Area of specialization in IWRI Research and Education: Climate modeling, climate change and services

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated and dynamic postdoctoral researcher to join our climate modeling and services team. The selected candidate will contribute to interdisciplinary projects focused on understanding and assessing climate changes for the provision of user-tailored climate services to support adaptation of agriculture and water sectors.

Morocco and the entire African continent are facing serious climate change related challenges which would be exacerbated in the future depending on the emission scenarios and adaptation. Most of the countries, including Morocco, are experiencing significant stress on water resources along with expanding agricultural demand, with harmful impacts of climate change. Developing effective adaptation strategies for agriculture and water resources and shaping infrastructure policies heavily relies on deepening our understanding of the physical processes driving the region’s water cycle, uncovering the causes of observed changes, and improving our predictive capabilities of future climate trends. This position focuses on applied research aimed at improving climate modeling related products to better support agriculture and water sectors through appropriate climate services.

The successful candidate is expected to contribute to the evaluation and improvement of the UM6P climate modeling chain operational on the Toubkal supercomputer to better capture the characteristics of the regional climate. They are also expected to support the provision of user-tailored climate services including products related to climate modeling.

The successful candidate will have experience in two or more of the following areas: numerical climate modeling, climate dynamics, observationally based model evaluation, and climate services.

Key Duties

The candidate is expected to:

• Develop and carry out climate model experiments to evaluate and explore potential model improvements in simulating Moroccan and North African climate.
• Carry out evaluation of the model outputs and prospect possible changes to improve water cycle modeling, including precipitation-related parametrizations.
• Contribute to the climate services developpments
• Collaborate with colleagues and scientists in the UM6P-IWRI and partner institutions, including experts in climatology, meteorology, agriculture, hydrology, and other relevant disciplines, to develop innovative and integrated solutions.
• Prepare and present reports, scientific articles, and presentations for international conferences. Participate in workshops and seminars to present research results.
• Contribute to the management of research projects, including writing of funding proposals and coordination with partners.
  
  

Criteria/skills Of The Candidate

• PhD in atmospheric sciences or a closely related field
• The candidate should have experience in climate model development and assessements
• A strong programming background and use of HPC are required.
• A very good knowledge of statistical methods and tools.
• A good knowledge of Moroccan and North African climate and drivers is highly appreciated.
• Good communication skills, both verbal and written, are important. Fluency in French and English is required.
• Ability to travel for missions of several months (up to 6 month per year) outside Morocco (e.g in Europe).
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team in an interdisciplinary research environment.
  
  

Application

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents:

• A complete curriculum vitae including a list of publications.
• A detailed cover letter outlining their interest in the position and qualifications.
• Examples of relevant research work or publications.
• Contact details of two professional references.
  
  

About UM6P

Located at the heart of the future Green City of Benguerir, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), a higher education institution with an international standard, has been established to serve Morocco and the African continent. Its vision is honed around research and innovation at the service of education and development. This unique, nascent university, with its state-of-the-art campus and infrastructure, has woven a sound academic and research network, and its recruitment process is seeking high quality academics and professionals in order to boost its quality-oriented research environment in the metropolitan area of Marrakech.

About IWRI

UM6P-IWRI International Water Research Institute is dedicated to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary education and research around water and climate.

The Objectives Are To Conduct Cutting-edge Research Where Local Themes Are Connected To Global Issues Of Water And Climate, With a Focus On

• Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
• Development of water-related technologies (irrigation, water supply and sanitation, desalination, demineralization, treatment, and recycling for water reuse)
• Climate modeling, Climate Change and Adaptation
• Forecasting and Warning Systems
• Water in and for Soil, Droughts and desertification
• Water information, knowledge and decision systems
• Environmental Considerations and Sustainable development