ThaiNGO

SEI Asia, a centre of Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) based in Bangkok, has a diverse team of multinational experts who integrate scientific research with participatory approaches to co-develop and share knowledge, build partnerships and influence policy for resilient development. SEI Asia’s work focuses on gender and social equity, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, water insecurity and integrated water resources management, transitional agriculture, renewable energy and urbanization.

SEI Asia is an affiliate of Chulalongkorn University (CU), Thailand. SEI and CU have an agreement to foster innovative scientific research combined with effective policy engagement on development and environmental challenges in Asia. The key areas of collaboration are intellectual engagement for joint research applications and fund mobilization, lectures and seminars for CU students, post-graduate supervision and examination, and CU–SEI employee links.

The role

SEI Asia is seeking a dynamic, strategic Team Lead and Researcher to shape the next phase of its current Gender, Environment and Justice team. As a Team Lead in SEI Asia, you will spend the main portion of your time leading and contributing to externally funded research and engagement projects, while also being the first line manager of a group of thematically aligned researchers. This is a rare opportunity to lead one of SEI Asia’s core research teams and contribute to a strong, evolving portfolio at the intersection of gender, environment, justice, and climate adaptation.

The team’s current areas of work include gender-transformative climate adaptation, nature-based solutions in aquaculture, inclusive climate finance, just transitions, migration and human mobility, water governance, rights-based approaches, and equity in environmental governance. Its distinctive contribution lies in bringing critical social science perspectives to environment and development challenges, and in translating rigorous, theoretically informed research into practical approaches for policy, programming and engagement.

The successful candidate will join an established team with an active portfolio of around eight research and engagement projects of varying sizes. They will take over leading roles in existing projects, and at the same time help shape and grow the team’s future direction, including by developing new partnerships, building a strong funding pipeline, and developing areas of work that strengthen SEI Asia’s profile in gender, environment, justice, and climate adaptation. The role combines intellectual leadership, portfolio development, fundraising, policy engagement, and people management.

SEI Asia has recently undergone a re-organization, and the new organization structure starts on 1 August. Within this structure, the Team Lead will supervise and support a team of 8–10 people, working closely with the Head of Societal Transformations to ensure strategic coherence, high-quality delivery, staff development and a healthy team culture. You will be one of two Team Leads, together with the Team Lead for Sustainable Finance, reporting to the Head of Societal Transformations, who in turn reports to the Centre Director.

Main responsibilities

• Lead the strategic development of the Gender, Environment and Justice team, providing intellectual leadership informed by critical approaches to gender, environment, justice, and climate adaptation.
• Lead and contribute to research and advisory work on gender-transformative and inclusive approaches to climate finance and adaptation, taking an active role in research design, analysis, stakeholder engagement, and output development.
• Ensure the delivery, research quality, and strategic coherence of the team’s existing portfolio, while developing new areas of work and partnerships through externally funded projects.
• Lead and support fundraising and regional portfolio development for the team, including identifying opportunities, building partnerships, coordinating proposals, and building a strong funding pipeline for the team’s future portfolio.
• Guide project planning, resource allocation, and forward planning for team members, including workload, billability, recruitment, retention, as well as leave and short-term absence planning, in close dialogue with the Head of Division.
• Represent the team’s thematic area across research, policy, and decision-making spaces, and build relationships with research partners, donors, policymakers, civil society organizations, regional networks, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Strengthen collaboration within the team and across SEI Asia teams, SEI centres, and global initiatives.
• Provide day-to-day supervision to team members, including regular check-ins, support for wellbeing, performance and professional development, annual performance and development dialogues, and monitoring of the team’s work environment in coordination with the Head of Division.

Accountability

• Day-to-day supervision, support and development of team members.
• Strategic coherence of the team’s thematic direction, research agenda, policy engagement and portfolio development.
• Fundraising, pipeline development, and regional portfolio growth, including contributions to the team’s long-term financial sustainability.
• High-quality delivery of research, policy and engagement outputs, and advancement of SEI Asia’s profile in gender, environment, justice, and adaptation.
• Supporting a healthy, respectful, and intellectually ambitious team culture that enables high-quality research, meaningful policy engagement, and professional growth.

Authority

• Define team priorities and guide the team’s strategic direction, in consultation with the Head of Division and team members.
• Guide the allocation of team members’ time and contributions across projects, proposals, and strategic activities, in coordination with project leads and the Head of Division.
• Conduct regular supervision, including performance and development discussions with team members, following SEI systems and procedures.
• Identify team development needs, support recruitment and retention processes, and escalate work environment or performance issues to the Head of Division as needed.

Who you are

You are a social scientist and engaged research practitioner working on environmental and development challenges. You have a strong research profile, demonstrated experience of using research to inform policy and practice, and a track record of working across disciplines, sectors and geographies.

