce regular report on work progress, achievement, and lesson learned
- Support Project Manager in producing project-related reports
Engagement and Outreach (20%)
- Liaise with local and global science teams (project partners), experts, researchers and government officials to facilitate the development of high-quality research and pilot design
- Organizing internal and external meeting, workshop, conference, and dissemination activities including delivering public presentations
- In coordination with Communications team to produce regular AQ data analysis materials for public education and promotion
- Produce minutes report and ensure proper dissemination
- Enhancing project engagement by identifying new potential collaborators for research
What You Will Need
- Master’s degree in environmental science/ environmental engineering/ chemistry/ physics/ Geophysics & Meteorology/ Climate Science/ Atmospheric Sciences or a related quantitative field.
- Minimum 3 (three) years of full-time experience in leading a research works related to climate and/or air quality
- Strong background in atmospheric chemistry and physics, and/or air quality research including sampling, monitoring analysis, and reporting is a plus.
- Having experience in handling and processing large data sets; and in using air dispersion modeling tools such as WRF, WRF-Chem, AERMOD, CALPUFF, CALROADS or others is a plus.
- Working experience with knowledge and use of air quality instruments either reference grade or low-cost sensor is desirable.
- Ability to support discrete elements of research projects with limited manager guidance, e.g. systematically reviewing, analyzing and synthesizing existing literature; collecting, cleaning, organizing, and visualizing data.
- Ability to define research questions, with manager guidance
- Familiarity with documenting the data collection, cleaning and analysis process to make it transparent, reproducible, and accessible to team members and reviewers.
- Ability to communicate research approach and findings effectively to technical audiences with limited support from manager, using compelling presentation skills.
- Strong analytical research skills-ability to communicate complex concepts clearly
- Detail-oriented and organized thinker who can juggle multiple, competing priorities;
- Self-motivated and able to work independently and as a team player;
- Business proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia and English on both verbal and written communications
- Willingness to travel frequently within Jakarta area for project activities and to other destination as needed
- Legally able to work in Indonesia
Contract Arrangement
Full-time with fixed-term employment agreement up to 31 December 2024 with 3 (three) months of consultancy contract apply before the fixed-term employment agreement started.
What we offer
- Salary that is commensurate with experience and skills
- Competitive and comprehensive benefit package
- Access to the WRI global network
- Opportunity to join and/or get involved in different working groups
- A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
- A chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization
Must have authorization to work in Indonesia to be eligible for this position.
Final candidates might be required to take a writing test and to produce two writing samples when needed.
How to apply: In order to be formally considered, please submit an updated resume and cover letter through WRI career portal.
Application close: 1700 (DKI Jakarta local time), 20 March 2024. We will close the advert earlier when the best candidates are identified at earlier dates.
This is a locally engaged position; Indonesian nationals are encouraged to apply.
Founded in 1982, 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 to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.
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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. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, we embrace all diversity and encourage women, gender diverse communities, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.
WRI Indonesia is national entity (Yayasan) associated with the World Resources Institute (WRI), a global environmental research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. WRI work with various stakeholders in the natural resources sector to support policy and management that are both profitable and sustainable. WRI work with leaders in more than 50 countries for more than 30 years, with offices in Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States.
Launched in early 2014, WRI Indonesia builds on WRI’s 10-year history in the country, and strengthens our impact on the ground. In the short-to-medium term, WRI Indonesia aims to expand its presence and portfolio to include projects in the climate, energy, as well as city and transportation programs.