Research and Administrative Assistant, Electric School Bus Initiative

This position is remote-eligible and only for consideration within the United States where WRI is state registered. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission. WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position. 


This position is to support the project’s financing and utility research and policy advocacy as well as to provide operational and administrative support across the project.    

About the Program:  

WRI’s Electric School Bus Initiative (ESBI) aims to collaborate with partners and communities to build unstoppable momentum toward an equitable transition of the U.S. school bus fleet to electric by 2030, bringing health, climate, and economic benefits to children and families across the country and normalizing electric mobility for an entire generation. The Initiative sits at the intersection of WRI’s Climate, Cities, and Energy programmatic areas. 

https://electricschoolbusinitiative.org/  

Job Highlight:  
 
In this role, you will work as part of a team to support subject matter experts on research and education activities that answer questions like: What funding and financing is available to support electric school bus procurement? What are the barriers to accessing these resources, and how can these be overcome, especially for underserved districts? What is the role for electric utilities in supporting this transition? You will execute qualitative and quantitative research and analysis tasks that inform the ESBI’s policy advocacy efforts and implementation activities, centering equity across all work. Additionally, you will develop and implement new processes to streamline internal coordination, foster team cohesion, and improve project delivery. You will provide administrative and logistical support across the ESBI program, including to the ESBI Director.

You will work closely with colleagues across the Initiative and will work closely within the two primary workstreams where this position is housed: Funding & Finance and Management & Operations. 

You will report to the Project Manager with secondary reporting lines to the eMobility Financial Solutions Manager and Project Director. 

 

What you will do: 
 

Research Assistance (30%) 

• Undertake research with guidance from colleagues, including collection and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative information. 
• Review publications, utility regulatory dockets, interview transcripts, program data, and other sources to draw out insights and learnings as directed.  
• Attend and summarize key takeaways from webinars, meetings, and virtual workshops/conferences discussing transportation electrification, funding & finance, utility regulation and other topics. 

Communication, engagement, and coordination (20%) 

• Support development of slide decks, draft memorandums and other resources for internal and external audiences to convey information, present analysis, and provide recommendations. 
• Participate in engagement with internal and external partners and stakeholders to strengthen relationships and collaborate on projects. 
• Assist in coordination of publications through development and review processes. 

Administrative Assistance (50%) 

• Design and implement efforts to increase team efficiency through streamlined internal coordination, better meeting practices, improved program organization 
• Ensure effective internal coordination by arranging internal meetings, preparing agenda items, taking notes 
• Create and maintain internal knowledge repositories, files, datasets, organizational charts, notes for the ESBI program to improve internal knowledge sharing and organization 
• Provide guidance to staff on travel logistics and provide direct travel support to the project lead 

 What you will need: 

Education: You have a Bachelor’s degree in any field including humanities, social sciences, hard sciences, math or engineering  

Experience: You have 0-2+ years full-time relevant work experience. You have had exposure to or experience with policy, communications, program administration or project management, or research in any related field such as energy, public health, community engagement, EV transition, transportation, or others, 

• Coursework, experience, or interest in economics, finance, or cost-benefit analysis  
• Experience using various Microsoft Office tools such as PowerPoint, Word, and Excel 
• Languages: You have written and verbal proficiency in English. 
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization. 

Potential Salary: 
 
Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors. WRI offers a competitive remuneration and benefits package.  

 
How to Apply:  
 
Please submit a resume with cover letter by the date of  January 2023. You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. 

What we offer: 

• A competitive salary 
• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US. 
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organisation with access to varied learning and training opportunities. 
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work. 
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI. 
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours. 
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure. 

About Us: Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organisation that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.    
 
The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.  

  
Our mission and values:  

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.  

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect.   

Our culture: WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organisational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognising our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.  

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.   

Apply Here: Click here to apply