Assistant Director - Human-Centered Weather Forecasts

About the department

The Human Centered Forecast Initiative is a new initiative focused on expanding access to weather forecasts in low- and middle-income countries. The inter-disciplinary initiative is led by Professors Michael Kremer, Pedram Hassanzadeh, and Amir Jina at the University of Chicago. The initiative is part of the Development Innovation Lab. 

High-quality weather forecasts help vulnerable populations adapt to increased weather uncertainty and extremes. Innovations, especially in AI, are driving a second revolution in weather forecasting. However, the benefits are yet to be realized in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Human-Centered Weather Forecasts (HCF) initiative will bridge this gap, leveraging UChicago’s interdisciplinary strengths as well as the Principal Investigators’ track record engaging policymakers, funders, multilateral development banks, researchers, firms, and NGOs to transform access to this vital climate adaptation tool. HCF will a) develop novel techniques to produce forecasts tailored to the specific adaptation needs of farmers and individuals exposed to extreme heat; b) work with implementers to disseminate forecasts to 100 million people in LMICs; c) conduct rigorous testing to optimize dissemination and generate lessons to further scale these advances; d) strengthen global forecasting systems, including through benchmarking and validation; and (e) work to establish an ongoing initiative.

Job summary

The Human-Centered Weather Forecasts (HCF) initiative is looking to hire an Assistant Director. The successful candidate will work as a member of the interdisciplinary HCF initiative, developing and implementing strategies to disseminate research results relating to agriculture to policymakers in governments and international institutions. 

Responsibilities include partnership and stakeholder engagement, fundraising, organizing and preparing for high-level events, and ensuring execution of initiative goals.

We are looking for candidates with an understanding of impact evaluation, economics and statistics, agriculture, weather forecasting and government program implementation. Successful candidates must be able to independently take ownership of their work and collaborate effectively with other members of the team.

This position will be based in Chicago IL.

Responsibilities

• Lead oversight of the initiative, including tracking priorities, managing meeting agendas and action items, overseeing budgets and reporting, and managing activities to ensure execution of the initiative’s goals (25%)
• Lead fundraising efforts for the initiative, including drafting proposals and building relationships with potential donors (20%)
• Work closely with the faculty leads; provide senior-level support to prepare leaders for high-level events, and manage engagements (20%)
• Manage activities related to testing and scaling the dissemination of improved weather forecasts in close coordination with multilateral development banks and government officials. Create resources for policy makers and partners including concept notes, policy memos, presentations, and time-sensitive reports (15%)
• Engage internal and external researchers working on projects related to validating, generating, and disseminating improved forecasts in LMICs (10%)
• Provide guidance, training, and support to junior staff and project team members; support recruitment efforts (5%)
• Perform other related work as needed (5%)

Preferred qualifications

• Education
  • Bachelor's or Master’s degree in a related field (economics, public policy, etc.)
• Experience 
  • 7-9 years of related experience.
  • A strong track record of managing complex projects. 
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and problem-solve, as well as enlist the support of other teams within the organization.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Excellent attention to detail.

Preferred Competencies

• Ability to apply sound judgment to accomplish project goals through instated practices, procedures, and policies while delivering on DIL’s mission. 
• Ability to demonstrate leadership of local or virtual teams with natural authority. 
• Ability to drive and adapt to change, particularly in the face of uncertainty. 
• Ability to prioritize effectively and successfully handle multiple projects simultaneously.

Working conditions

Candidates must be willing to travel as needed for their respective responsibilities.

This is a hybrid position, with an expected 3 days on campus per week. Candidates will be expected to flexibly come into the office as needed.