UNPAID VOLUNTEER - Director of Legal Research

UNPAID VOLUNTEER – Director of Legal Research

Role Title: Director of Legal Research
Role Type: Unpaid Volunteer
Number of Positions: 1
Division: Research Division III – Legal Research
Location: Home-based / Remote
Reporting To: Director-General

THIS IS AN UNPAID VOLUNTEER ROLE.

About DTID

The Digital Technology Institute for Development (DTID) is an international non-profit institute advancing the responsible use of artificial intelligence, blockchain and emerging digital technologies to support sustainable development and policy implementation.

DTID brings together professionals, researchers, technology specialists and other stakeholders to generate research, develop practical solutions, strengthen partnerships and support informed decision-making at the intersection of technology, climate change and sustainable development.

The Role

DTID is seeking an accomplished Director of Legal Research to provide strategic and academic leadership to the organisation's legal research activities.

This position is specifically intended for an experienced legal scholar or academic legal researcher with a strong record of conducting and publishing substantive legal research.

The successful candidate will lead DTID's research at the intersection of law, emerging digital technologies, climate change and sustainable development, including areas such as technology law, climate law, environmental governance, carbon markets, artificial intelligence, blockchain and digital regulation.

The Director of Legal Research will oversee the end-to-end research process, provide leadership to Legal Research Officers, develop strategic research priorities, contribute to high-quality publications and strengthen DTID's engagement with governments, legislators, international organisations, academic institutions and other relevant stakeholders.

The role will also contribute to DTID's engagement with policymakers and climate negotiators by translating academic legal research into practical policy insights, briefings and recommendations.

Academic legal research experience and a demonstrable record of research publications are essential requirements for this position.

Candidates whose professional experience is primarily in legal practice, without substantive academic or policy research experience in areas relevant to technology, climate, environmental or related law, should consider DTID's Legal Advisor or Legal Assistant opportunities instead.

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Legal Research will:

• Lead DTID's legal research agenda across technology law, climate law, environmental governance and related areas.
• Supervise Legal Research Officers and provide academic, technical and strategic guidance on research projects.
• Develop and oversee high-quality legal research, publications, policy papers, briefing notes and other research outputs.
• Identify priority research questions at the intersection of emerging digital technologies, climate policy and sustainable development.
• Develop strategic research and knowledge partnerships with universities, research institutions, governments, international organisations and other relevant stakeholders.
• Review and approve legal research outputs to ensure academic quality, accuracy and policy relevance.
• Lead or contribute to multidisciplinary research projects across DTID.
• Translate complex legal research into practical insights for policymakers, legislators, climate negotiators and non-specialist audiences.
• Contribute research expertise to conferences, webinars, policy forums, executive briefings and external engagements.
• Support the development of funded research proposals and strategic research initiatives.
• Contribute to DTID's senior-level research planning and institutional strategy.
• Monitor research progress, resource requirements and delivery against agreed priorities.

Requirements

Skills and Abilities

Candidates should demonstrate:

• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Exceptional academic legal research and analytical skills.
• Strong record of scholarly writing, editing and publication.
• Strong strategic and intellectual leadership capability.
• Excellent critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to identify important and emerging legal research questions.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to manage large-scale and long-term research programmes.
• Ability to lead, mentor and develop highly qualified researchers.
• Strong professional judgement and research integrity.
• Ability to integrate different disciplines and areas of expertise into coherent research programmes.
• Strong stakeholder-engagement and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to communicate complex legal and academic concepts clearly to policymakers and non-specialist audiences.
• Strong presentation and public-speaking skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain strategic research collaborations.
• Ability to work independently and provide leadership within a remote and internationally distributed organisation.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, budgets and research deadlines.
• A collaborative, credible and intellectually rigorous leadership style.

General and Specialist Knowledge

Candidates should demonstrate strong knowledge or research expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Technology law and digital regulation.
• Artificial intelligence law and governance.
• Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology law.
• Climate change law and policy.
• Environmental law and governance.
• Carbon market law and regulation.
• Climate finance regulation.
• Renewable energy law and policy.
• Natural resource governance.
• Data protection, digital governance and technology policy.
• International environmental law.
• Public international law relevant to climate and sustainable development.
• Legal frameworks supporting responsible emerging-technology adoption.
• Academic legal research methodologies.
• Comparative and interdisciplinary legal research.

