Project Specialist

SABANCI ÜNİVERSİTESİ

QUALIFICATIONS AND JOB DESCRIPTION

We are looking for a Project Specialist for our EU H2020 project titled ACCTING (AdvanCing behavioural Change Through an INclusive Green deal) project based at Sabanci University’s Gender and Women’s Studies Center of Excellence (SU Gender). This project involves carrying out research on policy and societal impacts of the European Green Deal programme using diverse methodological tools, delivering research outputs and supporting project administration. 

The main aims of ACCTING, which will run over 40 months between 2022-2025, are to a) contribute to the success of the European Green Deal programme with a range of research activities on how to avoid and reduce the unequal effects of both climate change and  the policy responses to climate change in different local and national contexts and b) to identify, make visible, and learn from the inspiring changes that are happening on the ground, often with the initiative of marginalised groups, women and the younger generation. Building on previous research initiatives, ACCTING proposes an interdisciplinary conceptual and methodological framework, inspired by strategic policy design-thinking and co-creation. This will be implemented through 1) research activities along eight interdisciplinary thematic research lines, implemented as experimental studies in four to eight countries, each based on a first research cycle of narrative analysis and a second research cycle of multiple methods (e.g. interviews, focus groups, geographical information systems); 2) an extensive mapping and comparative intersectional analysis of inspiring initiatives of local bottom-up sustainable practices facilitating behavioural change relevant for vulnerable or marginalised groups in Europe; 3) multi-actor creativity to translate research insights into operational tools using the method of Open Studios; 4) the concretisation of these insights and creativity into potential solutions, tested as ten pilot actions led by local stakeholders and actors; and 5) wide open-access dissemination of research results, policy recommendations and a future research agenda; and finally, 6) a robust impact evaluation of the project and its findings.

The project team at Sabancı University will contribute to various tasks including developing the mapping exercises of local bottom-up initiatives/best practices and supporting their analysis; carrying out experimental studies along four of the thematic research lines; supporting the development of gendered and intersectional perspectives in research activities; developing and implementing the Open Studio methodologies; as well as furthering new research agendas and dissemination of project results.

Project Start Date: February, 2022

Qualifications

• A PhD degree (completed or near to completion) in the social sciences. Education and experience in gender studies and environmental studies an advantage.
• Prior research experience in environmental and gender studies. Prior experience in a Horizon 2020 or other international research projects an advantage.  
• Advanced knowledge of qualitative research methods and techniques. Prior research experience in applying these tools an advantage.
• Experience in working with public authorities and/or NGOs.
• An excellent command of written and spoken English and Turkish.
• Competence in doing academic writing and presenting to different audiences.
• Ability to take responsibility in project management.
• Ability to manage time and work to strict deadlines.
• Commitment to working collaboratively on research development, delivery and dissemination.
• Being a self-motivated and organised, flexible, independent and creative thinker, and ability to tolerate working with different styles.
• IT skills to include familiarity with literature search skills including electronic databases, and qualitative data analysis software.

Job Description

Plan and manage research activities under ACCTING as directed by the PI, including:

• Extensive literature review and background research of relevant secondary data and policy documents at national scale,
• Mapping of local and national bottom-up initiatives,
• Designing theoretical, analytical and methodological frameworks and planning strategies for research and implementation,
• Carrying out qualitative research using different methodological tools,
• Systematic analysis and reporting of research findings,
• Developing and participating in co-creative, participatory processes for identifying solutions, developing policy recommendations and identifying future research agendas,
• Project administration, including planning and organization of meetings and workshops,
• Dissemination activities, including writing of articles and making conference presentations.

This is a part-time position that will be working with a fixed-term contract. 

Sabancı University is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and equal treatment in education and employment. The University respects all individuals without any discrimination of gender, religion, national and ethnic origin, race, color, physical disability, physical appearance, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, age, or political affiliation in the administration of its educational, admission and employment policies, and its scholarship and university-sponsored programs.