Climate Scientist

ELAW seeks a professional with expertise in climate science

The Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) is accepting applications for a knowledgeable climate scientist to join our growing team.

This is an exciting opportunity to work with leading public interest lawyers around the world to protect the rights of communities and the environment. ELAW collaborates with lawyers representing local communities and NGOs to build a sustainable, just future. ELAW’s global partners are the force behind innovative legal actions challenging the status quo and addressing complex environmental problems.

Our current team of six PhD scientists has deep expertise and broad experience across several disciplines, and each member works as an expert generalist to respond to the complex needs of public interest lawyers around the world.

Responsibilities and Scope of Position:

• Provide technical analysis to support lawyers in nearly 80 countries on a wide range of domestic and international advocacy;
• Review and critique Environmental Impact Assessments and other environmental analyses prepared by project proponents;
• Independently draft expert opinions for submission to courts;
• Build and cultivate relationships with international partners and allies;
• Organize and participate in workshops and other remote/in-person meetings to share information and collaborate with allies;
• Help host ELAW Fellows;
• Supervise science interns;
• Review work by science team colleagues; and
• Collaborate with ELAW colleagues on communications, development, and other activities that support the organization, our partners, and allies.

Required Qualifications:

• A commitment to fulfilling ELAW’s mission;
• The ability to work successfully in cross-cultural settings;
• PhD in climate science or related discipline;
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and competing deadlines;
• Ability to positively represent ELAW in a variety of professional settings;
• Ability to work within a small team, as well as independently;
• Professional fluency in English; and
• Flexible approach to working with colleagues across time zones.

The qualified candidate for this position will have specific education and experience in some or all of the following:

• Attributing damages of specific adverse climate events (floods,
  droughts, storms, etc) to anthropogenic climate change
• Determining whether national climate action plans are in-line with
  fair-share contributions for attaining Paris Agreement temperature goals
• Mitigation of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) including methane.
• Estimating comprehensive carbon footprints of proposed projects and
  policies
• Emerging technologies for the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors
  (e.g. steel, cement, etc).

Additional preferred qualifications and competencies:

• Professional competence in a second language with preference for Arabic, French, Portuguese, or Spanish;
• Experience working internationally and/or demonstrated sensitivity to the needs and concerns of colleagues from diverse backgrounds and values;
• Initiative to stay attuned to and research emerging issues;
• Ability and willingness to use technology platforms that enable virtual collaboration;
• Open to international travel;
• Strong editing skills; and
• Experience supervising interns or others.

Location: The ELAW Secretariat is based in Eugene, Oregon, though members of our team work across several continents. This position is flexible, though needs to be easily able to collaborate with colleagues in the Pacific Time Zone.

ELAW does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, creed, gender, disability, socio-economic background, age, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, national origin, ancestry, status with regards to public assistance, or immigration status. ELAW is committed to justice and equity and our outreach, recruitment, and hiring practices reflect our commitment to actively developing the skills of a diverse community.

Deadline: We will begin reviewing resumes after March 31, and the position will be filled as soon as possible after that date.