You understand the policy, institutional, and political dimensions of work on gender equality, inclusive climate finance, and climate justice. You can bring depth and nuance to these issues while translating complex ideas into practical approaches for policy, programming, and decision-making.

You are intellectually curious and analytically sharp, but also practical. You are excited not only by developing ideas, but by mobilizing people, resources, and partnerships to build reach and create long-lasting impact.

You are also a people-oriented leader. You take supervision seriously, support colleagues in their growth, and know how to create the conditions for strong collective work. You bring clarity, generosity, and accountability to how you work with others.

You are motivated by the opportunity to join an established team, steward an active portfolio, and progressively build new areas of work, partnerships, and funding for the future. You are self-motivated and can identify problems, propose solutions, and implement an agreed way forward, with high accountability throughout. You deliver on time and communicate – both good and bad news – in a timely and open manner.

Formal qualifications and knowledge

The successful candidate should have:

• A PhD, or equivalent research experience, in a relevant social science field (such as development studies, human geography, political ecology, gender studies), with a minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience in research, research leadership and/or the bridging of research to policy and practice.
• Strong expertise in social science and mixed method approaches informed by critical perspectives to environment and development issues, particularly feminist, justice-oriented and/or rights-based approaches to climate adaptation, inclusive climate finance, and sustainable development.
• A strong track record of peer-reviewed publications and high-quality policy, practice, or public-facing outputs.
• A successful track record in fundraising or resource mobilization, including proposal development, partnership building, and engagement with funders.
• Experience leading interdisciplinary teams, projects, or programs.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Line management experience, including experience with performance management, motivating a team, and developing and implementing strategic plans.

Desirable qualifications

• Experience working in Asia, particularly Southeast Asia and/or the Mekong Region.
• Established regional networks relevant to gender, environment, justice, climate adaptation, inclusive climate finance and related fields.
• Experience managing multi-country or multi-partner research and policy engagement projects.
• Experience working with bilateral and multilateral donors, research funders, development agencies, philanthropic foundations, and/or climate finance actors.
• Experience engaging with private sector actors on sustainability, equity, human rights, climate adaptation finance, or environmental governance.
• Experience with participatory, feminist, action-oriented, transdisciplinary, or policy-engaged research methods.
• Working proficiency in an Asian language.

Personal skills required in the position

• Strategic judgement and intellectual leadership, with the ability to guide a thematic team’s direction and expand its research, policy, and funding opportunities.
• A grounded and constructive approach to people management, including staff development, mentoring, delegation, and support for a healthy team culture.
• Strong fundraising instincts and entrepreneurial thinking, with the ability to recognize opportunities, build partnerships, and support long-term portfolio growth.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex and sensitive issues with clarity, nuance, and integrity.
• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills, with the ability to build trust and work respectfully across cultures, disciplines, and professional backgrounds.
• A strong commitment to social and environmental justice, and to research that helps shift policy, practice, and public debate towards more equitable and sustainable futures.
• Strong planning, delivery, and accountability, with the ability to manage competing priorities while upholding SEI’s values of integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity.

Additional information

With a team comprising over 20 nationalities, SEI welcomes global applicants. All employee contracts are local contracts under Thai labour law. SEI Asia offers a competitive salary based on local benchmarking, family health insurance, 30 annual vacation days excluding Thai public holidays, and home leave tickets every 24 months.

For this post, we welcome mid- and senior-level candidates to apply. You should have at least eight years of professional experience and line management experience to apply. 

SEI is an equal opportunity employer and we consider all applicants on the basis of qualifications and competencies regardless of race, national origin, religious beliefs, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability and marital status. We are committed to ensuring diversity and equality within our organization and applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Questions?

Inquiries about the position can be directed to Sara Vigil (sara.vigil@sei.org). Inquiries about the recruitment process can be directed to: asiarecruitment@sei.org.

About SEI

Stockholm Environment Institute is an international non-profit research institute that tackles environment and sustainable development challenges.

We empower partners to meet these challenges through cutting-edge research, knowledge, tools and capacity building. Scientific quality and integrity are foundations of our work. Partnership is at the heart of our approach, leading to change that lasts.

Our work connects science to policy and practice, aiming to drive tangible impacts. It spans climate change, natural resources, water, air, and health, and addresses questions of governance, innovation, finance, poverty, gender equality and social equity.

We are committed to transparency and full disclosure of our funding. The Government of Sweden is our largest funder, and we also receive funds from a range of public research funders, philanthropic foundations, bilateral and multilateral development agencies, governments, NGOs and other partners.

Through SEI’s HQ and seven centres around the world, we engage with policy, practice and development action for a sustainable, prosperous future for all.