Deputy to Chief Scientist, Climate Central – New Jersey

Organization: Climate Central

Position Title: Deputy to Chief Scientist

Location: Princeton, New Jersey

Hours and Compensation: Full-time; Climate Central offers a very competitive salary that is commensurate with experience and an excellent benefits package.

Description:  Founded in 2008 by leading scientists and communications experts at Princeton, Yale and Stanford, Climate Central brings together award-winning journalists and internationally recognized scientists to report the science and impacts of climate change through cutting edge research delivered in clear, compelling language and images. Climate Central tackles the misperception that climate change is a distant thing — affecting other people and other places — by harnessing the power of science to make climate change real and local for audiences across the country.

As a result of Climate Central’s strategic planning, a new area of opportunity has emerged which will have a dramatic impact on the organization’s reach. Identifying a human fingerprint in individual extreme weather events — a field known as attribution science — has been a goal of the scientific community for more than a decade. In 2004, Stott et al. published a paper in the journal Nature showing that climate change at least doubled the risk of the record-breaking European heat wave that killed more than 70,000 people in the summer of 2003. Since the publication of that paper, improvements to climate models have led to tremendous advances in the field of attribution science. Climate Central’s goal with this important new program, is to objectively and transparently assess certain types of extreme weather events around the globe and equip journalists and scientists with the tools to provide the larger global warming context while there is media interest.

Responsibilities: Reporting to the Chief Scientist and serving to help advance the Attribution Program, the Deputy will occupy an important leadership role at multiple levels — ranging from working at the highest strategic level to managing work flow at the operational level.

With regard to the Attribution Program, the Deputy will provide timely program and staff management as well as support the Chief Scientist in the strategic execution of the overall program. The Deputy will serve as the Chief Scientist’s program and management facilitator and partner and work to ensure Climate Central meets key program, operational and fundraising goals with regard to the Attribution Program.

Qualifications: The Deputy should ideally possess the following set of professional qualifications and personal attributes:

• A deep commitment to the mission of Climate Central.
• Demonstrated leadership skills that inspire and motivate both internal and external stakeholders.
• Sc. required, MBA or Ph.D. preferred, in science-related field.
• Demonstrated leadership in operational management and strategic planning as a senior leader in a corporate or non-profit organization of significant size.
• Experience with the design, implementation and execution of strategic communication campaigns.
• Experience working to increase efficiency, strengthen employee knowledge, and abilities, improve leadership and maintain the overall health of an enterprise.
• Record of entrepreneurial spirit and innovations that achieve important impacts and a commitment to a collaborative leadership style.
• Demonstrated experience identifying and remediating organizational/strategic issues that result in measurable improvements.
• Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary matrixed team environment, managing multiple projects and priorities and working cooperatively to satisfy internal and external requests.
• Ability to interact as a trusted partner with a diverse community: government agencies, corporate, media, academic organizations, foundations and individual funders.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.
• Intellectual curiosity, approachability and openness to input from all levels of staff.
• Excellent oral and written communication/presentation skills.

How to Apply: Interested candidates should e-mail a cover letter explaining how your skills and background fit this position and a resume to Daniel Sherman, President, Explore Company at [email protected].  Refer to CC/Deputy in the subject line. No phone calls please.