Role Context:

We are looking for a skilled and inquiring researcher and leader with an enthusiastic interest  in the influence of corporations on democracy. You might have a background in law, social sciences, responsible investment, economics and/or politics and policy development. The successful candidate will be responsible for tracking the political influence of companies in ACCR’s sights, and their lobbyists, and will lead a new research project regarding corporate influence on government in Australia. They will develop ACCR’s future research and advocacy agenda in the area of political influence, aligned with our strategic priorities. 

You’ll love this job if:

• you are keen to identify and scope areas of possible research interest to ACCR, in alignment with our strategy

• you are skilled at designing and undertaking high quality research, including through data collection, analysis, report writing and subsequent strategic engagement with relevant audiences to realise the desired impact of the research

• you thrive when exploring complex topics and forming recommendations and policy positions including for investor and corporate audiences

• you are a fan of Amy Westerveldt’s Drilled podcast or similar investigative work focused on the fossil fuel lobby 

Responsibilities:

This role will initiate and undertake complex research and analysis on corporate activity in Australia, that will form the basis of ACCR's advocacy, to be conducted by the researcher in coordination with other ACCR staff. 

One of the first major responsibilities will be to plan and conduct a substantial research project, expected to take a large portion of your time for up to 12 months. This project will examine the impact of corporate influence and lobbying strategies on policy-making across multiple levels of Australian government and multiple policy areas. It will address corporate influence on Australian democracy in a broad sense, and offer recommendations based on a comparative analysis of the situation in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. Further details of this project will be provided to finalist candidates.

Criteria:

We’re looking for someone with skills and experience as follows:

• Substantial research experience e.g. several years working in a research role or relevant PhD (or research Masters), likely in social sciences, law, funds management or business 

• Outstanding written communication skills

• High-level research and analysis skills, including in research design, policy and data analysis, and report writing

• Ability to understand and communicate complex social, political, legal and financial ideas and information

• Willingness, flexibility and capability to undertake research in alignment with ACCR’s strategic goals and under the oversight of ACCR’s Research Committee and guidelines

The following would be an asset: 

• An understanding of corporate accountability, shareholder advocacy, or finance/investment in Australia, the UK and/or the USA

• A background in comparative legal research, environmental law, ESG research or corporate governance

• Experience investigating political influence or lobbying activity in relation to climate change or other social/environmental issue 

Background:

ACCR challenges companies to respond to the most important issues of our time. Thanks to a heightened awareness of the importance of our work, and the urgency of the issues that we work on - like climate change - we are growing. ACCR has Deductible Gift Recipient status as an Approved Research Institute, with Research projects overseen by ACCR’s Research Committee. More information about our latest work can be found in our FY21 Annual Review: https://www.accr.org.au/2020-2021/.

What we offer:

ACCR has a dynamic team of over 25 driven and experienced staff, mostly based in Australia. We value peer learning and each of us has a professional development budget. We enjoy flexible work hours and supportive home-based working for those who want it. Personal leave is double the statutory requirement, and staff have access to extra leave between Christmas and New Year. Our Employee Assistance Program also includes our employees’ households. Due to our high levels of staff satisfaction and engagement, ACCR won one of Voice Project’s Best Workplace Awards for 2021.

Accountable to:

This role will be accountable to the Strategic Projects Lead, Companies Research Lead and ACCR’s Research Manager as to research quality. 

Key relationships:

This role will engage closely with the Company Strategy Leads, and Investor Relations Lead and staff in the research team.

Application Guidelines:

We use Applied as our recruitment platform, helping us reduce the risk of unconscious bias in our hiring process.

The application will require answering three short questions, so give yourself time to complete it. Each question has a maximum word length of 250 words. Once started, you can save and return to your application before submitting.

For example, one of the question is:

Tell us about one research project that you have undertaken that has helped you develop relevant expertise for this role. Which research methods did you choose and why?

ACCR encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people of all cultures, abilities, sex and genders. ACCR has policies on anti-discrimination and equal opportunity to which all staff are expected to adhere.

ACCR is committed to improving accessibility to enable the full participation of a diverse workforce. If there are any alterations to this recruitment process that would assist you in applying, please let us know. We also welcome your feedback on how we can make our recruitment practices more accessible and inclusive.