Program: Reimagining 2025: Living with Wildfire
Position: Research assistant
APPLY BY 22 January 2021
Location: Remote
Contract type: Part-time (minimum of 10 hours per week)
Duration: 6 months; renewable
Start date: 1 February 2021
About us
Wonder Labs is an early-stage social enterprise based in San Jose, California. Our mission is to catalyze social and ecological innovations with communities on the frontline of climate impacts. We do this by co-developing technologies, facilitating convergence research, and applying seed capital to enable community-led innovations. Our work is guided by the United Nation’s Agenda 2030 and the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals.
About the Reimagining 2025: Living with Wildfire Program
Through our recently launched Reimagining 2025: Living with wildfire program, we seek to fulfill our five-year mission of reducing catastrophic wildfire risk for diverse communities across California. The program will showcase the implementation of our Policy, People and Places approach to wildfire risk reduction.
About the position
Wonder Labs invites applications for a Research Assistant to join our Reimagining 2025: Living with wildfire program. We encourage applications from postgraduate and graduate students who are looking to gain experience with an early-stage social enterprise based in California. The Research Assistant will have the opportunity to closely work with Wonder Labs’ two co-founders; learn more about their backgrounds here. We welcome applications from international students who are currently enrolled at a U.S. university and looking for part-time work experience with a social enterprise focused on disaster risk reduction policy, research and advocacy. Monthly salary is generous. We do not offer housing, health or other benefits under this contract modality.
What we would like you to have
- A Master’s degree in Sociology/ Geography/ Environment/ Forestry/ Economics /Urban Planning; current enrollment in a higher degree is preferred.
- Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
- Familiarity with data analysis and tools such as NVivo, R, MATLAB, ArcGIS or similar is preferred. 4. Proficiency in office software such as Excel, Word, PPT is required.
- A passion for independent thinking, learning and teamwork is required.
What you can expect
- Supporting academic and policy research, including data collection, analysis, and visualization. 2. Drafting grant applications, press releases, website updates, policy, and research briefs. 3. Coordinating the publication and dissemination of academic and policy reports. 4. Supporting partner outreach and follow-ups.
- Setting up virtual conferences and webinars.
To apply
If this position seems interesting, please send your CV with a brief cover letter summarizing your disciplinary background, research experience and interest in the position to Dr. Shefali Juneja Lakhina at shefali@lakhina.com.
Apply by 22 January 2021
Shortlisted candidates will participate in a virtual interview week of January 25, 2021, date and time to be mutually determined. You will have the chance to get to know Wonder Labs’ co-founders and tell us more about yourself. We’re passionate, motivated, and solutions focused, and look forward to welcoming a curious mind and kind heart to our small mighty team!