Applied Climate Scientist/State Climatologist

Specific Duties

• Coordinate and lead the state’s climate program by directing the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist.
• Supervise staff who support the mission of the State Climatologist.
• Provide briefings to state and federal officials as needed.
• Prepare formal and informal technical reports and presentations on climate projects and issues.
• Respond to questions from the media and stakeholder groups by evaluating and interpreting data.
• Engage in robust community outreach with stakeholders from urban to suburban to agricultural clientele, with an emphasis on weather and climate, through the NJAES system.
• Confer with other State Climatologists around the country and with national, regional, and local weather and climate experts on data needs, climate communication, and climate data interpretation.
• Manage and build the capacity of the Rutgers NJ Weather Network (mesonet).
• Cultivate and maintain stakeholder relationships and participate in mesonet advisory groups to support the provision of high quality, valid data for governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, industry, and the general public.
• Solicit appropriate funding for functions and programs of the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist and other collaborating programs at Rutgers and with other departments/units.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will develop a high-impact, nationally and internationally recognized extension, research and teaching program in climate science; effectively obtain and leverage external and internal support (grants, fee revenue, etc.) for research and teaching activities; mentor graduate students; publish in high-quality, high-impact peer-reviewed journals and participate in scientific meetings and other appropriate professional activities. The candidate will also establish effective collaborations in the Departments of Environmental Sciences and Geography and beyond, including effective integration with research groups, extension and/or educational programming; connect with stakeholders, agency, and/or industry partners to strengthen programming; and translate research-based information into learner-centered products. The candidate will be expected to teach one undergraduate course in meteorology or climate science per year. Specific course assignments may be changed over time based on programmatic needs.