Indonesia Senior Research Consultant - JETPs

Part-Time Consultancy

ROLE SUMMARY

Title: Indonesia Senior Research Consultant - JETPs
Type: Consultancy
Reporting to: Head of Just Transitions Programme
Start date: September 2025 (ideally)
Hours: 1 day (8 hours) per week
Location: Remote/Home-based in Indonesia, location flexible. Candidates must already have permission to work in the country of their location and easy access to international travel.
Duration: 12 months
Pay: Up to £200/day

The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) is seeking a skilled and adaptable researcher to support a new stream of work focused on Indonesia’s energy transition and rights-based approaches by economic actors (private and public).

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of research, stakeholder engagement, and analytical skills to help shape and deliver a body of work focused on the role of business in Indonesia’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and wider climate action landscape. This role sits within IHRB’s wider Just Transitions Programme, which works across countries to advance rights-based approaches to decarbonisation.

We are looking for someone who can:

• confidently scope and conduct policy and systems research in a dynamic and evolving field, particularly where justice issues and business activity intersect;

• translate complex information into accessible and compelling outputs for different audiences, using a range of knowledge formats;

• bring strong contextual knowledge of Indonesia’s energy, governance, and sustainability landscape, and demonstrate sensitivity to local dynamics and stakeholder relationships;

• contribute to strategic engagement with senior stakeholders across government, civil society, and business, including through organising/facilitating convenings and dialogue-based activities;

• work independently, while also contributing to collaborative planning, reflection, and course correction within a small, globally distributed team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a creative and impact-driven researcher to contribute to an emerging area of work in a critical policy space. The role offers the chance to help shape the questions being asked, as well as the practical guidance and networks that emerge in response.

ABOUT IHRB'S JUST TRANSITION PROGRAMME 

IHRB leads a Just Transitions Programme founded on its 2020 report Just Transitions for All, which set out an inclusive framework for business engagement in climate action. This framework underscores the importance of respecting the rights of workers, indigenous peoples, local communities and consumers, and identifies four essential elements that safeguard the justice component of transitions.

The programme engages a diverse set of actors to strengthen their capacity to embed justice in national energy transitions, including businesses across industries, financial institutions, government agencies, state-owned enterprises, international policymakers, and civil society groups. Through a combination of knowledge products such as reports, policy briefs, and databases, and engagement formats like convenings and network building, IHRB supports more informed and inclusive decision-making.

IHRB'S WORK ON THE 'J' IN JETPs 

As part of this broader Just Transitions Programme, IHRB has undertaken a focused stream of work on Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), a new model for mobilising climate finance in support of national-level energy transitions. JETPs are designed to accelerate energy decarbonisation while ensuring energy security, economic growth and social justice. The first JETP was launched in 2021 in South Africa, where the international partner group (IPG) comprising France, Germany, the UK, the USA and the EU pledged about USD $8.5 billion to catalyse the nation’s industrial transformation toward net zero by 2050. South Africa’s JETP has served as a pilot initiative and key learning opportunity regarding how to embed justice considerations into large‑scale energy shifts. Since then, this model has been replicated in countries including Indonesia, Vietnam and Senegal, each negotiating multibillion‑dollar partnerships with donor governments and multilateral development banks.

IHRB’s work recognises that while JETPs present a major opportunity to accelerate decarbonisation, they also carry significant social risks if human rights and justice considerations are not meaningfully integrated into their design and delivery. Our engagement in this space focuses on how to embed rights-based approaches within JETPs, particularly by examining the roles and responsibilities of the business sector, which will play a central role in implementing these transitions.

Within this stream, the “J in JETP” project was developed to clarify how justice is being interpreted and applied in JETP investment and implementation plans, and to provide practical guidance on how private sector engagement can support rather than undermine social outcomes. To date, this work has been piloted in South Africa, where IHRB has analysed the relationship between social standards and the country’s just transition framework. This initial phase has generated important lessons about how to translate justice commitments into practice and how to engage private actors in more accountable and equitable ways. Building on this foundation, the next phase of the project will expand to Indonesia and Senegal, two countries now negotiating and implementing their own JETPs. The aim is to adapt and apply the approach to these new contexts, generating comparative insights and supporting more inclusive, rights-aligned transitions.

SHIFTING FOCUS TO INDONESIA'S JETP

Indonesia’s JETP was signed during the G20 summit in Bali on 15 November 2022, bringing together Indonesia and donor governments including members of the G7, Japan, Canada, Norway and Denmark in a USD 20 billion pledge. The target is to limit power sector emissions, reach a 34% share of renewable energy by 2030, and achieve net‑zero emissions in electricity by 2050.

