Head of Research

Right Livelihood is looking for a full-time Head of Research. The role will be based at one of our offices in Stockholm or Geneva and will lead the selection and research of new Laureates for the Right Livelihood Award.

About Right Livelihood

For over 40 years, Right Livelihood has honoured courageous people solving global problems, creating a community of change-makers committed to peace, justice, and sustainability. By recognising the actions of brave visionaries and building a continuous relationship with these change-makers, Right Livelihood boosts urgent and transformational societal change. With offices in Stockholm and Geneva, Right Livelihood has 20 staff and an annual budget of EUR 4 million. Every year, an international jury chooses the new Laureates: to date, 198 Laureates from 77 countries have been awarded for their impactful contributions. Read more about our approach on our website.

Purpose of the role

You will oversee all aspects of the research and selection of new Laureates for the Right Livelihood Award, taking a leading role in implementing our strategic outlook, as well as developing and managing the research team. In this position, you will be collaborating with colleagues in the entire Right Livelihood team and communicating with nominees for the Award as well as external experts and other contacts. It is expected that you stay on top of global developments related to the work. It is your responsibility to ensure high quality in the research and present accurate, comprehensive, and timely research findings about the candidates.

The Head of Research will report to the Deputy Director and lead the work of the research team, which currently has two staff members.

Main responsibilities

• Lead and develop the annual selection process of Laureates towards the goals defined in the organisational strategy and operational plan.
• Provide leadership to the research team, manage and guide the research work, and be responsible for the research budget.
• Coordinate and conduct investigative research about nominees for the Award, both remote and on-site, and lead the writing of the report presented to the jury, including all relevant research findings.
• Ensure high-quality research to allow the jury to assess nominations from multiple perspectives.
• In coordination with colleagues, make sure that our work is informed by current trends in global affairs and civil society movements.

Required experience and qualifications

• Professional experience in leadership roles
• Professional experience in conducting investigative research in fields such as activism and social transformation
• Experience with conducting interviews with a wide range of people, e.g. victims of environmental or human rights violations, both on-site or online
• Full professional proficiency in English, including experience with research report writing

Desired experience and qualifications

• Expertise in topics such as human rights, environment, climate, peace and other topics relevant to the work of Right Livelihood
• Professional proficiency in French, Spanish, Arabic, and other languages
• Experience with the use of AI tools for research
• Experience with data management to optimise research processes

Who you are

We see you as a leader with a high sense of responsibility, accountability and integrity, while also having a strong commitment to Right Livelihood’s mission and values. You enjoy turning plans into action, are skilled in time management and know how to delegate within a team. In your research work, you are investigative, challenging and analytical, yet maintain a self-critical distance and are able to present a balanced “full picture”. As a researcher, you are a generalist interested in multiple topics connected to the work. You possess strong interpersonal skills and effectively navigate cultural nuances with sensitivity when interviewing candidates for the Award with diverse origins and backgrounds.

More information & How to apply

Please visit our website for the full job ad: https://rightlivelihood.org/news/come-work-with-us-were-looking-for-a-head-of-research/