Research Scientist (Risk)

Mission:

Woodwell Climate Research Center (Woodwell Climate) conducts science for solutions at the nexus of climate, people, and nature. We partner with leaders and communities for just meaningful impact to address the climate crisis.  

Woodwell Climate is a rapidly growing, top-ranked, independent non-profit climate research institute whose mission is to advance science-based climate policies through scientific research and outreach. Our world-leading research and impact helps individuals, organizations, corporations, communities, and nations understand the realities of climate change, recognize the impact on our planet, and embrace the urgent action needed to safeguard the future of life on Earth.

Summary/Objective:

Join the Risk team as a Research Scientist to conduct original research on near-term future impacts on risks at the intersection of climate change and international security. Work alongside impacted communities, where physical climate risk meets climate resilience. Develop bespoke assessments with thoughtful narratives for future climate change risks. Collaborate with our partners to understand potential downstream societal consequences.  Explicitly address impacts on human systems and the built environment, including health and well-being, food security, water resources, infrastructure and economic stability. The work of the Risk Program is fast paced and variable, every week will bring a new challenge, you will do academic-grade work at corporate pace. 

Responsibilities include but not limited:

• Work with decision-makers with opportunities to engage a range of external partners: national security think tanks, community leaders, businesses, asset management companies, environmental non-governmental organizations

• Use domain knowledge expertise to enhance Woodwell Climate’s current analytical bandwidth across a broad and growing catalog of climate perils: flood to famines, hurricanes to heat stress, and sea level rise to severe wildfire risk

• Present details and the consequences to policymakers, the public and in academic journals

• Successfully manage multiple projects and motivation to apply their academic and professional experience to help fight climate change

• Research and model past, present and future physical and societal climate change impacts

• Process and analyze multi-temporal geospatial data, primarily climate model output and observations

• Communicate research results to policymakers and the public, including publication in peer-reviewed literature and elsewhere  

• Selects or assists in the selection of research topics or supports a program working under the direction of a supervisor

• Assumes project management responsibilities delegated by their supervisor

• May lead proposals and be a co-lead on a proposal

• Research Assistant selects or assists in the selection of research topics or supports the Risk program working under the direction of a supervisor or PI and contributes to the direction of the program.

• Work in a highly collaborative, fast-paced, cross-disciplinary environment to analyze, synthesize, and present results.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Domain knowledge and expertise with multiple climate perils: flood to famines, hurricanes to heat stress, and sea level rise to severe wildfire risk

• Advanced programming skills based on practical experience with high-level language and tools such as Python, R, Julia, MATLAB, and/or CDO

• Manage large (terabyte scale) data volumes for analysis and visualization in a Linux environment 

• Highly motivated and self-directed in advancing complex projects and a record of successful research

• Familiarity with the scope of climate science literature and the ability to clearly and succinctly bring it to an informed audience. 

• A the results (netCDF data format) of global and regional climate models

• Training or experience in Earth system modeling

• Experience with cloud technologies and platforms as well as AI and workflow automation

• Experience using Google Earth Engine

• Familiarity with downscaling and bias correction techniques

• Ability to work in a collaborative environment with minimal supervision and provide mentorship to others as required

• Lead a research project and independently develop new directions

• Experience or interest in national security, geopolitics, and/or military security is highly desirable

• Experience or interest in interacting with stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, community members, natural resource managers) is highly preferred 

• Experience or interest in data science and very large-scale data mining and analysis (e.g., modeling of structured data, statistical computation, applied machine learning) preferred

• Experience with collaborative code development and system scripting and familiarity with version control

Qualifications:

• Ph.D.in Environmental Data Science, Earth System Science, Geography, Environmental Engineering, Climate Science, Computer Science, related discipline or equivalent

• 2 years experience and an established record of successful original research

Physical Requirements:

In the office:

• Ability to tolerate sustained periods of walking, standing, sitting

• Ability to lift 25 pounds

• Ability to communicate

• Ability to kneel, bend, and carry items

• Ability to use phone and computers

• Repetitive movements

• Air, train, vehicle travel to attend meetings/event

Work Environment:

The functions of this role are conducted in indoor

Hours of Work:

• This role is paid on a salary basis.

• Typically, full-time employees work 40 hours during a Monday through Friday workweek. However, this is a salaried position.  Therefore, the individual is expected to work as required to complete the duties of the position.  This may mean weekend hours and/or hours beyond 40 per week.

Application review will begin ongoing

Desired Start Date: Early May 2025

Fixed-term: 2 years with potential for extension

Classification and Compensation: This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position, the annual salary range is starting at $85,000 dependent on qualifications/experience. Woodwell offers a generous benefits package and work life balance.

Location: Falmouth, Massachusetts onsite, hybrid or remote.

Application Instructions: To apply, please send your cover letter addressing your experience and qualifications in relation to the responsibilities of this position and curriculum vitae as a single PDF to our career’s portal. 

Please visit Woodwell's website to learn more about Woodwell’s work.

Located on a 10-acre campus near the village of Woods Hole, the Woodwell Climate Research Center (Woodwell) is a private, non-profit research center. Woodwell is a leading source of climate science that drives the urgent action needed to solve climate change. Woodwell has 100 staff members and is excited to welcome new employees to this work. 

Woodwell Climate is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, mental, or physical disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, familial status, veteran status, or genetic information. Woodwell is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for all individuals in employment practices, services, programs, and activities.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Woodwell

WE NEED ALL VOICES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is the greatest challenge of our lifetimes. Woodwell Climate Research Center (Woodwell) understands that the climate crisis—from causes to consequences—is inextricably linked with persistent social injustice. Effectively addressing either requires addressing both. The climate crisis demands that we bring to bear all of the knowledge, expertise, innovation, and creativity that we can collectively muster, and those who have been marginalized and disproportionately impacted must be heard.

The work Woodwell Climate does—the questions we ask, the ways we seek answers, and the strategies we put forward—is stronger when shaped by a diversity of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences. We strive to welcome, respect, and amplify differing voices. We value individuals as they are, with all their differences in race, age, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, language, and mental and physical abilities.

Woodwell Climate acknowledges that our organization, and the scientific community more broadly, have a long way to go in living up to these ideals. We approach the work of improving our organization with the same ambition and commitment to systemic change that we bring to addressing climate change.

We will inevitably make mistakes, but we will continue to listen, learn, and do this critical work. We understand that this work requires an ongoing commitment from each and every one of us. We are actively engaged in building and sustaining an equitable and inclusive culture within our organization, and in fostering greater diversity in climate science.