In November 2023, Indonesia released the Comprehensive Investment and Policy Plan (CIPP), developed by the JETP Secretariat with contributions from the World Bank, IEA, UNDP and others. This plan outlines the investment pipeline and reforms needed for a just energy transition; however it remains largely unfunded and there are few implementation‑ready projects. To date, only about US$ 230 million in grants and technical support has been distributed across 44 initiatives, largely focused on planning and capacity building rather than infrastructure or community action. However, the recent announcement of the country’s first JETP-supported solar project, which mobilised US$ 60 million, signals positive investment momentum.

Despite policy attention to social inclusion, gender equity and human rights, bold, justice‑oriented interventions have yet to materialise – a similar pattern to that observed in our deep-dive research on Jakarta’s built environment sector in 2024. Civil society involvement has been limited in scope and function. No coal plant has been retired under the JETP; the proposed early closure of the Cirebon‑1 coal plant remains shrouded in legal and compensation disputes. At the same time, Indonesia’s rush to increase mining and in-country refining of nickel — presented as a climate transition mineral — is having significant environmental and social impacts, including from coal-fired power. The government’s 2025 renewable energy target was downgraded from 23% to approximately 17-19%, and a proposal to reconsider membership in the Paris Agreement has surfaced amid debates on fairness. These developments underscore the need for focused work on justice issues in Indonesia to help ensure that the JETP delivers meaningful social outcomes alongside emissions reductions.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Working closely with the Head of Just Transitions and the wider IHRB team, the Indonesia JETP Researcher will play a key role in shaping and delivering a new stream of work focused on the role of the private sector in advancing justice outcomes under Indonesia’s JETP. This work forms part of IHRB’s broader Just Transitions Programme, and builds on our prior experience in South Africa.

The scope of this research will be iterative and responsive. You will work closely with IHRB to define specific research questions and focus areas that are both relevant to the Indonesian context and aligned with the project’s overall objectives. Possible lines of inquiry may include:

• Clarifying the role of the private sector in Indonesia’s JETP implementation, including how business and investment practices can better support justice outcomes.

• Mapping the regulatory environment shaping private sector involvement in fossil fuel phase outs, renewable energy production, as well as potentially transition minerals and mining.

• Analysing the differentiated roles and obligations of state-owned enterprises, domestic companies, and foreign investors.

• Identifying and addressing the most pressing social and environmental risks emerging in Indonesia’s JETP context, and developing practical guidance on monitoring, mitigation, and remedy.

• Exploring how transparency and accountability mechanisms can be improved to ensure private sector actors contribute meaningfully to JETP objectives.

• Examining the responsibilities of “home states” (JETP donor governments) to ensure that companies receiving public support or headquartered in IPG countries uphold human rights and environmental standards.

• Identifying potential features for narratives and storytelling that bring the first-hand experience of transition opportunities and challenges to life, including the people, perspectives, and relationships behind successful projects firmly underway.

In addition to research and analysis, your work will contribute to a range of knowledge products and engagement activities, including but not limited to: policy briefs, infographics, guides, annotated standards or systems mappings, and databases, as well as more immersive narrative stories, podcasts, and videos. You may also drive the design and delivery of convenings, roundtables, or other forms of engagement where findings are tested, refined, and disseminated. These outputs will be tailored to influence and inform a diverse set of stakeholders, including:

• Private sector actors and investors, as key agents in transition delivery and resource allocation.

• Government agencies and state-owned enterprises, as implementers and service providers;

• Policymakers and international organisations, as regulatory and financing authorities;

• Civil society and grassroots organisations, as rights defenders and community representatives;

This is an opportunity to shape an emerging body of work in a critical policy space, with the flexibility to help define both the questions and the solutions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Research scoping and refinement: Work with the IHRB team to define and refine the research focus in Indonesia. This includes identifying priority issues, selecting case studies or themes, and adjusting the research plan in response to findings and stakeholder feedback.

Desk research and landscape analysis: Conduct background research on Indonesia’s JETP, with attention to policy frameworks, private sector standards, regulatory instruments, and social or environmental risks. Synthesize relevant literature, reports, and data to support knowledge production.

Standards and systems mapping: Identify and analyse key private sector actors involved in JETP implementation, including their roles, relationships, and obligations. Map applicable national and international social standards that govern private sector conduct in the energy transition.

