The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) wishes to appoint a Research Officer to join the climate and energy modelling team. This is a 5-year, tenure-track position and entails an adjunct Assistant Professor position at Trinity College Dublin.

The Institute

The Economic and Social Research Institute, founded in 1960, is located in Dublin’s South Docklands area. Our mission is to produce high quality research, relevant to Ireland’s economic and social development, with the aim of contributing to knowledge and informing policymaking and public debate. We have over 100 staff including economists, sociologists, psychologists, social scientists, support and technical staff.

The Research Programme on Climate, Energy and Economy at the ESRI

The ESRI has maintained an energy research programme since the 1990s covering topics such as energy demand, electricity markets, and energy efficiency. Beginning in 2017 the ESRI initiated a new, parallel research programme on Climate, Energy and the Economy to enhance the modelling capability in assessing the relationship between economic trends, policies and energy demand and associated greenhouse gas emissions. To date, this has involved constructing an energy Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model of the Irish economy, namely Ireland Environment, Energy and Economy (I3E) model (www.esri.ie/current-research/the-i3e-model). This model is linked to the ESRI’s macro-econometric COSMO model and an ESRI transport demand model. The research programme aims to analyse energy/environment policy and other climate and energy issues in Ireland. More specifically it will be used to advise on the impacts of various climate policy options across sectors as well as estimate future energy demand for emission projection purposes. The ESRI has strong links to a wide range of key stakeholders, and this research has been extensively used as input to policymaking (the energy and finance ministries are among the funders of the research) and is expected to significantly influence energy and climate change policy in Ireland going forward.

Role Description

The Research Officer will be part of a six-member climate modelling team and will primarily be working on the I3E model’s maintenance and development. The ESRI is looking to expand the development and use of this model and is looking for a researcher with CGE modelling expertise to join the team. The successful candidate is expected to be an integral part of the future development of the I3E model, where the focus will likely lie be on further dissagregation of the model and linking the I3E to other models (such as energy engineering and micro simulation model). In this respect, the candidate will be working closely with both the macro-modelling and energy teams at the ESRI on the further development and expansion of the I3E model.

The successful candidate is expected to develop research on climate change at the ESRI and will develop new research projects in this area. It is also envisaged that the successful candidate will collaborate with researchers in other institutions on the development of soft links between the I3E model and other national models. There will also be opportunities to contribute to the development of new research projects and to other areas of research in the Institute, in line with their skills and funding opportunities. Moreover, the candidate is expected to guide and coach more junior researchers within the research area. As the publication of the findings is prioritised, the candidate is expected to contribute to publishing and disseminating results in both international peer-reviewed academic journals and policy-related fora. An important aspect of this role is interacting with political stakeholders, private and corporate stakeholders, other institutions, and funders. The candidates are expected to present the research outputs on various platforms ranging from meetings with stakeholders to conferences.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

The position requires advanced skills in the areas of energy and climate modelling, and it is desirable that the candidate also have some experience with macroeconomic models. To be considered for appointment as Research Officer for the Climate, Energy and Economy Research Programme, a candidate must have:

A Ph.D. in economics;
Ideally minimum 4 years postdoctoral or equivalent research experience;
Research experience in intertemporal CGE/AGE modelling (model development and calibration) with GAMS, preferably covering energy/climate topics;
Excellent writing skills;
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
Demonstrated ability to work successfully within a highly motivated team and on their own initiative;
Proven ability to deliver high quality output to tight deadlines;
Flexibility and capacity to contribute to other areas of ESRI research;
Knowledge of the GTAP database; R and Latex will be an advantage.

Location

The ESRI is based at Whitaker Square, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Applicants should note that staff have the option of working on a ‘blended’ basis with a minimum requirement of one day per week based in the ESRI office. The arrangement is running on a pilot basis and full details will be provided at interview.

Terms & Application Procedure

Appointment will be at Research Officer grade. A mapping of ESRI grades to the corresponding grades in the Irish University system is set out below. Appointments at Research Officer are normally made on five-year, fixed-term contracts and basic starting salary for new entrants to the Irish public service will be €58,206, which is the first point of the salary scale. The successful candidate will be eligible for tenure, subject to assessment.

The role is full-time (35 hours per week - standard working hours are 0930 - 1730, Monday – Friday; flexible working hours are supported). The successful candidate will be based in our offices in Dublin 2 with the option of blended working arrangements. The appointee will also hold an adjunct position at Trinity College Dublin. Secondment arrangements may be considered for eligible candidates. Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact jobs@esri.ie for further information on the terms and conditions of this position.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 10 February 2023. All applications will be acknowledged. The selection process will consist of a preliminary interview and, for candidates successful at that stage, a final interview and presentation. The ESRI is currently conducting selection process via videoconference (MS Teams or Zoom).

The ESRI is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to accommodating the needs of people with disabilities to enable them to participate in the selection process. Please let us know if you have any requirements should you be invited for assessment/interview or that you wish us to take into account when considering your application.

Economic and Social Research Institute - ESRI

New Jobs

Research Officer (tenure-track) in CGE Modelling