Postdoctoral Fellow-Climate Modelling and Impact Assessment at Stockholm Environment Institute

The role

• The Postdoctoral Fellow will lead climate modelling and impact assessment research in Africa. The Fellow will play a vital role in bridging the gap between climate science and economic policy through developing new evidence while supporting and strengthening the capacities of partner governments, academic institutions, communities and the private sector to use evidence and innovation to drive effective solutions to the climate challenge.
• The Fellow will be part of the centre’s Climate and Energy research cluster and work in a participatory, stakeholder-centred, co-development environment with a broad group of stakeholders, including national and subnational policymakers, international organizations, climate scientists, research institutions, data providers, civil society organizations, and climate-at-risk and climate-vulnerable groups and communities.

Key duties and responsibilities

The Postdoctoral Fellow will undertake climate projection modelling, risk analysis and vulnerability assessments to provide seasonal and decade-scale climate projections and develop climate adaptation strategies to inform policy and decision-making. Key tasks include but are not limited to:

• Design and application of a robust methodology relevant to assessing physical and residual climate risks and vulnerability and conducting climate projection modelling, taking into account global greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, and an ensemble of downscaled global or regional climate models covering regional and national contexts.
• Working closely with government departments and consultants to collect and source relevant data for analysis
• Conducting climate change scenarios and projection modelling to quantify climate-related impacts on water, energy, agriculture, forestry, health, infrastructure, tourism, biodiversity and ecosystem services for central, west, east, north, and southern Africa and selected case study countries using global greenhouse gas emissions scenarios and an ensemble of downscaled high-resolution global or regional climate models at geographic resolutions as detailed as 10-by-10 km 2 and with timeseries as short as individual days.
• Develop historical and projected regional climate risk and vulnerability maps for water resources (water stress), agricultural productivity, forest cover, infrastructure, disease incidences and burden, and biodiversity loss.
• Conduct bottom-up scenario analysis of adaptation measures for water, energy, agriculture, forestry, health, infrastructure, biodiversity and tourism projected by each downscaled climate model and greenhouse gas emissions scenario in terms of avoided damages.
• Provide additional support and contributions, as required, including for drafting of peer-reviewed publications, technical reports and policy briefs, as well as the preparation of project concept notes, research proposals and grant applications in accordance with SEI strategic objectives.

Who you are

We are looking for a researcher with a strong interest and proven track record in climate modelling and impact assessment, including the ability to manage large datasets and interpret complex simulations.

Essential Qualifications, Skills, And Competencies

• A PhD in climate science, environmental science, meteorology or a related field, with 4-6 years of experience in climate modelling, risk analysis, vulnerability assessment and/or mathematical modelling.
• A strong understanding of global greenhouse gas emission scenarios, climate change models, data sources and analysis methods.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as R, Python, MATLAB, and GIS.
• Strong track record of publications in climate modelling, risk analysis and vulnerability assessments.
• Results oriented, as demonstrated by good planning and organizational skills, with the ability to meet tight deadlines, manage competing demands and work effectively under pressure.
• Demonstrable track record of fundraising from a variety of funding agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strategic partnerships, and engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, including media, academia, partners, civil society, government, and the private sector.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to communicate complex climate information to diverse audiences.