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Senior Fellow - Climate Equity - Center for Law, Energy & the Environment - School of Law

Position overview

Position title: Senior Fellow
Salary range: he UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the following table(s) for the current salary scale(s) for this position: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2024-25/july-2024-scales/t24-b.pdf. The current base salary range for this position is $73,000 - $124,000. "Off-scale" salaries, which yield compensation that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions.
Percent time: 100%
Anticipated start: Summer 2025
Position duration: One-year term position, with the possibility of renewal.

Application Window

Open date: April 1, 2025

Next review date: Tuesday, Apr 15, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

At Berkeley Law, we are committed to excellence in education and scholarship, as well as equality of opportunity. We believe we have a responsibility to use our substantial intellectual capital to help solve real-world problems and to create a more just society through clinics, research, and policy engagement. We believe that a Berkeley Law degree is a tool for change, both locally and globally, and that we should be educating the leaders of tomorrow. We maintain an environment that nurtures academic and personal growth, respects a diversity of ideas, and stimulates independent thought and critical reasoning.

The Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) is based at the UC Berkeley School of Law, which benefits from one of the leading environmental law programs in the nation. Building on UC Berkeley’s history of and commitment to research and public service, CLEE leverages the intellectual resources of Berkeley faculty and students in furtherance of applied research in a variety of environmental and energy law and policy areas. CLEE’s research priorities include combating climate change, advancing sustainable energy, addressing water allocation and management challenges, and sustaining healthy oceans, among other pressing environmental and energy challenges.

The Senior Fellow, Climate Equity will take the lead on CLEE’s current portfolio of equity- focused projects, including work on community benefits and climate infrastructure investment, and identify opportunities to expand and sustain the Center’s work in this area. The Senior Fellow will develop research partnership at UC Berkeley and with external organizations; identify funding opportunities; and work with the Executive Director to guide CLEE’s strategic initiatives in this area.

Primary Responsibilities:
The Senior Fellow, Climate Equity will:

  • Conduct research on climate justice and equity, including:
    • Analyze existing programs and policies to identify opportunities to scale transformative climate investment. This will include conducting interviews, literature review, and using other research approaches to draw lessons and model practices from existing programs and policies to scale community-led climate action.
    • Based on review of existing models, identify approaches to community-led governance, including models for robust community-benefits, community ownership, and generational wealth building in the transition to a carbon neutral economy.
    • Synthesize existing and original research to develop and describe policies, tools, and frameworks to advance community benefits in climate infrastructure investment.
  • Develop a portfolio of policy scholarship focused on environmental justice, equity, and/or just transition to advance policy innovation and implementation.
  • Support other researchers, including meeting with research fellows to support research progress; providing fellow mentorship and professional development; and recruitment of new research fellows.
  • Identify funding opportunities to expand CLEE’s research portfolio focused on environmental and climate justice and equity and provide input and support on proposal development.
  • Represent CLEE to diverse audiences including policymakers, the media, and partner communities and organizations.
  • Support CLEE’s communication and outreach activities across a range of media and work products, including drafting op-eds and blog posts; materials for the CLEE website; contributing to newsletters, annual reports, and other organizational materials.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Candidate must hold an advanced degree

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

Minimum three years of professional experience working in environmental justice and equity.

Preferred qualifications
  • JD or PHD with at least 5 years of professional experience.
  • Demonstrated experience working at the intersections of law, policy, climate change, and equity.
  • Record of successful outputs, including policy-relevant publications based on research and analysis.
  • Ability to work with people from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds and policy perspectives.
  • Ability to prioritize and function both independently and collaboratively.
  • Demonstrated ability to finish projects and deliver on commitments.
  • Willingness to plunge into unfamiliar disciplines.
  • Willingness to take risks by exploring and testing new ideas.
  • Experience working with state and local policy makers, environmental organizations, community leaders, and other stakeholders in California.
  • Excitement and commitment to CLEE’s mission and environmental sustainability, more generally.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

Additional materials may be requested of applicants.

  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

  • Writing Sample - Such as a policy brief, comment letter, white paper, or equivalent of no more than 10 pages

Reference requirements
  • 3 required (contact information only)
Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04843

Help contact: academicpositions@law.berkeley.edu

About UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The excellence of the institution requires an environment in which the diverse community of faculty, students, and staff are welcome and included. Successful candidates will demonstrate knowledge and skill related to ensuring equity and inclusion in the activities of their academic position (e.g., teaching, research, and service, as applicable).

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employeer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

Please refer to the University of California’s Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy.

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

Job location

Berkeley, CA