Climate-GIS Specialist
JOB LOCATION - REMOTE/HYBRID
ABOUT YLABS
YLabs is a leading global design and research organization designing technologies that amplify youth power, agency, and opportunity. Founded in 2014 at the Harvard Innovation Lab, YLabs partners with young people to co-create inclusive digital products and services that improve their lives. Our design process opens spaces where young people’s ideas can become a reality – where they are the architects of the solutions to their most pressing challenges.
YLabs’ multidisciplinary team delivers youth-driven innovation and impact at scale. Our team combines expertise in youth-driven design with adolescent health, climate, livelihoods, digital product design, behavioral science, and epidemiology. Based in Rwanda and the USA, we’ve worked in 18 countries to date on projects spanning three focus areas: optimum health and wellness, improved economic opportunity, and increased climate resilience.
Find out more about our projects here: https://www.ylabsglobal.org/work
JOB OVERVIEW
We are seeking a Climate-GIS Specialist to support our ongoing research regarding the intersection of climate change, gender, and sexual and reproductive health. The Climate-GIS Specialist will work with our quantitative modeling team members to use existing historic analyses to develop both short-term forecasts and long-term projections of the impact of climate change on key domains of sexual and reproductive health. The Climate-GIS specialist will be responsible for processing and analyzing climate projection data and will assist in developing spatial forecasting and projection models.
The ideal candidate will have a strong record of supporting peer-reviewed research on projected impacts of climate change, ideally considering gendered impacts and/or health impacts. Experience developing compelling visualizations is highly desired.
JOB TYPE
This is a remote independent contractor (Consultancy) position.
JOB LOCATION
This is a remote role. The Climate-GIS specialist can be based in any geography, but should be able to collaborate with colleagues located in US time zones as needed.
ABOUT YLABS’ COMPENSATION
YLabs adheres to Project Fair’s principles and standards to establish equity in pay with the overriding principle of “equal pay for work of equal value” outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals. All salary ranges are based on level within the organization and are competitive to regional and national salary benchmarks, based on the respective office location.
PAY RATE
The pay rate for this contract is $100 USD/hour with up to 10 hours per week for three months. The maximum budget for this scope is $12,000 USD.
This is a 3 month independent contractor position; no benefits will be provided, however remuneration may be negotiable to accommodate potential self-administration of benefits and tax withholdings.
YOU WILL:
Climate Data Analysis & Modeling - 55%
Process and analyze high-resolution CHC-CMIP6 climate datasets to extract temperature, precipitation, and temperature and/or drought projections
Assist in the development of spatial models integrating climate projections with survey data to develop short-term forecasts and long-term projections of climate impacts on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes
Create custom indices quantifying exposure to climate anomalies with potential health impacts
Document data transformations and analytical approaches for reproducibility
Geospatial Analysis & Visualization - 35%
Produce visualizations communicating climate projections and health impacts
Conduct spatial statistical analyses to identify geographic patterns of climate vulnerability
Maintain geodatabases integrating climate, demographic, and health data
Project Management & Stakeholder Engagement - 10%
Contribute to research protocols and academic papers
Communicate technical findings to diverse audiences, including youth and policymakers
Support knowledge translation to ensure research findings inform interventions
YOU ARE:
A detail-oriented spatial analyst with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
Experienced with using climate data and climate projection models
Passionate about applying geospatial technologies to address gendered climate and health challenges
An effective communicator able to translate complex spatial concepts to non-technical audiences
Collaborative and adaptable when working across multidisciplinary teams
A self-starter who can manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
Dedicated to data integrity and scientific rigor in spatial analysis
YOU HAVE:
Master's degree or higher in Geographic Information Science, Environmental Science, Public Health, or related field
Minimum 3 years of experience in spatial analysis and GIS modeling
Strong proficiency in ArcGIS, and/or QGIS, with experience in spatial statistical analysis
Experience working with climate datasets, particularly high-resolution gridded data like CHC-CMIP6
Demonstrated ability to process and analyze large geospatial datasets efficiently
Familiarity with programming in R or Python for data manipulation and analysis
Knowledge of spatial statistics and experience applying them to health or environmental data
Experience collaborating on multidisciplinary research or intervention projects
DESIRABLE:
PhD in a relevant field
Experience specifically with reproductive or sexual health data analysis
Knowledge of climate-health relationships or previous work in climate impact assessment
Experience working on analyses that consider gender, youth, or vulnerable populations
Publication record in peer-reviewed journals on topics related to climate, GIS, and health
Experience in low- and middle-income country contexts
Knowledge of additional programming languages or web development skills
APPLICATION PROCESS
To apply, send a resume, cover letter and link to your portfolio to talent@ylabsglobal.org with the subject line: Climate-GIS Specialist - Remote. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
This posting will be open from May 2 - May 25.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis by our Hiring Committee. YLabs recognizes the effort that goes into submitting an application; all applications received during the posting period will be reviewed, and all candidates will be notified of their application status once the hiring process begins.
All YLabs offers of employment are conditional on satisfactory background check and criminal record clearances.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
YLabs is committed to building teams and policies that promote equity, justice, and belonging at work. We strongly encourage people from all cultures, races, educational backgrounds, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations, age, gender, and physical abilities to apply. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, familial status, marital status, caregiver status, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
