Executive Director School of Labor and Employment Relations, University of Illinois at Urbana-C

The School of Labor and Employment Relations invites applications for the inaugural Executive Director of the Climate Jobs Institute (CJI). The successful candidate will provide visible and compelling leadership to establish the Institute’s reputation as a state, national and global leader in research on workforce, societal and economic impacts of moving toward a cleaner energy future. Newly established and funded by the Illinois Legislature in 2022, the Climate Jobs Institute will produce high-quality, reliable, and accurate quantitative analysis and research on labor, employment, and the broader social and economic impacts of decarbonization.

The Climate Jobs Institute’s research and educational programming will support the State of Illinois’s transition to a strong, equitable decarbonized economy. As the State has established itself as an early mover within the U.S. on these issues, the research conducted by the CJI also stands to have considerable impact on other federal, state and local policies beyond Illinois, making this a particularly timely and exciting opportunity.

Responsibilities

• Evaluating how workforce opportunities in the clean-energy industry can provide just transitions for displaced energy workers in the State of Illinois and beyond.
• Quantifying the impacts of decarbonization on economic development, employment and growth in the State of Illinois and beyond.
• Identifying opportunities to maximize job creation and workforce development in the State’s clean-energy industry, being particularly mindful of job creation in historically underrepresented populations and environmental justice communities.
• Recommending policies that will create high-quality family- and community-sustaining jobs in the clean-energy economy.
• Developing strategies to address current and future supply chain vulnerabilities and challenges in the clean-energy manufacturing industry.
• Identifying how to expand access to high-quality clean energy jobs for environmental justice communities and other frontline communities that have faced historical inequities.
• Assessing the types of support that local governments will need to help communities develop their own community energy, climate and jobs plans.
• Evaluating initiatives, identifying research support and promulgating best practices for specific programs.
• Collaborating with related Institutes and Centers at the University of Illinois on joint/interdisciplinary research, policy recommendations, academic publications, and external funding proposals related to clean energy initiatives.
• Publicly disseminating research and recommendations via a wide range of outlets, including public policy reports, top tier peer-reviewed academic articles, interactive web platforms, and other outreach and education programs for labor, communities, law makers, and media.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will hold a doctoral degree relevant to the mission and goals of the institute and have an outstanding record of scholarly accomplishments appropriate for appointment as a tenured full professor at a leading research university. While a full professor is preferred, candidates with records appropriate for appointment as advanced tenured associate professors may also be considered. Disciplinary background may vary, but could include environmental economics, energy economics, labor economics, political economics, political science, public policy, urban and regional planning, community development, or a related field.

The candidate is expected to have significant experience in bringing science to bear on public policy decisions; experience managing a scientific institute or organization of comparable scope and complexity; ability or experience in forming and maintaining relationships with state, federal, and relevant non-governmental organizations; an established record of obtaining sponsored funding from state, and federal agencies and the private sector;

and administrative experience in actively facilitating research endeavors. The Executive Director will…