(M/F) Postdoctoral Researcher in Attribution of the Impacts of Extreme Climate Events

Job Description

Missions

The work will consist in developing and applying approaches to quantify the role of climate change in extreme weather events, with the aim of integrating this information into impact models capable of attributing impacts to human activities, while accounting for the complexity of natural and socio economic systems.
The European project within which the postdoctoral position is embedded aims to go beyond a strictly meteorological view of events by integrating both climatic and non climatic factors into impact models, such as land use, environmental conditions, and vulnerability dynamics.

Activity

The recruited researcher will develop methodological frameworks to analyse past, ongoing, or future events, with particular attention to the consistency between attribution, forecasting, and climate scenarios. They will contribute to the analysis of case studies of extreme events, including heatwaves, cold spells, storms, cyclones, and droughts, as well as to the interpretation of the results in a perspective relevant to understanding risks and impacts. This contribution will be structured around three components.

The first component concerns the development of a multi method attribution protocol for extreme events, adaptable according to the type of extreme event and the available datasets, including events that have not yet occurred and are derived from forecast data or climate projections. This protocol will integrate widely used classical attribution methods, such as World Weather Attribution and ClimaMeter, while also including methods capable of overcoming some of the limitations of these classical approaches. Particular attention will be paid to the inclusion of approaches able to address compound events. The protocol will need to remain flexible with respect to different data types, methods, and events, while also being easy to use for project partners and potential users beyond the project itself.

The second component involves the application of this protocol to a limited number of case studies covering different types of events and regions, in collaboration with the international partners involved in the European project: compound drought and heatwave events in the Mediterranean region, tropical cyclones in the Caribbean, rainfall extremes in Senegal, and hot dry as well as hot humid compound events in Punjab. In particular, the study on tropical cyclones will be led by IPSL and will therefore require more in depth work than the other case studies within the framework of this position.

The third component consists of working in coordination with impact modelers to adapt the hazard attribution protocol so that it can be used as input for their models, with the objective of attributing the impacts of these hazards. This component will require an understanding of the impact models used by the project partners, as well as detailed work on the meteorological data needed to feed these models, notably by relying on different ways of constructing counterfactual worlds.

Your Profil

Skills

The recruited researcher must hold a PhD in climatology, atmospheric physics, statistics, or a related discipline. Strong skills in data analysis and scientific programming are expected, together with a strong interest in extreme events and their impacts. Experience in climate attribution, modelling, or the analysis of extreme events would be an asset. The position requires autonomy, rigor, and critical thinking, as well as the ability to work collaboratively at the interface between different disciplines.

Your Work Environment

This position is part of a European project funded by Horizon Europe on the attribution of complex climate disasters. The project aims to develop a new generation of scientific approaches to better understand and attribute extreme climate events in all their complexity. Unlike classical approaches focused solely on meteorological hazards, it integrates interactions between climate, environment, exposure, and vulnerability, as well as the role of human decisions. The objective is to consistently connect climate events, their impacts, and their causes in order to better inform adaptation and risk management strategies. Within this framework, the CNRS IPSL teams contribute to the development of innovative methods for attributing the impacts of extreme climate events.

Constraints and risks

The position is part of an international environment involving numerous academic and institutional partners across Europe and internationally. The candidate should be willing to participate in meetings, workshops, and scientific collaborations across Europe. Some mobility is therefore expected, together with an interest in scientific exchange.

A dynamic and open profile, capable of integrating rapidly into a collaborative network, will be particularly appreciated. A workshop dedicated to climate risks in the Caribbean will notably be organised. The recruited researcher may contribute to it by participating in exchanges with local stakeholders and, depending on their profile and level of involvement, in the scientific organisation of the event.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

Between 3131,32 and 4789,83€

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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