Researcher - Climate Change Adaptation for Urban Resilience

The appointed researcher will be primarily responsible for conducting rigorous research on urban social-ecological-technological systems facing climate impacts. This involves analyzing massive climate datasets and projection models to generate targeted indicators across multiple time scales, from seasonal forecasts to multi-decadal projections. A major component involves integrating physical climate hazards with socio-economic vulnerability indicators. Beyond data analytics, this role places a strong emphasis on stakeholder engagement and transdisciplinary co-creation. You will collaborate directly with city planners, regional authorities, and community actors to design usable climate and air quality services. Furthermore, you will actively contribute to EU- and national-funded research consortia by managing work packages, presenting findings at international conferences, and publishing in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Working within the Earth System Services Group exposes researchers to the intersection of advanced computational climate science and tangible public policy. You will gain in-depth expertise in translating high-resolution climate modeling outputs into operational decision-support tools for municipal decision-makers. Additionally, the position provides significant exposure to European Union research framework programs (such as Horizon Europe), offering valuable experience in consortium management, competitive grant writing, and science-policy interfacing. Researchers also refine their skills in participatory design methodologies and environmental justice frameworks.

The ideal profile is an established postdoctoral researcher (typically R2 level) holding a PhD in Environmental Sciences, Urban Environmental Management, Physics, or a closely related discipline. Candidates should possess strong computational competencies in processing climate indicators and socio-economic datasets, alongside demonstrable experience leading participatory or co-design workshops. Specialized knowledge in social vulnerability, urban planning, and environmental justice is highly advantageous. Given the international and collaborative nature of European research networks, excellent written and spoken English skills, clear scientific writing abilities, and a collaborative mindset are essential.

To stand out in BSC's competitive examination system, applicants should explicitly structure their motivation letter around the intersection of climate science and urban policy. Rather than focusing solely on academic modeling credentials, emphasize your experience with transdisciplinary research and multi-stakeholder engagement. Carefully prepare your statement of interest to specify your relevant research topics and highlight any previous participation in EU-funded consortia or grant writing. Ensure your CV clearly shows peer-reviewed publications, open-source computational tools, and your contributions to urban vulnerability or adaptation projects.

This role directly targets climate adaptation, urban resilience, and systemic climate justice. Rather than focusing on corporate internal footprinting, the work shapes external, macro-level climate resilience by providing municipal and regional stakeholders with actionable predictive tools. Key thematic areas include mitigating urban heat island impacts, assessing air pollution dynamics, managing extreme weather vulnerabilities, and addressing spatial inequities in urban ecological infrastructure. The research strives to ensure that urban transition plans are scientifically sound, equitable, and capable of protecting the most vulnerable populations.

A frequent challenge in this position will be translating high-level, complex climate model outputs into intuitive, actionable indicators that non-specialist urban planners and community leaders can readily integrate into policy. This requires bridging communication barriers across disparate sectors. Additionally, balancing rigorous academic outputs, such as high-impact peer-reviewed publishing, with the operational deadlines and reporting administrative tasks typical of multi-partner EU projects will demand excellent time management and prioritization skills.

A typical day could begin with running diagnostic scripts or analyzing climate simulation ensembles to calculate specific extreme heat or precipitation vulnerability metrics. Mid-morning might involve a coordination call with international project partners to align deliverables for an ongoing European project work package. In the afternoon, the researcher might co-facilitate a virtual workshop with municipal stakeholders to gather feedback on a prototype climate dashboard, followed by dedicated time drafting sections of a peer-reviewed manuscript or reviewing competitive funding proposals with departmental peers.

At the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, researchers have access to institutional research funding, international networks, and structured researcher development pathways. Successful R2 researchers can build their scientific trajectory toward senior research roles (R3/R4) or principal investigator positions. The role also provides a strong launching pad for careers in international environmental agencies, urban climate resilience task forces, sustainability consultancies, or policy advisory bodies across Europe, given the rising demand for experts who can bridge Earth data science with public planning.

Internal collaboration is centered within the Earth System Services Group and the wider Earth Sciences Department, interfacing with computational scientists, atmospheric modelers, and research project managers across BSC. Externally, the role requires continuous interaction with municipal authorities, urban planning departments, climate adaptation networks, European project partners, academic co-authors, and local community representatives who participate in stakeholder co-production workshops.