Energy and Economic Policy Research Analyst

Help make climate, energy, and economic choices clearer

Location: Victoria, B.C. or remote within British Columbia

Full-time, one-year appointment (with possibility of renewal)

Salary: $110,000–$120,000

Deadline to apply: August 14, 2026

The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) is seeking an Energy and Economic Policy Research Analyst to support applied research on some of the most important policy choices facing British Columbia and Canada.

As governments navigate emissions reductions, affordability pressures, clean electricity demand, industrial strategy, public investment, and competitiveness, decision makers need clear analysis of what different choices mean in practice. This role will help interpret modelling, synthesize evidence, assess trade-offs, and produce decision-useful research products for policy, public-sector, and non-technical audiences.

This is an opportunity for an applied policy researcher who is comfortable working across climate policy, energy systems, economic analysis, and public finance. You will work with researchers, modellers, economists, PICS Climate Fellows, and external partners to translate complex evidence into clear insights that support better climate, energy, and economic decisions.

About PICS

PICS is a collaborative climate institute representing British Columbia’s four major research universities: the University of Victoria, the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Northern British Columbia.

Our mission is to mobilize knowledge, partnerships, and innovation that support meaningful climate action. We connect researchers and decision makers to tackle some of the province’s most pressing climate challenges.

In this role, you will

• Lead applied research and analysis on priority climate, energy, and economic policy questions facing British Columbia and Canada.
• Synthesize evidence from modelling outputs, public datasets, academic literature, government documents, budget materials, company disclosures, and jurisdictional scans.
• Assess the implications of different policy and investment choices for emissions reductions, energy affordability, competitiveness, public revenues, jobs, industrial development, and clean economy opportunities.
• Work with modellers, economists, researchers, PICS Climate Fellows, SESIT, and external partners to interpret scenarios, assumptions, sensitivities, uncertainties, limitations, and policy implications.
• Help frame practical research questions so that modelling and analysis respond to real-world decision-making needs.
• Translate complex energy, economic, fiscal, and policy evidence into clear, decision-useful products for policy, research, public-sector, and non-technical audiences.
• Prepare, review, and refine written and visual products, including briefing notes, research memos, reports, slide decks, decision-support materials, and public-facing explainers.
• Review technical material to ensure it is accurate, accessible, policy-relevant, and appropriate for intended audiences.
• Clearly document methods, assumptions, caveats, evidence gaps, and analytical limitations.
• Coordinate inputs from researchers, modellers, economists, policy experts, PICS Climate Fellows, SESIT, communications staff, and knowledge mobilization staff to support timely delivery of project outputs.

What success looks like

• PICS is producing timely, rigorous, and decision-useful analysis on climate, energy, and economic policy issues.
• Decision makers and partners have clearer evidence on the trade-offs, risks, opportunities, and uncertainties associated with different policy and investment choices.
• Complex modelling and economic analysis is translated into accessible products that are accurate, relevant, and useful to non-specialist audiences.
• Research products clearly explain their methods, assumptions, evidence base, limitations, and areas where findings should be interpreted cautiously.
• PICS Climate Fellows, researchers, modellers, economists, and communications staff are better supported to turn technical evidence into practical policy insights.
• PICS is better positioned to contribute to public and policy conversations on clean electricity demand, affordability, industrial strategy, public investment, competitiveness, and clean economy development.

We’re looking for someone who has

• A graduate degree, or equivalent professional experience, in economics, public policy, public administration, resource and environmental management, political economy, business, finance, data science, or a related field.
• Significant experience in applied policy research, economic analysis, fiscal analysis, energy systems analysis, public investment analysis, financial analysis, applied data analysis, or quantitative research methods.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret technical, modelling, economic, fiscal, or policy research and translate it into clear written products for non-specialist audiences.
• Experience working with modelling or analytical teams, including the ability to understand scenario design, assumptions, sensitivities, uncertainty, limitations, and outputs.
• Familiarity with Canadian or B.C. climate policy, energy systems, industrial policy, clean economy development, public finance, infrastructure, natural resources, or macroeconomic policy.
• Strong evidence-synthesis skills, including the ability to find, assess, organize, and interpret information from diverse sources.
• Sound judgment about evidence quality, including the ability to identify data gaps, methodological limitations, caveats, and findings that should be treated cautiously.
• Experience preparing high-quality written and visual products, such as briefing notes, research memos, reports, slide decks, decision-support materials, or public-facing explainers.
• Experience working across interdisciplinary teams, including researchers, modellers, economists, policy experts, communications staff, knowledge mobilization staff, or public-sector audiences.

Why join PICS?

At PICS, you’ll work with leading researchers, policy experts, governments, and organizations across British Columbia to help shape climate solutions with real-world impact.

If you’re motivated by turning evidence into action and want to help drive meaningful climate progress, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply on the PICS website at: https://climatesolutions.ca/careers/energy-and-economic-policy-research-analyst/

PICS is committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible, and equitable workplace and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.