Job Description

How to Apply

Please submit your application to contactacet@uvic.ca with subject line:

"Post-Doctoral Fellow - Place-Based Sustainable/Transition Finance"

by December 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM.

Please include:

A cover letter expressing your specific interest in this position, initial ideas about research questions you would like to undertake in this role, and your qualifications with respect to the position requirements. A complete academic C.V., including all publications and the names and contact information for two references. We will only contact references for short-listed candidates. Two scholarly writing samples, or other types of publications, ideally those closely related to the research stream you are applying to. Please also include a statement documenting your role in each paper.

We will only consider complete applications sent to the contactacet@uvic.ca email.

Review of applications will begin on November 3, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews that will take place virtually.

About

Are you passionate about accelerating an equitable clean-energy transition? Do you want to be part of an innovative and dynamic team helping drive change in communities across Canada and beyond? Do you have a scholarly background in alternative forms of organizing and governance and/or sustainable finance/impact investing, and an interest in how ownership design, business models, policy, and financial instruments mobilize capital for community and support SME transitions? If so, join us to be a part of a transformative journey with the University of Victoria's Impact Investing Hub and the ACET initiative.

The 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, Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres, and Yukon University, supported by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

Position Summary

We are seeking a post-doctoral fellow to advance research and knowledge mobilization activities under ACET's Business and Finance Innovation Strategic Research Area (SRA 4) led by the Impact Investing Hub:

Position: Place-Based Sustainable/Transition Finance for SMEs and Communities

Goal:

Conduct research in collaboration with partners to understand challenges and opportunities for SMEs and community-based organizations to navigate the energy transition and sustainable finance policy mechanisms; co-create sustainable and impact finance frameworks and instruments that reflect community-defined outcomes and values and ensure a just transition.

Scholarly anchor:

sustainable/climate finance; entrepreneurial/corporate finance; public finance & regulation; ESG risks and opportunities, impact measurement and management.

Why it matters:

Mobilizing capital for equitable energy transitions requires instruments, policies, and metrics that reflect local priorities and real SME constraints.

What we study:

How standards, incentives, and financial instruments channel (or choke) capital flows; how to design investable vehicles and policy pathways (e.g. ESG disclosure, taxonomies, procurement policies, etc.) that achieve measurable environmental and social outcomes and lead to inclusive prosperity.

Objectives

Deliver world-leading research, enabling equitable, community-led energy transformations that can be scaled globally to reduce emissions, improve economic resilience, and enhance community well-being. Influence policy and practice through delivery of applied outputs for communities, investors, SMEs, community-based organizations and policymakers (decision tools, implementation guides, policy briefs, factsheets and educational material, etc.). Translate insights into action across communities, SMEs, investors, and policymakers to accelerate capital deployment for the net-zero transition.

Key Responsibilities

Independently scope and lead partnered projects. Develop and maintain partnerships with community and government stakeholders related to the research project. Write and publish peer-reviewed manuscripts, including gathering and analyzing data and systematically analyzing relevant literature. Write and publish cases studies, policy briefs and other practitioners-focused material that support community capacity building needs and influence policy and practice. Present to academic and practitioner audiences. (conferences, workshops, symposia, webinars). Mentor other project team members, including undergraduate and graduate students providing research assistance. Prepare written project communications including reports, memos, and presentations, and maintain clear records of all project activities. Uphold respectful engagement and appropriate data governance (e.g. OCAP principles where applicable) and ensure ethical research practices and standards are always followed. Work with the Knowledge Mobilization Lead to design strategies for broader policy and sector engagement based on research outputs. Manage timelines and deliverables. Contribute to grant applications and impact reports on research activities.

Skills and Qualifications

PhD in a relevant field completed within the last three years: finance/financial economics; public policy/regulation; organizational studies; law (incl. Indigenous governance/law); energy policy/economics; development/environmental economics; management/sustainability studies, or related. Demonstrated ability to work independently and lead partnered research from scoping to publication and translation. Familiarity with sustainable finance, impact investing, and social finance trends and debates. Strong quantitative and/or qualitative research (interviews, institutional/legal/policy analysis, comparative cases) and excellent academic/practitioner writing. Evidence of high-quality publication or potential to publish (accepted/submitted papers or equivalent research outputs). Ability to coordinate and manage projects, including leading team meetings, overseeing day-to-day tasks (both research and administrative), meeting deadlines, and working with government and community partners, including Indigenous communities. Effective communication and interpersonal skills, both written and oral. Openness and adaptability in working with others, including multidisciplinary teams.

Work Location & Terms

The primary work location is the University of Victoria campus. The position is a one-year appointment renewable for 2-3 years subject to performance and funding availability.

The anticipated start time is March 2026 (or sooner). Dates are flexible based on our chosen candidate's circumstances. For any additional questions on the role, contact Dr. Basma Majerbi at majerbi@uvic.ca (please, do not submit applications to this address. Apply at: contactacet@uvic.ca)

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.

Please note that we will review all applications, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Accessibility and Equity Statements

Information about our accessibility and equity policies can be found on our site: https://www.uvic.ca/acet/employment-opportunities/index.php

Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 12 months

Pay: $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Extended health care
Work Location: In person