VP of Science

Climate Central is hiring a Vice President for Science to lead its scientific initiatives in Princeton, NJ. The role involves supervising scientists, directing research on climate change attribution, and representing the organization in public and scientific discussions. The ideal candidate should have a Ph.D., a strong publication record, and experience in interdisciplinary collaboration. Responsibilities include managing the science department and contributing to strategic growth.
About the position

Climate Central is seeking a highly skilled, dynamic and passionate leader to join our team as our next Vice President for Science. Science is the foundation of all of Climate Central's work. Reporting to Chief Program Officer Dr. Andrew Pershing, the VP for Science will direct Climate Central's science enterprise. The VP for Science will supervise and mentor a growing group of scientists who conduct research and develop analyses and products that support Climate Central's mission. Climate change attribution is a major focus of our ongoing work. Building on the Climate Shift Index service, we are actively developing new approaches to linking local weather conditions with climate change and attributing climate impacts to rising greenhouse gasses. The VP for Science will play a leading role in charting the future direction for this work. As a member of the Department Leadership Team, the VP of Science will contribute to charting Climate Central's strategic direction and developing institutional policies that support a thriving organizational culture. They will work closely with the leaders of Climate Central's cross-disciplinary programs to ensure that they are applying the best available science. They will serve as a spokesperson for climate science, representing Climate Central's work to the scientific community, media, and the public. And they will help identify and influence external research that can feed into Climate Central's communications and activities. The ideal VP for Science will have an established track record of scientific research and a passion for communicating the science of climate change to non-scientific audiences. They will be actively engaged with the application of climate science in the public sphere through participation in working groups such as the U.S. National Climate Assessment and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. They will have experience working as part of interdisciplinary teams, and they will be a strong mentor to early career scientists. They will also be able to work quickly and creatively to catalyze new reports and products that lead to timely, compelling, and impactful communication opportunities.

Responsibilities
• Managing Climate Central's Science department including supervising scientists, setting and driving toward annual goals and budgets
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• Serving as the voice of science within the organization, ensuring that our programs, strategies, and products are scientifically rigorous
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• Serving as a spokesperson for climate science with the scientific community, media, and the public
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• Contributing to the operation and growth of Climate Central by collaborating with other departments and programs and serving on the Departments Leadership Team.

Requirements
• Ph.D. in a scientific discipline with notable contributions to understanding climate change as a multidisciplinary problem
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• A productive track record leading or making major contributions to high-quality peer-reviewed papers
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• Experience participating in panels or working groups beyond academia
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• Ability to convey complex scientific concepts in a compelling way to a wide variety of audiences
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• Experience building multidisciplinary teams and establishing clear goals
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• Ability to manage staff across a range of career levels and help them maximize their potential
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• Strong leadership skills and ability to build authentic relationships with staff.

Nice-to-haves
• Experience with climate change attribution or climate impacts research
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• Contributed to synthesis activities like the National Climate Assessment or IPCC reports
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• Experience developing public-facing reports and tools
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• Experience working with the media.

Benefits
• More than 7 weeks paid vacation and holidays annually
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• 12 weeks paid family leave
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• Medical and dental insurance
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• 401K with up to 12% matching
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• Partial college tuition for children of employees who qualify