THE ORGANIZATION
Africa Climate Solutions (ACS) is evidence and innovation centered scientific non-profit Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) dedicated to advancing climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable, and equitable development across Africa. ACS operates to generate actionable scientific evidence that supports resilient development pathways, climate justice, and sustainable environmental management. The organization focuses on scientific research, climate analytics, data systems, innovation, climate services, and evidence-based policy support across critical sectors including agriculture, water, energy, health, infrastructure, ecosystems, governance, and climate finance.
ACS is committed to addressing Africa’s major climate and environmental challenges, including increasing climate extremes, limited observational data systems, growing climate vulnerabilities, and the need for integrated climate intelligence to support adaptation, mitigation, and Loss and Damage assessment. Through its research programs, digital innovations, and partnerships, ACS seeks to strengthen Africa’s capacity to generate, manage, and utilize climate information for policy and investment decision-making.
About the Position
The Senior Climate Data Scientist and Modeling Lead is one of the most strategically important technical positions within ACS and will serve as the lead expert responsible for the organization’s climate analytics, climate modeling, data integration, and scientific evidence generation activities. The position is central to the design and implementation of ACS’s climate intelligence systems and research programs.
The successful candidate will lead the development of advanced analytical frameworks for the state-of-the-art climate risk analysis, climate model evaluation, downscaling, climate projections, and integrated climate-impact assessments. The position will also play a critical role in supporting extreme event attribution studies within ACS and with our global partners, Loss and Damage assessment, climate services, and the development of data-driven policy and investment solutions.
The role requires strong interdisciplinary expertise combining climate science, environmental data science, geospatial analytics, statistical climatology, and programming. The candidate will work closely with sectoral experts, policymakers, development partners, and digital systems teams to ensure that scientific outputs are translated into actionable insights and decision-support products.
The position is expected to contribute to strengthening Africa’s scientific evidence base by producing high-quality scientific publications, technical reports, climate indicators, and analytical tools aligned with international scientific standards and climate finance requirements.
Specific Terms of Reference include:
- Lead the development and implementation of ACS climate analytics and modeling frameworks.
- Design and update state-of-the-art methodologies for climate risk assessment, extreme event analysis, and climate projections.
- Scientifically lead-up all climate model evaluation, bias correction, downscaling, and uncertainty analysis in ACS are all scientifically rigorous, based on evolving methods and standards.
- Lead and follow-up the development and implementation of climate indicators and integrated climate datasets for ACS digital platforms.
- Support the development of the ACS Climate Indicators Dashboard and Sectoral Risk Analytics systems.
- Lead scientific peer-reviewed publications on statistical and process-based climate analyses using observational datasets, reanalysis products, and climate model outputs.
- Lead scientific analysis for droughts, floods, heatwaves, and compound climate extremes.
- Support event attribution and Loss and Damage assessment activities.
- Supervise and mentor junior researchers, analysts, and technical staff.
- Prepare scientific publications, technical reports, policy briefs, and donor reports.
- Support proposal development and provide analytical inputs for climate finance projects.
- Collaborate with universities, research institutions, and international partners.
- Contribute to capacity building initiatives and technical trainings.
- Ensure quality assurance and scientific integrity across analytical outputs.
Requirements
- PhD in Climate Science, Atmospheric Science, Environmental Data Science, Hydrology, Meteorology, Applied Statistics, or related field.
- Minimum of 3 years of relevant professional and research experience.
- Demonstrated expertise in climate data analysis, climate modeling, and environmental analytics.
- Strong programming skills in R and/or Python.
- Experience working with NetCDF, tif and other climate data formats, proven experience in GIS, remote sensing, and large climate datasets.
- Strong understanding of climate models, reanalysis products, and statistical methods.
- Experience in peer-reviewed scientific publishing.
- Experience supporting climate policy or climate finance initiatives is an advantage.
- Strong communication, leadership, and project coordination skills.
Terms of Employment
- Competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.
- Initial one-year contract renewable subject to performance and funding availability.
- Opportunities for professional development, international collaboration, and conference participation.
- The position may require travel within Africa and internationally.
Applications
Interested applicants should submit:
- Cover letter explaining why the applicant is best fit for the position.
- Detailed Curriculum Vitae.
- Copies of academic qualifications.
- Separate list of a maximum of 10 relevant publications and technical outputs.
- Contact information for three professional references.
Applications should be submitted electronically to hr@africaclimatesolutions.org mentioning the position “Senior Climate Data Scientist and Modeling Lead” in the Subject of the email before the stated deadline.