Location: Saskatoon
Status: Tenure Track
Employment Group: USFA
Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 1.0
Posted Date: 3/26/2020
Closing Date: Until Filled. 

Canada will be investing heavily in renewable energy systems in Northern, Indigenous and remote communities over the foreseeable future, with a goal of achieving full energy security for these communities.   We are seeking a dynamic and engaging scholar to join Canada’s leading research community on renewable energy development in Northern, Indigenous, remote and rural communities as a Centennial Chair in Community Energy Development.   Centennial Chairs are created and funded by the University in areas of strategic importance and are intended to recruit and retain outstanding faculty with strong research profiles.  The successful candidate will be appointed to a tenured or tenure-track position at a rank commensurate with qualifications (at either the assistant or associate professor rank), and the Chair will be awarded for a five-year term, renewable once.

The successful candidate should possess quantitative skills and capacity in modelling applications to understand the broader socio-economic impact of energy development in these communities. Experience working with communities to enhance the socio-economic potential of community energy development or community economic development is an asset. Applicants with relevant research experience in developing economy contexts, agricultural, Indigenous and/or rural communities, technology and change, environmental and energy economics, or in the resource sectors are encouraged to apply.  The search committee will consider scholars from various disciplines including economics, engineering, environmental studies, economic geography, or other relevant disciplines.  The Centennial Chair will establish the leading program of research and training in Canada to inform the socio-economic implications of this energy transition and to understand the value proposition for host communities.

The School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) is a premier site internationally for practicing use-inspired and community-engaged scholarship.  Our faculty are committed to engaging Indigenous peoples and knowledge in research and teaching, and we emphasize hands-on experiential learning in our graduate programs.  Our focus on community energy development will advance our ability to connect with other units on campus, strengthen the policy relevance of our research and contribute to a sustainability focused curriculum.

As a tenure-track faculty member in SENS, the successful candidate will be expected to establish a substantive, externally funded research program in applied community energy development with applications to rural and remote communities, especially Indigenous and Northern communities.  With an important emphasis on the global energy transition and the new opportunities for local communities to develop their own energy projects through renewable energy, the research program is expected to adapt or develop models to measure the impact of local, renewable energy projects for sustainable economies, rural development, and community quality of life, among other issues.  The successful candidate will also teach courses in the Economics of Community Energy Development and in Economic Valuation of Environmental Sustainability; advise graduate students in our MES and PhD programs, and a new Master’s program in Energy Security (under development); engage in community outreach activities aligned with the faculty member's research and teaching expertise; and, participate in broad-based university and departmental committee work and professional service.

The University of Saskatchewan is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a city with a diverse and thriving economic base, a vibrant arts community and a full range of leisure opportunities.  The University has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and scholarly activities and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs to a student population of over 25,000.  The University’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis.

Required Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in economics, engineering, environmental studies, economic geography, or another relevant discipline.
• Ability to lead and contribute directly to research and teaching programs in energy and community development.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, as demonstrated through collaborative interdisciplinary interactions, or community engagement. 
• Excited to work as part of research team of dynamic scholars working on community energy development in Northern and Indigenous communities.