In this role, you will research and help develop practical approaches to emerging questions in data ethics and governance, with a particular focus on data sovereignty in the age of AI and benefit-sharing in open data and open-source systems. You will combine research, stakeholder engagement, and practical project delivery to help translate these questions into recommendations for WRI policies, guidance, and practice.

Responsibilities

Research and Analysis on Data Ethics and Governance (30%)

• Design and conduct research on emerging data governance issues, including data sovereignty in the context of AI and governance models for open data and open-source systems.

• Conduct desk research and synthesize evidence on topics such as shared ownership, attribution, rights to control or approve data use, access to products derived from community data, and revenue or benefit-sharing.

• Analyze findings in their relevant social, institutional, and policy context and translate them into clear options and recommendations.

Stakeholder and Community Research (25%)

• Plan and conduct interviews and other research engagements with experts, practitioners, community representatives, and relevant WRI teams.

• Support inclusive approaches to research and engagement, particularly where data governance decisions affect communities that generate, steward, or are represented in environmental and conservation data.

• Document interview findings, areas of agreement and disagreement, emerging questions, and implications for further research or action.

Data Strategy and Project Delivery (20%)

• Contribute to WRI data governance, management, and delivery meetings and working sessions, connecting research findings to practical organizational needs.

• Support the design and implementation of data governance guidance, processes, pilots, or other work products based on the research.

• Maintain project plans, priorities, documentation, and deliverables, and communicate progress and emerging issues to relevant internal stakeholders.

Civic Science Fellowship Learning and Field-Building (25%)

• Participate actively in the 2026–28 Civic Science Fellows cohort, including shared learning, peer exchange, virtual Fellows Labs, and periodic convenings.

• Co-design the Fellowship project with WRI and refine the work as learning emerges over the 18-month term.

• Share lessons from WRI’s work with the Civic Science Fellows community and bring relevant approaches, perspectives, and practices from the cohort back into WRI.

• Produce a final set of findings and recommendations that captures the project’s primary activities, insights, and learning and can inform future work at WRI and in the wider civic science field.

Skillset

• Education: You have a completed bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as public policy, social science, environmental studies, information science, data or technology studies, law, or a related discipline. Additional relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• You have a minimum of 3 years of full-time relevant professional experience.
• Experience conducting research or managing projects from initial scoping and research design through engagement, synthesis, and communication of findings.
• Experience in one or more areas related to data governance, data ethics, responsible data practices, technology governance, or digital policy
• Experience conducting stakeholder, user, expert, or community research and translating findings into requirements, recommendations, guidance, or other practical outputs.
• Experience working with data-focused projects or organizations and the ability to collaborate effectively with both technical and non-technical colleagues.
• Experience with environmental, climate, conservation, or natural-resource data is desirable.
• Experience with Indigenous data sovereignty, open-data or open-source governance, community engagement, benefit-sharing, or AI governance is especially desirable.
• A legal or policy background related to data, technology, intellectual property, privacy, or community rights is a plus.
• Languages: You have verbal and written proficiency in English. Additional language proficiency relevant to WRI’s global work is an asset.
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to support visa applications.

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