Candidates are not expected to be specialists in every area of climate and technology law, but should demonstrate substantial expertise in at least one relevant field and the ability to lead multidisciplinary legal research.

Knowledge of international climate processes, including the UNFCCC and related policy frameworks, would be advantageous.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office and relevant legal research, reference-management and academic research tools is expected.

Education and Training

Candidates should preferably possess:

• A PhD in Law or another closely related discipline with a strong legal research component.

Candidates with equivalent advanced academic qualifications and an exceptional record of substantive legal research and publication may also be considered.

Relevant specialist expertise or academic training in areas such as:

• Technology law.
• Climate or environmental law.
• International law.
• Digital governance.
• Artificial intelligence regulation.
• Blockchain or financial technology law.
• Sustainability and environmental policy.

would be advantageous.

Professional proficiency in English is required.

Knowledge of Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish or another international language would be advantageous.

Experience

Candidates should demonstrate:

• Significant experience developing and managing academic legal research projects.
• A strong and demonstrable track record of peer-reviewed publications, books, book chapters, research reports or other substantial legal research outputs.
• Experience designing, planning and delivering independent legal research.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary or cross-disciplinary research initiatives.
• Experience supervising, mentoring or managing researchers.
• Experience developing and maintaining academic or institutional research collaborations.
• Experience translating academic research into policy-relevant outputs.
• Experience engaging policymakers, legislators, international organisations or other senior institutional stakeholders.
• Experience developing research proposals and, ideally, securing or managing research funding.
• Experience contributing to strategic and operational research planning.
• Experience managing research resources, priorities and deliverables.
• Experience presenting research findings at conferences, seminars, policy forums or comparable external engagements.

Internationally recognised research leadership or a sustained record of contributing to influential legal or policy research would be highly advantageous.

Experience within a university, research institution, think tank, international organisation, nonprofit organisation or comparable research environment would also be advantageous.

Benefits

What Difference Will You Make?

Legal frameworks play a critical role in determining how emerging technologies are developed, governed and applied to climate action and sustainable development.

As Director of Legal Research, you will lead DTID's efforts to generate rigorous, independent and policy-relevant legal research on the relationship between emerging technologies, climate governance and sustainable development.

Your work will help governments, legislators, international organisations and other stakeholders better understand the legal and regulatory implications of technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain and how appropriate legal frameworks can support responsible innovation.

Your contribution will strengthen DTID's academic credibility, legal research capability, policy influence and international thought leadership.

Benefits

What Will You Gain from Volunteering with DTID?

Although this position is unpaid, volunteering with DTID provides opportunities to:

• Lead an international programme of academic and policy-oriented legal research.
• Shape DTID's legal research agenda on climate, emerging technologies and sustainable development.
• Publish and contribute to substantive legal research, policy papers and institutional publications.
• Lead and mentor an international team of legal researchers.
• Develop research partnerships with academic institutions, governments and international organisations.
• Engage policymakers, legislators and other senior stakeholders on emerging legal and regulatory issues.
• Work at the intersection of law, artificial intelligence, blockchain, climate action and sustainable development.
• Strengthen international academic and professional networks.
• Participate in relevant conferences, policy forums, webinars and institutional engagements.
• Contribute directly to DTID's research leadership, policy influence and institutional development.

Selection Process

DTID is committed to identifying talented individuals with both demonstrated expertise and strong potential.

Applications will be assessed primarily on the basis of academic legal research experience, publication record, research leadership, subject-matter expertise and demonstrated ability to translate research into policy-relevant outputs.

The selection process will normally include:

1. Application screening
2. Written or research assessment
3. Interview and/or technical discussion for shortlisted candidates
4. Final selection and onboarding

Shortlisted candidates may be requested to provide examples of published legal research, academic publications or other substantive research outputs.

Candidates who successfully complete the written or research assessment will be invited to progress to the next stage of the recruitment process.

Important Notice

This is an unpaid volunteer position.