Job ID: 56012
Location: All International
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular
OFFICE LOCATION
#Li-Remote
#PDN
#Open until filled
The location of this position is flexible to all locations where The Nature Conservancy is registered to do business.
WHO WE ARE
The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.
One of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.”
WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER
We are looking for an Ecosystem Resilience Scientist with experience studying climate impacts on ecosystems who can lead in curating, developing, and integrating climate data/projections into our scientific and conservation work across the Conservancy. The ideal candidate will have a track record of research, publication, and application of climate data/projections to studying climate impacts on ecosystems across multiple sectors and geographies. This includes experience using CMIP6 output, as well as regional model simulations and statistically downscaled projections to conduct quantitative analyses across a variety of geographic regions and applications.
The Ecosystem Scientist will bring background and training in relevant areas of quantitative ecological and/or climate adaptation science, with applied experience related to integrating climate data with ecological information. Examples of climate-ecosystem integration could include assessment of historical climate change impacts on ecosystems, including biogeochemical cycles, foodscapes, or species, projection of future changes in ecosystems (and associated carbon storage potential), evaluation of climate adaptation and resilience strategies for ecosystems, or assessment of the impacts of climate-related stressors/disturbances (e.g., warming, fires, pests) on ecosystems. The ideal candidate will have experience studying climate impacts on forests and/or other terrestrial ecosystems and be familiar with established methods and/or emerging AI/machine learning techniques that capture the interaction and complex dynamics of ecosystems and climate, such as feedbacks and disturbances.
The candidate will ideally be able to relate ecological health indicators to climate to identify critical species and/or habitats at risk, pinpointing priority intervention areas or areas that present potential risk to conservation investments in a changing climate. These experiences will be used at TNC to generate new science that will guide conservation, climate mitigation, and climate adaptation strategies. Their work will directly contribute to the TNC Global Science agenda and the One Conservancy Science Plan, which are investing in climate mitigation and adaptation methods, tools, and approaches across the organization to achieve TNC’s 2030 Goals for people and nature.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR YOU
Are you looking for work you can believe in? At TNC, we strive to embody a philosophy of Work that You Can Believe in and where you can feel like you are making a difference every day. We’re looking for someone who can serve as a climate impacts technical subject matter resource for diverse conservation initiatives. Communication, managing complex science projects, working with diverse teams, and capacity building are key in this role.
The Ecosystem Scientist will represent the Conservancy as a science leader on multidisciplinary/ multi-partner project teams that require climate inputs for studying ecosystem resilience in a shifting climate for projects related to conservation, adaptation, climate mitigation, and climate resilience. They will ensure that the latest methods, tools, and learning, as well as cutting-edge data, modeling, and analytical approaches, are coordinated and implemented across the Conservancy. The Scientist will lead and support the timely development of peer-reviewed publications that report on these analyses.
The Ecosystem Scientist Responsibilities & Scope include:
- Providing strategic leadership, oversight, and implementation of high-resolution climate data/projections across the Conservancy, particularly as they relate to terrestrial ecosystem resilience under climate change
- Helping to develop trainings for non-specialist internal and external programs and colleagues on best practice and state-of-the-art climate science to support adaptation planning decisions.
- Ensuring that global and field-based projects utilize appropriate climate data/projections to promote climate resilience.
- Fostering internal and external collaborations with TNC business units, universities, and project partners around the world to integrate climate data and projections into diverse planning contexts.
- Supporting managing and writing grants, contracts, or funding proposals.
- Maintaining scientific credibility through applied research, peer-reviewed publications, and communication to diverse audiences.
- Reporting and communicating on project impact to TNC and project partners.
- Possible management of projects and direct reports.
- Being self-motivated in ongoing learning so that skills remain current.
- Working in a complex, matrixed organization environment.
- Being willing to travel between two to seven weeks per year locally, regionally, and internationally as required to meet project and strategy needs. We prioritize virtual engagement but recognize that some projects may require travel.
WHAT YOU’LL BRING
- A minimum of a master’s degree in a climate science-related field and at least 4 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Fluency in Python, R, NetCDF, CDO, and/or other relevant computing programs/languages
- Experience analyzing, interpreting, and applying climate data/projections.
- Experience developing and applying high-resolution climate projections to ecosystem climate impact assessments across a broad range of sectors and geographies.
- Demonstrated ability and recognized expertise identifying the most appropriate climate inputs, including observations or model projections, for use in projects that span a broad range of sectors, resources, and geographies.
- Record of peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and technical reports that include quantitative analysis of climate data and/or climate projections and associated impacts on ecosystems.
- Independence and self-motivation with the ability to participate effectively in a remote team environment.
- Experience working and communicating with a wide range of people.
- Excellent communication skills, written, spoken and graphical.
- Fluency in English, written and spoken.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- PhD and several years of related experience in the application of climate data/projections to assess climate impacts on ecosystems.
- Experience integrating climate data (e.g., netcdf files) with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based tools, such as ArcGIS, and other similar tools.
- Experience with climate resilience and/or adaptation planning in more than one of academia, non-profit, private, and/or government settings.
- Experience teaching or developing training materials and workshops related to helping non- experts understand climate concepts.
- Experience and eagerness to work in a transdisciplinary environment, developing collaborative approaches and valuing knowledge plurality (natural sciences, social sciences, Indigenous and local knowledge).
- Demonstrated ability to successfully develop and implement complex projects, including budgets and coordinating the work of peers and partners.
- Professional network in climate adaptation science and sectoral impacts analysis.
- Experience writing grants and research proposals.
- Multilingual skills and multicultural or cross-cultural experiences.
WHAT WE BRING
Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!
TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.
We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.
SALARY INFORMATION
For U.S. based applicants only, the starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $76,194-$114,374 annual base salary and is based on location, qualifications, specific skills and experience. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. For all other applicants pay ranges will not be tied to the above pay range, will be based on location, will be in local currency, will be based on the local labor market, and will fall within a range based on factors including qualifications, specific skills, and experience.
APPLY NOW
To apply for job ID 56012, submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org/. Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact applyhelp@tnc.org.
Our recruiting process is a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.
TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.
An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC’s value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.
Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we’re registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we’re unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.
