Research Intern - Climate Resilience

CEEW is hiring a Research Intern for its Climate Resilience team in New Delhi, India. The intern will analyze climate and geospatial data, develop climate risk indices, and assist with research on climate vulnerability. Candidates should have a background in data science or GIS, and proficiency in Python. The internship lasts for 3 months with potential for extension, focusing on the Climate Resilience Atlas for India project.
The Council on Energy, Environment and Water is seeking a Research Intern for its Climate Resilience team in New Delhi, India. The role involves analyzing climate and geospatial data, developing climate risk indices, and supporting research on climate vulnerability. Candidates should have a background in data science, GIS, or related fields, and experience with programming languages like Python. The internship lasts for 3 months, with potential for extension.
At CEEW, we are deliberate about what we stand for (and what we don’t stand for!) as an employer. So, if the below description strikes a chord, we would love to hear from you!

At CEEW, we build careers in public policy
• We offer strong visionary leadership – with emphasis on research and impact at scale
• We actively promote leadership by initiative
• We celebrate talent and ambition
• You will be surrounded by smart people who will challenge you and help you grow
• You will learn faster than your peers in other organisations
• Curiosity and irreverence, as well as responsibility, come together at CEEW
• You will get above-market remuneration
• We provide a safe space for all
• At CEEW, your life is your example for others

Designation offered
Research Intern

Team/ Focus area
Climate Resilience

Reporting to
Research Analyst

Location
New Delhi, India

Duration
3 months (extendable based on performance)

Purpose

CEEW seeks to hire a Research Intern skilled in climatological modelling, data science and GIS to join the Climate Resilience team. The candidate will be supporting the team on the Climate Resilience Atlas for India project. The Climate Resilience Atlas (CRA) is a climate risk-informed decision-making tool that will consist of various layers around climate vulnerability and variabilities. The CRA will support decision-makers in quantifying the climate risk landscape at a sub-national level.

The candidate will be required to undertake a rigorous analysis of big climate and geospatial data to develop climate risk indices and support the core research team primarily with data mining, data analysis, and literature review. The ideal candidate must have an educational background in data science, GIS, Climate studies, Atmospheric sciences, Environmental science, and other allied fields and should have working experience with programming languages such as Python, GIS tools, Microsoft Office and other statistical tools. Knowledge of machine learning and deep learning would be an added advantage.

In addition to the duties and responsibilities below, the individual should be prepared, as and when necessary, to take on additional responsibilities.

Job duties and accountabilities

Primary responsibilities

Research and analysis
• Use programming languages, primarily Python (libraries like Pandas, NumPy, Xarray), tools like ArcGIS, QGIS, Google Earth Engine, and modern systems of scientific repeatability and engineering scalability (e.g. GitHub) to work on big climate and geospatial data to develop granular climate risk indices.
• Support the core team with working on CMIP5 and CMIP6-based climatological projections to derive climatic outlooks at the sub-national level through statistical methods such as downscaling, bias correction and zonal statistics.
• Support in updating CEEW’s existing research based on IPCC frameworks for vulnerability and risk assessments to the latest frameworks in risk assessments.
• Contribute to desktop research and mining data from structured, semi-structured, and unstructured sources to develop and improve our climate risk assessments.
• Working on GIS raster and vector datasets (e.g. NDVI, DEM, Elevation, hydrology network) using QGIS, ArcGIS, and Google Earth Engine derived from platforms like USGS, ESRI, et al.
• Creating GIS shapefiles for analysis and preparing GIS-based maps from the extreme event and climate variability database.
• Supporting the team with carrying out a literature review and research writing about climatological and spatial analysis.

Other responsibilities
• Support the team and build individual capacity in strategic communications through regular blogs.
• Respond to research requests from senior researchers, discuss research needs, and prepare responses that synthesize and analyze information.
• Assist with program implementation, including help with preparing presentations.
• Assist with planning and executing events such as report launches, consultation workshops, round table discussions, etc.
• Participate constructively in weekly team meetings.
• Provide inputs on research methodology and data analysis tools.

Selection Criteria

Qualification
• Preferably Master’s/Bachelor’s degree in data science, climate studies, atmospheric science, GIS, environmental science, and other allied fields. Candidates pursuing their degrees can also apply.

Work experience
• 0-1 years. Candidates pursuing their Bachelor’s/Master’s can apply.

Key skills
• Subject domain knowledge of climate data analytics, atmospheric sciences, meteorology and geospatial technology.
• Proficiency in working with big climate and geospatial data in NetCDF, raster, and vector formats.
• Demonstrated ability to use the Python programming language and proficiency in using Jupyter Notebook and Python libraries like Xarray, Pandas, Geopandas and NumPy.
• Proficiency in climate statistics and understanding of climatic projections derived from Global and regional climate models and their downscaling, bias correction etc.
• Proficiency in ArcGIS/QGIS/Google Earth Engine.
• Good knowledge of statistical tools (Excel, SPSS) and their applications.
• Demonstrated ability to perform a literature review.

If you are passionate about leveraging data for creating decision-making toolkits that help in effective policy-making, we would like to speak to you. If you can help in turning big climate datasets into insightful analytics, while also upskilling yourself in the public policy space, you are probably the candidate we are looking for.

CEEW operates in a dynamic environment and the candidate will be required to show flexibility in undertaking a variety of tasks.

Compensation

Competitive compensation – commensurate to the experience and matching the best of standards adopted by the industry or other similar organisations for similar roles.

Application Process

CEEW is an equal-opportunity employer and the selection process does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, or sexuality. Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested applicants are advised to apply at the earliest possible.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified by us. We appreciate your interest.