Stakeholder engagement: Support the identification of and engagement with relevant stakeholders across government, civil society, the private sector, and international organisations. This may include preparing for and conducting interviews, contributing to convenings, or facilitating consultations.

Thematic analysis and synthesis: Analyse qualitative data from interviews and secondary sources to extract insights on justice-related challenges and opportunities in Indonesia’s JETP. Help identify patterns, gaps, and practical entry points for more rights-aligned private sector involvement.

Knowledge product development: Contribute to the production of high-quality, evidence-based outputs tailored to diverse audiences. This may include reports, infographics, briefings, guides, or annotated mappings, and potentially narrative stories, podcasts, videos, or data tools.

Support engagement and dissemination efforts: Assist in the design and delivery of convenings, webinars, or targeted outreach activities that support the dissemination and refinement of findings. Help ensure outputs are accessible and relevant to the project’s primary audiences.

Internal collaboration and reflection: Work closely with IHRB’s Just Transitions team to ensure alignment with overall project goals and values. Participate in regular check-ins, share emerging insights, and help shape the strategic direction of the research as it evolves.

Advance IHRB’s mission in Indonesia: Identify and share opportunities for IHRB to advance responsible business practice across its wider programme areas where there is strategic overlap, and represent IHRB as required.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Knowledge & Skills:

• Indonesia knowledge: Excellent understanding of Indonesia’s policy and governance landscape, including JETPs and related climate finance mechanisms, and its role in the wider energy system, private sector landscape, and live environmental justice movement. (Understanding of the wider political economy of energy transition in Southeast Asia or other emerging economies is also desirable.)

• BHR knowledge: Excellent understanding of international business and human rights frameworks, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights and IFC Performance Standards.

• Language: Fluency in Bahasa Indonesia and English.

• Analytical skills: Strong analytical skills and the ability to synthesise complex information into clear, accessible outputs for diverse audiences, including familiarity with standards mapping, systems thinking, or ecosystem analysis methodologies.

• Diplomatic skills: Awareness of political sensitivities and the ability to maintain trust and credibility through careful, context-sensitive engagement with senior stakeholders.

• Writing skills: Strong writing and communication skills in English

• Self-direction: Ability to manage multiple tasks and work flexibly within a small, collaborative team

• Commitment: Commitment to justice, equity, and human rights principles, and alignment with IHRB’s values and approach
  

Experience:

• At least 7 years of experience in the fields of business and human rights, sustainable development, or equitable energy transitions.

• This includes demonstrable experience:
  
  - Scoping and structuring research projects independently, including defining research questions and identifying relevant sources.
  
  - Conducting interviews and qualitative fieldwork in complex or politically sensitive environments.
  
  - Engaging effectively with a range of senior stakeholders across the private sector, government, and civil society.
  
  - Producing a range of compelling knowledge outputs, including reports, infographics, or narrative briefings.
  
  - Working effectively within a remote team spanning large timezone differences, communicating proactively, and thriving in an autonomous and self-directed work environment.

TIMEFRAME & CONTRACTING

• Timeframe: The individual will be recruited for a one-year period initially, with a view to extending to the second year dependent on first-year performance and quality. The level of engagement is expected to be 1 day/week or 0.2 FTE equivalent as a part-time consultancy, and candidates must be able to commit up to 5 days per month to the project. Exact working patterns will be agreed with the successful candidate, but candidates must be able to join calls in the evenings Indonesia-time in order to connect with the wider team regularly who are based in MST and SAST time zones.

• Contracting: This post will have a consultancy agreement subject to UK law.

• Compensation: IHRB can offer a day rate of up to £200/day including VAT for a maximum of 60 days per year.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Deadline for applications: Saturday 9 August 2025, by 9pm UK time.

Interviews: First interviews will be held on the Wednesday 20 August 2025 in the evening hours of Indonesia-time, via Zoom, with IHRB’s Head of Just Transitions. Applicants should ensure their availability for a 45 minute slot on this date. Please note these interviews will be recorded.

Short-listed candidates will be notified and invited by email by Thursday 14 August 2025. Please note that only successful applicants will be notified.

A second interview will be conducted with IHRB’s Head of Just Transitions and IHRB’s South Africa Research Fellow on Wednesday 27 August 2025 in the evening hours of Indonesia-time. All 1st round interviewees will be notified if successful/unsuccessful by Friday 22 August 2025.

Expected start date: September 2025 (ideally). A job offer will be subject to the receipt of at least two satisfactory references.

Applications from unsuccessful applicant/s will be held on file for 6 months after the end of the recruitment process.