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Current Vacancies


2x Post-Doctoral Research Fellow 

Ref Number: B04-04826
Professional Expertise: Research and Research Support
Department: UCL BEAMS (B04)
Location: London
Working Pattern: Full time
Salary: See advert text
Contract Type: Fixed-term
Working Type: Hybrid (20% - 80% on site)
Available For Secondment: No
Closing Date: 11-Apr-2024

Based in the The Bartlett Development Planning Unit and The Bartlett School of Sustaianable Construction’s vibrant hive of activity in London (UK), we are hiring two full time post-doctoral research fellows (PDRFs) to work on a new three-year UKRI project entitled, ‘Listen, Learn & Leap: Co-producing Equitable and Sustainable Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience in East African Cities’.

Led by Associate Professor Jordana Ramalho at the Bartlett Development Planning Unit, UCL, LISTEN, LEARN & LEAP is an international project that aims to explore the socio-political factors that support the uptake, sustainability and institutionalisation of nature-based solutions (NbS) in two important East African capital cities, Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, with an explicit focus on the needs and active involvement of young people, and especially women and girls.

LISTEN, LEARN & LEAP will be delivered in partnership with partners and organisations based in Africa, and in direct engagement with academic institutions, consultants as well as local community-based organisations. The project follows a methodology of knowledge co-production, combining quantitative and qualitative methods with processes that integrate the knowledge of urban practitioners and communities through participatory processes.

The post holders will work across the following work packages with objectives as follows: 1) Listen: to document, evidence and learn from existing knowledge, experiences of, and experiments in managing water risks through NbS to enhance our understanding of the context-specific and communal factors that shape the equity, efficiency and sustainability of NbS, and the barriers and entry points for scaling-up or mainstreaming community-driven interventions into urban planning processes; 2) Learn: to facilitate the co-production of community-driven NbS in new locations and develop methodologies that produce actionable knowledge on the environmental, socio-cultural, financial and institutional considerations that drive or derail equitable, sustainable and resilient NbS to urban water issues in complex urban settings; 3) Leap: to foster cross-sectoral municipal and regional dialogue and knowledge exchange between community-based organisations, civil society and institutional actors to identify common goals and practical guidance around institutionalising and scaling-up inclusive community-led NbS to advance equitable urban climate resilience in East Africa and beyond.

About you

You must hold a PhD in a relevant area (e.g. urban studies, development studies, infrastructure engineering, human geography, development planning, gender, or environmental studies).

Fieldwork experience overseas, preferably in Africa, with a proven ability to engage with communities in complex settings and/or municipal government through a range of participatory methods (including meetings, focus groups, workshops, and policy discussions).

Knowledge of local governance, urban development, gender and urban inequality, grey/green/blue infrastructure (nature-based solutions, water, and sanitation), or urban climate resilience in any of the project countries (Tanzania, Kenya) or in other African countries.

Find more information and apply here


Project Coordinator

Ref Number: B04-04829
Professional Expertise: Administration and Business Support
Department: UCL BEAMS (B04)
Location: London
Working Pattern: Part time
Salary: See advert text
Contract Type: Fixed-term
Working Type: Hybrid (20% - 80% on site)
Available For Secondment: No
Closing Date: 11-Apr-2024

Based in DPU’s vibrant hive of activity, a part-time Project Coordinator is required to work in a NERC-funded project “Listen, Learn & Leap: Co-producing Equitable and Sustainable Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience in East African Cities”.

This three-year UKRI funded action-research project will explore the socio-political factors that support the uptake, sustainability and institutionalisation of NbS in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam with the overall aim to foster cross-sectoral municipal and regional dialogue and knowledge exchange between community-based organisations, civil society and institutional actors to advance equitable urban climate resilience in East Africa and beyond.

The post holder will support all workstreams of the project. ‘Listen, Learn & Leap’ will be delivered in partnership with five partner organisations across Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, the United States, and the UK.

The Project Coordinator will lead in administrative management of the project in its different stages and will work to give visibility to the project to different audiences, including, but not limited to, academics, policymakers, practitioners, and international development agencies. This is an exciting opportunity to manage a large international research project at the crossroads of transformative research, capacity building, and experimentation with localised and inclusive NbS initiatives.

About you

The successful candidate will be educated to a Postgraduate degree in social sciences, management, or equivalent professional training.

The candidate will have experience working in a research environment and managing research projects through to completion, including budget management and also have excellent written and spoken English with a proven ability to write reports and planning documents for internal and external stakeholders to a high standard.

Find out more and apply here