Senior Water Data Scientist
Job Description
Job Posting Organization:
The World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent research organization founded to improve people's lives, protect and restore nature, and stabilize the climate. Established with a mission to leverage data, expertise, and global reach to influence policy and catalyze change across various systems, WRI operates in more than a dozen focus countries and collaborates with partners in over 50 nations. With a workforce of over 2,000 employees, WRI is dedicated to advancing gender and social equity, ensuring that all qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment regardless of their background.
Job Overview:
The Senior Water scientist" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Data Scientist will play a pivotal role as the technical and scientific lead for a flagship initiative aimed at enhancing the measurement and monitoring of the impacts of nature-based solutions (NBS) and green-gray infrastructure (GGI) on water security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security outcomes across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and beyond. This position is designed to shape a next-generation approach to understanding causal inference and attribution regarding how NBS affects water availability, quality, hydrologic regulation, drought resilience, flood risk, and watershed resilience. The role involves convening partners to develop scientific methodologies and digital architectures that will facilitate credible and scalable monitoring of water outcomes from NBS. The ideal candidate will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team across various WRI programs to identify and apply the best available science, data, models, and emerging technologies for impact measurement and monitoring (IMM).
Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Water Data Scientist will have a comprehensive set of responsibilities, including leading the technical development of research and analytical approaches related to measuring and monitoring the impacts of NBS and GGI on water security outcomes in LAC. This includes conducting landscape syntheses, technical assessments, and methodological reviews in areas such as hydrology, watershed monitoring, Earth observation, and AI-enabled analytics. The role also involves identifying scientific and methodological gaps that hinder credible measurement of water outcomes and defining pathways for future innovations. The candidate will evaluate existing monitoring approaches and develop scientifically rigorous recommendations for impact measurement frameworks. Additionally, the role includes managing and synthesizing large environmental datasets, contributing to pilot monitoring approaches, authoring high-quality knowledge products, and engaging with stakeholders to support knowledge exchange and collaboration.
Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a BA or BS degree in a relevant field such as environmental science, geographic science, or data science, with a graduate degree preferred. A minimum of 10 years of full-time work experience in environmental or climate science is required, with a strong emphasis on quantitative and scientific components. Experience with AI and data science is crucial, along with a proven ability to synthesize data analysis into policy-relevant written products. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to work independently and collaboratively within interdisciplinary and multicultural teams.
Educational Background:
The educational requirements for this position include a BA or BS degree in a relevant field, with a graduate degree (Master’s or PhD) strongly preferred. Relevant fields include environmental science (hydrology, ecology, water resource management), geographic science (remote sensing, satellite technology), or data science (computer science, machine learning, artificial intelligence).
Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 10 years of full-time work experience in environmental or climate science, particularly in roles that involve rigorous quantitative and scientific components. Candidates should have a demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of interdisciplinary teams, showcasing experience in AI and data science as essential qualifications.
Languages:
Proficiency in written and verbal English is mandatory, with additional proficiency in Spanish strongly preferred to facilitate communication and collaboration in the Latin American context.
Additional Notes:
This is a hybrid position requiring 8 days per month in the office, with the option to be based in either Washington, DC or Mexico City. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application, as WRI cannot sponsor visa work authorization. The potential salary for this position ranges from $139,000 to $175,000 if based in the US, with salaries in other countries determined by local market conditions. The organization offers a commitment to a hybrid working model, generous leave days, and various benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage for US-based employees.
The World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent research organization founded to improve people's lives, protect and restore nature, and stabilize the climate. Established with a mission to leverage data, expertise, and global reach to influence policy and catalyze change across various systems, WRI operates in more than a dozen focus countries and collaborates with partners in over 50 nations. With a workforce of over 2,000 employees, WRI is dedicated to advancing gender and social equity, ensuring that all qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment regardless of their background.
Job Overview:
The Senior Water scientist" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Data Scientist will play a pivotal role as the technical and scientific lead for a flagship initiative aimed at enhancing the measurement and monitoring of the impacts of nature-based solutions (NBS) and green-gray infrastructure (GGI) on water security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security outcomes across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and beyond. This position is designed to shape a next-generation approach to understanding causal inference and attribution regarding how NBS affects water availability, quality, hydrologic regulation, drought resilience, flood risk, and watershed resilience. The role involves convening partners to develop scientific methodologies and digital architectures that will facilitate credible and scalable monitoring of water outcomes from NBS. The ideal candidate will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team across various WRI programs to identify and apply the best available science, data, models, and emerging technologies for impact measurement and monitoring (IMM).
Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Water Data Scientist will have a comprehensive set of responsibilities, including leading the technical development of research and analytical approaches related to measuring and monitoring the impacts of NBS and GGI on water security outcomes in LAC. This includes conducting landscape syntheses, technical assessments, and methodological reviews in areas such as hydrology, watershed monitoring, Earth observation, and AI-enabled analytics. The role also involves identifying scientific and methodological gaps that hinder credible measurement of water outcomes and defining pathways for future innovations. The candidate will evaluate existing monitoring approaches and develop scientifically rigorous recommendations for impact measurement frameworks. Additionally, the role includes managing and synthesizing large environmental datasets, contributing to pilot monitoring approaches, authoring high-quality knowledge products, and engaging with stakeholders to support knowledge exchange and collaboration.
Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a BA or BS degree in a relevant field such as environmental science, geographic science, or data science, with a graduate degree preferred. A minimum of 10 years of full-time work experience in environmental or climate science is required, with a strong emphasis on quantitative and scientific components. Experience with AI and data science is crucial, along with a proven ability to synthesize data analysis into policy-relevant written products. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to work independently and collaboratively within interdisciplinary and multicultural teams.
Educational Background:
The educational requirements for this position include a BA or BS degree in a relevant field, with a graduate degree (Master’s or PhD) strongly preferred. Relevant fields include environmental science (hydrology, ecology, water resource management), geographic science (remote sensing, satellite technology), or data science (computer science, machine learning, artificial intelligence).
Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 10 years of full-time work experience in environmental or climate science, particularly in roles that involve rigorous quantitative and scientific components. Candidates should have a demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of interdisciplinary teams, showcasing experience in AI and data science as essential qualifications.
Languages:
Proficiency in written and verbal English is mandatory, with additional proficiency in Spanish strongly preferred to facilitate communication and collaboration in the Latin American context.
Additional Notes:
This is a hybrid position requiring 8 days per month in the office, with the option to be based in either Washington, DC or Mexico City. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application, as WRI cannot sponsor visa work authorization. The potential salary for this position ranges from $139,000 to $175,000 if based in the US, with salaries in other countries determined by local market conditions. The organization offers a commitment to a hybrid working model, generous leave days, and various benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage for US-based employees.
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We are not liable for any decisions or actions taken by applicants in response to this job listing. By applying, you agree that all application processes, interviews, and potential job offers are managed exclusively by the listed employer or organization.
Beware of fraudulent job offers. Do not provide sensitive personal information or make any payments to secure a job.