JOB DESCRIPTION AND DUTIES

The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM) is opening a Postdoctoral Fellow position in the Physics Department as part of the Atmospheric Science and Meteorology Program. This position is one of two postdoctoral fellowships anticipated under the UPRM Resilience and ActIon–Climate Research and its Effects on Society (RAICES) Initiative– a partnership between UPRM and NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) that seeks to support convergent atmospheric and climate science research in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. We are searching for an independent and self-motivated scholar to work under the supervision of the RAICES team: Dr. Hector Jimenez and Dr. Manuel Valdes-Pizzini from UPRM and in collaboration with Dr. Giovanni Seijo-Ellis (UPRM), Dr. Alexandra Ramos (NSF NCAR) and Dr. Rosimar Rios-Berrios (NSF NCAR) on projects focused on research in tropical cyclones hazards and actionable regional climate science. The fellow is expected to:

• Use and adapt statistical-dynamical downscaling to produce synthetic tropical cyclone tracks for the Caribbean
• Use the synthetic tracks to assess future changes of tropical cyclone frequency, track, and intensity changes in the Caribbean
• Develop actionable and convergent atmospheric science activities informed by the results from the tropical cyclone downscaling effort.
• Assist in developing and fostering community partnerships between research groups and institutions, and outreach and education groups by seeking input from all stakeholders regarding issues of climate impacts and adaptation strategies.
• Collaborate with researchers and students in the Physics Department, Social Sciences Department and other relevant programs. Can assist in advising undergraduate students on summer research projects.
• Collaborate with colleagues at NSF NCAR.
• Publish research results in conferences and peer-reviewed journals.

Additionally, the selected candidate is encouraged to participate in other research, educational and outreach activities of interest as part of the RAICES initiative.

This is an in-person, full-time postdoctoral fellow position at UPRM. The selected person is expected to work in person at UPRM, with the possibility of brief periods of remote work. The starting salary will be $60K with benefits, including healthcare. The term of the position is for one year, with the possibility of renewal for an additional year contingent on satisfactory progress. While the start date can be flexible, the team is expecting the candidate to begin during Fall 2025.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A Ph.D. in Atmospheric or Climate Sciences with demonstrated research experience in tropical meteorology, extreme weather and actionable climate science. Experience in physical geography and/or environmental sciences will also be considered.
• Experience with numerical model output and quantitative data analysis.
• Fluency in Python, NetCDF, and/or other relevant computing programs languages and data formats.
• Eagerness to work in a transdisciplinary environment (i.e., diverse teams and stakeholders).
• Excellent communication skills, written, spoken and graphical (as evidenced in peer-reviewed publications, reports, etc).
• Written and spoken fluency in English and Spanish (highly desirable).

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Background in tropical climatology.
• Some background in numerical modeling.
• Experience integrating high-resolution climate projections to climate impact assessments.
• Experience using high performance computing (HPC) systems.
• Evidence of community-informed research and community engagement. The fellow is expected to assist in developing and fostering community relationships along with other team members.
• Experience communicating climate concepts to non-technical audiences.

INTERESTED CANDIDATES:

Email Dr. Héctor Jiménez (hectorj.jimenez@upr.edu) and Dr. Alexandra Ramos (aramos@ucar.edu) by July 31, 2025 with the following documents:

1. Cover letter/personal statement (max 3-pages)
   Include contact information (e-mail, address, and phone number). Describe your qualifications, personal goals, motivations, research interests and how they relate to the required/desired qualifications for this opportunity.
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Names and contact information for three references (including the applicant’s Ph.D. advisor).

Please use the subject line “Postdoc Fellow – Actionable tropical cyclone science”.