Research Fellow, Climate, Energy and Defence (Part-time)

Reports to: Director, Organised Crime and Policing Studies

Department: Organised Crime and Policing

Salary range: €55,000-€65,000 1FTE based on skills and experience, salary will be pro-rated based on agreed hours per week for this part time role

Location: Brussels

Contract: Fixed Term Contract until October 2026, Part-Time

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the European Union at the time of application. Please note that we are unable to sponsor visas, or work permits for this position.

About RUSI

The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) is the world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defence and security think tank. Its mission is to inform, influence and enhance public debate on a safer and more stable world. RUSI is a research-led institute, producing independent, practical and innovative analysis to address today’s complex challenges.

RUSI’s Energy and Security Programme delivers evidence-led, policy-relevant analysis on the intersection of energy systems, geopolitics, climate science and national security. Our work helps governments, industry, and civil society understand how energy markets, technological and climatic change, and global supply chains impact national and international security, and vice versa.

About the role

The successful candidate will lead a project of networking and research to bring together security, defence, energy and climate communities. You will identify pathways to improve knowledge sharing and coordination on energy and climate security issues by forming a new RUSI-led community, founded in Brussels. The successful candidate will work closely with RUSI Europe, RUSI’s Energy and Security Programme and other RUSI research groups to deliver a programme of events, culminating in a published research paper. You will work from our RUSI’s Brussels Office in order to build an impactful community.

Key Tasks

• Build and maintain a network, via formal and informal engagements, spanning core defence and climate teams within the European Commission, NATO, European defence ministries and defence industries.

• Use this network to develop agendas for two Strategic Dialogues with the aim of supporting the Munich Security Conference in February 2026 and NATO Summit Ankara in July 2026 discussing:

  • Dual-use technologies and supply chains,

  • How sustainability can support resilience targets.

• Lead organisation and delivery of a one-day conference in Brussels on dual use technologies and resilience in energy, climate and defence.

• Lead the organisation and delivery of two track 1.5 dialogues, one in Brussels and one in London, on UK-EU collaboration on climate and energy security, ensuring appropriate stakeholders are represented and engaged.

• Lead drafting of a public Insight Report of up to 7,000 words including insights from the dialogues, research interviews when needed, and an analysis of how defence understands and is responding to climate change.

• Lead on external and internal project reporting, including monitoring and evaluation.

• With the support of RUSI’s Communications and Marketing team, produce a set number of public-facing communication material, including commentary pieces, Op-Eds, and Multimedia, on topics and themes related to the European Energy Security.

The above list of duties is not exhaustive. The post holder will be required to undertake such duties that may reasonably be expected within the scope and grade of the role.