(Senior) Technical Policy Manager, Human-Centered Weather Forecasts - Development Innovation Lab

About The Development Innovation Lab:

The Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago uses the tools of economics to develop innovations with the potential to benefit millions of people in low- and middle-income countries. It was founded and is led by Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.

Human-Centered Weather Forecast Initiative:

The Human-Centered Weather Forecast (HCWF) Initiative works with governments, academia, tech companies, and other partners to deliver tailored forecasts that can improve human lives. Weather forecasts should be accurate as well as oriented around the specific human needs on the ground, then delivered at the right time and place to inform decisions—like giving farmers advanced notice of the start of the rainy season.HCWF brings together climate scientists, artificial intelligence (AI) experts, and economists to build and evaluate weather forecasts that can target what citizens need to know, leveraging novel technologies, including AI, and scientific understanding. The interdisciplinary team then works with low- and middle-income countries to test forecast dissemination strategies, refine those strategies based on user response, and scale forecast dissemination to improve decision-making.

Formal employment will be through an in-country employer of record (“EoR”) under contract with DIL. Additional details regarding salary, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment offered by the EoR will be provided to individuals during the hiring process.

Job Summary:

The Technical Policy Manager will combine technical knowledge of weather forecasting and climate science with policy expertise to support the Human-Centered Weather Forecasts initiative at the Development Innovation Lab. This role bridges the initiative's research and policy workstreams, translating scientific advances into actionable policy recommendations and engaging technical counterparts at BMKG (Indonesian Meteorological Agency), BRIN (Indonesian Research and Innovation Agency), research institutions, and international organizations. The incumbent will also provide project management and coordination support.

Responsibilities:

• Provide project management and coordination support for Indonesia, including regular liaising with BMKG and other partners, coordinating meetings and working sessions, and tracking progress against agreed deliverables.
• Serve as a technical liaison between the initiative's research team and government and institutional partners, including BMKG, BRIN, and international organizations.
• Translate scientific outputs—such as model evaluations, forecast benchmarks, and research findings—into accessible policy materials and technical briefs.
• Engage with technical counterparts at BMKG to support the adoption and integration of AI-based forecast systems.
• Contribute to the design of programs to strengthen national forecasting capacity in low- and middle-income countries.
• Support the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks for forecast dissemination programs.
• Assist with grant proposals, technical reports, and communications to scientific and policy audiences.
• Coordinate with the research team on technical aspects of field experiments and evaluations.
• Perform other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in atmospheric science, meteorology, environmental science, engineering, or a related technical field.

Work Experience: 

• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 3+ years of work experience combining technical and policy roles. 
• 5+ years of work experience is required for the role of senior policy manager.

Preferred Qualifications:

Education: 

Master's degree in atmospheric science, climate science, public policy, or a related field.

Experience: 

• Experience working with or at national meteorological services or international forecasting bodies. 
• Prior engagement on climate adaptation policy in Indonesia or other low- and middle-income countries. 
• Familiarity with AI and machine learning applications in weather forecasting. 
• Experience in project management for scientific projects.

Preferred Competencies:

• Ability to communicate complex scientific material clearly to non-technical audiences, including government officials and funders.
• Familiarity with weather forecasting systems, forecast products, and their operational and agricultural use.
• Strong analytical and writing skills.
• Experience navigating institutional relationships in international development or scientific settings.
• Collaborative and adaptable, with the ability to work across technical and non-technical teams.
• Prior work experience in Indonesia, India, Phillipines, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia is a plus.

Working Conditions:

This position involves collaboration with international partners and will require travel to field sites in low- and middle-income countries.

Anticipated Salary Range:

541,044,270 - 901,676,880 Indonesia Rupiah/annually

The above salary range represents the Organization’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer based on the currency of Indonesia for this role at the time of posting.