Research Associate / Research Fellow

Job content

About IMD

The Institute for Management Development (IMD) is an independent academic institution with Swiss roots and global reach, founded 75 years ago by business leaders for business leaders. Since its creation, IMD has been a pioneering force in developing leaders who transform organizations and contribute to society.
Based in Lausanne (Switzerland) and Singapore, IMD has been ranked in the Top 3 of the annual FT’s Executive Education Global Ranking for the last nine consecutive years and in the top five for 17 consecutive years. Our MBA and EMBA programs have repeatedly been singled out among the best in Europe and the world.
We believe that this consistency at the forefront of our industry is grounded in IMD’s unique approach to creating “Real Learning. Real Impact”. Led by an expert and diverse faculty, we strive to be the trusted learning partner of choice for ambitious individuals and organizations worldwide. Our purpose is “Challenging what is and inspiring what could be, we develop leaders who transform organizations and contribute to society.”

To reinforce our team, we are looking for a

Research Associate or Research Fellow at the
Center for Sustainable and Inclusive Business

Specifically, we are looking for candidates with experience in one or more of the following functional areas:

• Sustainability Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Sustainability Leadership & Organizational Behaviour
• Sustainability Strategy
• Sustainability Governance, Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships

The Center for Sustainable and Inclusive Business brings together research, innovation and learning to drive sustainable business transformation. The Center is a global research hub at the forefront of sustainability leadership, where executives and researchers engage to develop business solutions to global challenges.

The Center seeks out diverse viewpoints to explore and share new ideas, best practices, and innovative thinking into corporate sustainability leadership. It leverages IMD’s expertise in applied research and developing global leaders, focusing on the organizational change required for sustainable transformation.

The Research Associate / Fellow will therefore be a key contributor of the Center’s overall success and impact.

Key Activities
The primary responsibility of the Research Associate / Fellow is to conduct research on the topic of sustainable business transformation. A large part of the role will involve interviewing managers and executives about their sustainable business transformation journeys and derive relevant and actionable managerial insights from these interactions. This will involve analysing the interviews, combining qualitative and quantitative information, and writing up the results.

Another important responsibility is to translate the research insights into outputs of various forms geared at both academic and practitioner audiences. The assignments could result in a variety of outputs, including case studies, journal articles, newspaper and magazine articles, reports, books, toolkits, interactive guides, videos, podcasts and learning materials that Faculty members can use in academic settings or IMD programs.

The role includes the following key activities:
• Delivering quality outputs in line with Faculty expectations and IMD’s standards
• Writing articles, case studies, book chapters etc.
• Providing proactive ideas and suggestions that will lead to new ways of thinking or new ways of presenting research material
• Building good working relationship within IMD, as well as external clients such as executives at senior levels of companies involved in a research project
• Managing expectations and driving the project throughout the research assignment

The Research Associate / Fellow has a high level of responsibility for driving projects and delivering quality output. The Researcher will work alongside the Center Director, Head of Sustainability, Faculty Chairs and other team members. He/she will be involved in multiple concurrent projects.

Ideal profile
• A graduate degree in sustainability, innovation, management, economics or a related discipline incorporating elements of qualitative and quantitative research.
• Ability to publish in peer reviewed journals
• Demonstrable expertise in sustainability broadly conceived
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research.
• Excellent writing, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to work independently and proactively with minimum supervision
• Deadline and results oriented
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Full fluency in English (written and spoken) at a native level or equivalent.
• At ease conducting interviews with senior executives and writing for executive audiences
• Ability to combine theoretical knowledge with practical relevance.

We strongly encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds (gender, ethnic background, nationality). Salary and conditions are competitive and will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

How to apply

If you have the above skills and would like to work in our stimulating environment, please send your complete application file (letter of motivation and resume in English, copies of your diplomas and work certificates/letters of referral, as well as the names of two or three referees) by 15th December 2022the latest. Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as the review of applications will begin immediately..

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability (such as dyslexia, sight and/or hearing disabilities, etc) and you need a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for this position, please specify it in your application.