Job Description

CeSHHAR Zimbabwe is an organisation that specialises in population health research and programming, including on sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. CeSHHAR has an extensive national, regional, and international academic and community partnership network. CeSHHAR has a diverse range of funders which include the Wellcome Trust, the Gates Foundation, UK Medical Research Council, Templeton World Charity Foundation, Global Fund for AIDS TB and Malaria. We partner very closely with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (UK). CeSHHAR is implementing a National Key Population programme on behalf of National AIDS Council and Ministry of Health and Child Care in all 10 provinces in Zimbabwe. The Postdoctoral Climate Scientist will lead the analysis, integration and interpretation of climate datasets to support high-quality, policy-relevant research outputs. The role involves compiling and harmonising locally generated climate and environmental data with national and international datasets (e.g. meteorological station data, reanalysis products and satellite-derived observations), ensuring consistency, comparability and scientific robustness across spatial and temporal scales. The postholder will apply state-of-the-art climate science methods to calibrate and validate local measurements against national and global reference datasets, assess uncertainty, and generate climate indicators relevant to health and development research. They will work closely with interdisciplinary teams to translate climate exposure metrics into analytically sound inputs for applied studies, while maintaining scientific independence and methodological rigour. The role includes leading and co-authoring peer-reviewed publications, contributing to international scientific discourse, and supporting alignment with global climate science standards and reporting frameworks. The postholder will also contribute to capacity strengthening through documentation of methods, reproducible workflows, and mentorship of early-career researchers where appropriate.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead advanced analysis of climate variability, trends and extremes, with a focus on heat exposure
• Integrate observational, reanalysis and remote sensing datasets across scales
• Apply statistical and geospatial methods consistent with international climate science standards
• Develop high-quality climate visualisations and maps
• Contribute spatial analyses that inform risk assessment and intervention design
• Ensure outputs are technically sound yet accessible to non-specialist audiences
• Scientific Leadership and Publications
• Drive publication strategy for climate-related components of projects
• Ensure climate analyses meet peer-review and reproducibility standards
• Represent the programme in climate science forums and collaborations
• Translate climate science outputs into actionable inputs for health, policy or systems research
• Work closely with epidemiologists, social scientists and policymakers to ensure relevance
• Maintain scientific integrity while supporting applied research objectives
• Adhere to FAIR data principles and open science where appropriate
• Ensure alignment with international climate reporting frameworks
• Development of novel climate indicators tailored to applied questions (e.g. pregnancy-relevant heat metrics)
• Contributions to climate attribution or early warning discussions
• Cross-country or regional comparative climate analyses
• Inputs into climate–health modelling or scenario analyses
• Support for future grant development (climate components)

Qualifications and Experience

· A PhD in climate science, environmental science, meteorology, geography, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in analyzing climate variability, trends, and extremes, particularly related to heat exposure.
• Proficiency in integrating observational, reanalysis, and remote sensing datasets, demonstrating familiarity with various data sources.
• Experience with statistical analysis and geospatial techniques, including software proficiency (e.g., R, Python, GIS software).
• Ability to create high-quality climate visualizations and maps, ensuring they are accessible to diverse audiences.
• Experience in developing and executing a publication strategy, including writing and contributing to peer-reviewed articles.

How to Apply

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Step 2: If you are interested in the above position, please email your CV and application cover letter addressed to Human Resources and send to [email protected] . Indicate the position you are applying for in the subject line. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

CeSHHAR Zimbabwe is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, sexual orientation, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply.

The successful candidate will undergo relevant background checks and will be required to commit in writing to comply with the CeSHHAR Zimbabwe safeguarding guidelines.

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