Senior Researcher (LLM or Masters in Health Sciences/Internaional Relations - Wits Health Consortiu

Background:

• Wits Health Consortium (Pty) Limited ("WHC") is a wholly-owned Company of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa) under its Faculty of Health Sciences
• WHC provides Faculty with a legal framework within which to operate the research and other activities necessary to support its academic objectives
• In addition, WHC offers a range of products and services to Academics

Division: Wits PHR - Planetary Health Research

Main Purpose of the Job:

• To provide strategic and technical leadership for climate-health policy and climate financing as the Lead for WPHR Policy Practise
• The role will drive all policy influence work and catalyse access to climate finance for health adaptation and mitigation
• This role ensures that WPHR research evidence translates into policy action and that policy priorities inform financing applications, creating a seamless evidence-to-policy-to-finance pipeline

Location:

• Johannesburg / Cape Town

Key Performance Areas:

Strategic Leadership, Policy Analysis and Engagement:

• Lead the development and implementation of integrated policy influence and climate finance strategy
• Ensure alignment between policy engagement priorities and financing opportunities
• Attend and represent WPHR at national, regional, and global policy forums
• Lead Stakeholder and policy mapping using established policy frameworks
• Identify windows of opportunity for policy influence and develop targeted engagement plans
• Provide technical inputs to key policy processes
• Lead mapping and analysis of climate financing opportunities
• Coordinate a proposal calendar, aligning submission windows
• Provide direct technical support for climate financing applications, including intervention package design, evidence narratives, and results frameworks

Research Technical Support, Design and Implementation:

• Lead and write research protocols
• Develop and design research tools and Standard Operating Procedures
• Obtain ethical approval from relevant regulatory bodies
• Monitor the progress of research projects
• Write progress reports to Stakeholders including networks and Funders
• Conduct data analysis and write up results
• Stay abreast with relevant research findings and collaborate
• Respond to funding opportunities to advance the program research agenda
• Peer review of journal articles
• Supervise Students if applicable
• Participate in discussions regarding the future direction of research strategies and plans for Wits Planetary Health
• Support the capacity building of team on research strategies, tools and methodologies if required

Research Dissemination:

• Publish scientific publications
• Produce policy briefs
• Compile conference presentations
• Disseminate research findings internally and to universities and other Stakeholders such as the community, community advisory groups, government, and media

Research Stakeholder Management:

• Participate in the conceptualization, design, and implementation of the Research Stakeholder engagement strategy in collaboration with the head of Stakeholder and Communications
• Communicate the research project strategy to internal and external Stakeholders
• Participate meaningfully in meetings/workshops that seek to address/review the Research Stakeholder engagement or the implementation thereof
• Coordinate and manage engagement with existing and established climate groups, both within the consortium and outside (SAWS, etc.)

Required Minimum Education and Training:

• Master’s Degree in Law (LLM), Health Sciences or International Relations

Required Minimum Work Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years’ research experience in Climate Health, Human Rights and Health Law topics

Desirable Additional Education, Work Experience and Personal Abilities:

• Demonstrated experience in research evidence translation for policy makers, media and communities
• Established networks with advocacy and governmental organizations in South Africa
• Demonstrated technical and proposal writing and communication skills
• Experience in peer-reviewed publication record
• Experience managing research projects, timelines, and team coordination
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with ability to work across disciplines
• Experience mentoring
• Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities
• Excellent verbal and written skills

TO APPLY:

• Only if you meet the minimum job requirements and experience as mentioned above, you may submit a detailed updated CV and a cover letter (maximum one page)
• Please Apply Online and complete your registration via our website to enable and protect you as a candidate, and to accept the new POPIA terms and conditions
• This will then create your permanent profile with which you can apply for all jobs as advertised by AJ PERSONNEL
• However, you may remove your profile from AJ PERSONNEL when you are no longer in the job market
• Please take note that the applicants who do not adhere to the above criteria will not be considered for the respective position
• Wits Health Consortium will only respond to shortlisted candidates
• Candidates who have not been contacted within two weeks of the closing date can consider their applications to be unsuccessful
• Closing date: 30 October 2026
• Note: No CV will be accepted after the closing date

Please note:

• WHC, in accordance with its Employment Equity goals and plan, will give preference to suitable applicants from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and subsequent amendments thereto
• AJ Personnel is only responsible for advertising and the response handling on behalf of their client Wits Health Consortium
• AJ Personnel does not have any salary or other information regarding the position

Desired Skills:

• Senior Researcher
• Climate-Health
• Johannesburg
• Cape Town
• Masters degree
• LLM
• Law

Employer & Job Benefits:

• Medical Aid and Provident Fund

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