Job Openings

Science and Technology Communications Program Associate

Position summary:

Climate Interactive is hiring a Program Associate to provide research and user support for people using our simulation tools worldwide to address climate change. This position would be a good fit for someone who is an excellent and efficient writer and communicator, with a passion for and deep curiosity in addressing climate change equitably and helping others use science and data-driven computer simulations to make a difference. This is a one-year full-time position (possibly extendable) with a generous package of benefits (e.g., full health, fitness, disability, and retirement).

This skilled communicator will engage and support leaders worldwide with our climate solution-oriented simulator, En-ROADS, to drive effective action at a crucial time in humanity’s quest to address climate change. The Program Associate will be central to supporting people with questions about En-ROADS and will plan trainings, research climate and energy policy, and troubleshoot problems. The ideal candidate will be a detail-oriented self-starter who is skilled at distilling complex ideas and insights for people of all backgrounds, passionate about addressing climate change, and able to quickly learn and make sense of unfamiliar software, research, and analysis.

Job Responsibilities:

60% Technical Support

• Provide support to people worldwide using Climate Interactive’s tools, particularly the En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator.
• Write accurate, accessible, and collegial replies to people using En-ROADS who have questions about the model or facilitating experiences with it.
• Synthesize and organize frequently asked questions online in ways that promote self-learning for others.
• Ensure documentation and online materials stay up to date.

30% Training and User Engagement

• Support the creation of a robust training program in using En-ROADS and facilitating group workshops and games with it.
• Follow-up with and provide assistance to training participants and facilitators.

10% Organizational Support

• Write and edit blog posts.
• Create and edit webpages.
• Develop sharp-looking outreach materials.
• Conduct research to support the team’s senior modelers.

Job responsibilities may shift over time.

Qualifications, skills, & core competencies: 

• Able to be highly productive when working independently.
• Well-versed, critical thinker on climate and energy policies and actions.
• Excellent writing and editing skills for a variety of settings, particularly for distilling complex ideas to general audiences.
• Tech savvy when it comes to picking up new software and technologies.
• Strong quantitative skills.
• Excellent public relations skills.
• Highly organized and efficient with email communication.
• Relevant advanced degree or professional experience helpful.

Location: 
Asheville, NC, USA highly preferred. Remote telecommuting possible. 

Salary and Benefits: 
$37,500 – $40,000 full-time. Benefits include health care, vacation, holidays, 401(k), and fitness stipend.

Climate Interactive is a think tank that creates tools and resources to help people explore what it takes to address climate change. Climate Interactive has developed a reputation of providing unique tools and analysis that distill complex science and data into forms accessible to a wide range of audiences with computer modeling, systems thinking, organizational learning, and cutting-edge facilitation practices. With a staff of 11 that is largely based on the US East Coast, Climate Interactive relies on a wide range of skills and experience across our team to consistently deliver high-impact approaches to helping people see what works to address climate change.

Climate Interactive has had success in bringing hands-on simulators to groups such as the United Nations Secretary General’s office, U.S. Senators and Representatives, the Chinese government’s climate team, New York Times readers, and tens of thousands of citizen climate leaders in over 80 countries.

Climate Interactive is a project of New Venture Fund (NVF), a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. NVF is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. NVF’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

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System Dynamics Modeler

Position summary:

Climate Interactive (CI) seeks to hire a modeler with climate and/or energy system modeling experience. CI is currently engaged in modeling climate policy and related topics including the energy system, climate smart agriculture, and urban impacts.

Climate Interactive (www.ClimateInteractive.org) creates and uses system dynamics computer simulations to help decision-makers see what works to address complex social and environmental issues such as mitigating climate change, accelerating the transition to clean energy, and building climate resilience.

The Senior Modeler is responsible for developing and testing system dynamics computer simulations of climate and energy policy issues, carrying out analyses, and engaging clients and stakeholders in model simulations. Additional responsibilities include writing and editing media for CI.

Essential Responsibilities and Tasks: 

• Contribute as a collaborative member of a high-performance team.
• Create, test, improve and document system dynamics computer simulations, starting from problem statement and conceptualization to the final decision support user interface.
• Analyze scenarios using system dynamics models, producing charts and reports describing model structure and results.
• Create simulation interfaces, slides and model documentation.
  Engage stakeholders to elicit their mental models through interactive workshops, and to help audiences develop their systems thinking capabilities.
• Present simulation and analytic insights to stakeholders, both remotely via webinars and in-person (possible travel 3-7 weeks per year; domestic and/or international).
• Write and edit blog posts, website text, brochures, project descriptions, journal articles, and policy papers. 
• Manage project timelines and deliverables, including supplying realistic time estimates.
• Support the Program Director in delivering on contracts, grants, and CI’s mission.
• Deliver in-person presentations, interact in meetings, run webinars, speak in conference calls, deliver capacity building workshops, coach leaders

Required Education, Experience, Knowledge, and Skills: 

• Master’s degree, PhD or equivalent experience.
• At least five years of experience building and using computer simulations and working with clients and stakeholders using simulations.
• Competence with the Vensim software package.
• Competence building dynamic hypotheses with stakeholders, including causal loop and stock/flow diagramming.
• Competence with different analytic skills to analyze large datasets and model output.
• General understanding of climate change, economic development, and environmental science and policy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-motivated. Able to work independently and remotely.

Valued and Non-Essential Education, Experience, Knowledge and Ability:
Working knowledge of other subject areas within the CI mission including: clean energy, climate change modeling, and systems thinking.

Attributes:

• Exceptional communicator
• Extremely well organized, detail-oriented and analytical
• Team player

Location: 
Remote. Preferred at Climate Interactive hubs: Asheville, NC; Cambridge, MA; Hanover, NH; and Washington, DC 

Salary and Benefits: 
CI offers salary commensurate with experience and includes health care, vacation, holidays, 401(k), and fitness stipend.

Climate Interactive is a project of New Venture Fund (NVF), a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. NVF is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. NVF’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.