Community Energy Policy - Research Fellow

Number of Positions: 1
Reports to: Dr. Tamara Krawchenko (UVic)
Salary: $70,000 plus benefits.
Deadline for Application: Oct. 16, 2025, 11:59 AM.

Position Summary
The Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) Initiative is seeking a research fellow to lead the comparative qualitative analysis component of a major pan-Canadian study of community energy policy together with the project team: Tamara Krawchenko (UVic), Martin Boucher (Norquest), Julie MacArthur (Royal Roads) and Curran Crawford (UVic).  The successful candidate will play a critical role in synthesizing and analyzing policy documents, strategies, and program frameworks across Canadian jurisdictions, contributing to the development of a comprehensive database and public report.

Mandate
To conduct interdisciplinary research on community energy systems, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement to inform evidence-based policy recommendations.

Objectives

• Advance a comprehensive and comparative analysis of community energy policy across all Canadian jurisdictions, with attention to how policies define ‘community,’ address Indigenous, rural, remote, and urban actors, and integrate with broader decarbonisation and resilience objectives.
• Apply and refine qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) methods to systematically compare community energy policy frameworks across federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate and conduct policy and document reviews using comparative frameworks.
• Employ qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) methods to ensure systematic cross-jurisdictional comparison.
• Manage data organization and coding in Excel, NVivo, and other platforms as appropriate.
• Design and administer semi-structured interviews and support focus group facilitation.
• Synthesize findings for both academic and practitioner audiences.
• Lead or assist in the preparation of reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed articles.
• Liaise with stakeholders, research partners, and government officials as needed.

Skills and Qualifications
Experience

• Doctoral degree (PhD) in public policy, political science, planning, environmental studies, or a closely related field.
• Applicants with demonstrated equivalent research experience and expertise—such as senior researchers or experienced practitioners—will be considered in lieu of a postdoctoral credential.
• Proven experience in qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and comparative policy research.
• Familiarity with Canadian energy, climate, and/or regional development policy environments preferred.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Advanced proficiency with R (and the QCA package in R).
• Demonstrated skills in research project management, literature review, and data synthesis.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with a record of publication or deliverable preparation.
• Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of energy policy, community engagement, or Indigenous governance considered an asset.

Assets or preferences

• Experience conducting scoping or systematic reviews would be an asset.
• Experience building research databases and synthesising large quantities of information would be an asset.

About ACET  
Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) is a multi-partner international initiative accelerating the global push for resilient and equitable clean energy solutions through local, community-based collaborations.  

Established at the University of Victoria in 2023, ACET is a partnership between Royal Roads University, University of British Columbia, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, and Yukon University, supported by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. 

Accessibility and Equity Statements
ACET and The University of Victoria is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities.

Information about our accessibility and equity policies can be found below and/or accessed using the navigation menu on the left.

How to Apply
Please submit your application, including a cover letter and CV to [email protected] with subject line "Research Fellow – Community Energy Policy" by Oct. 16, 2025, 11:59 AM.