Geospatial and Climate Data Analyst Fellow

This position is part of the NOAA Coastal Resilience Fellowship Program, supporting the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (CRRC) projects. The fellow will support the project: Advancing Regional Climate Resilience for Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Region.

Host Organization: University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership
Location of Position: Duluth, Minnesota
Duration of Position: Two years
Annual Salary: $42,000
Benefits: Medical insurance, 11 paid federal holidays per year, 15 paid personal days per year, professional development training, travel funding, relocation allowance

Work Environment:

The fellow will work a hybrid schedule (in-office 2–3 days per week and remote). The Extension’s regional office, where the fellow will work on-site, is located in Cloquet, Minnesota.

Fellowship Position Description:

The fellow will work closely with the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP), climate adaptation and resilience Extension educators, climate modelers, and GIS and communications specialists, as well as the Minnesota State Climatology Office and other partners to identify and summarize geospatial and climate data that provide Tribal and regional community decision-makers with information needed to assess climate change threats and identify and prioritize local and regional actions to manage these threats. The fellowship will involve assisting in the creation and curation of an online resource website for the project, creating concise community-level handouts that summarize projected climate change, assisting with developing data-rich presentations for community engagement and educational meetings, assisting with summarizing and presenting feedback about regional climate concerns and priority actions, and collecting and summarizing real-world cases of regional climate action.

Anticipated Travel:

The fellow will make occasional (approximately once per month) trips to meet with the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership team on the St. Paul campus or in their other office locations around the state, and the fellow will join regular (weekly) Zoom meetings with the team members and leadership to discuss the project progress and integration with MCAP Extension programming development and to address any obstacles or challenges to ensure successful completion of the work. The fellow will also make occasional trips throughout the region to assist with gathering Tribal and community input, facilitating community engagement, and delivering educational programming. Additionally, the fellow will attend the peer-to-peer sharing event in 2027, the Midwest Climate Resilience Conference, and potentially other professional development opportunities.

Desired Qualifications:

Completed undergraduate degree (graduate degree preferred) with subject matter emphasis in climate science or data science. Skill and experience analyzing climate change projections, observed climate data, geospatial data (GIS proficiency preferred), and statistical datasets. Strong written and oral communication skills with experience summarizing, visualizing, and explaining technical or scientific data for lay audiences. Knowledge of or a connection with the project region and Tribal nations is preferred. Ability to collaborate and make substantive contributions to team projects.

Fellow Mentoring:

The fellow will work closely and in mentorship with an Extension educator and a regional climate planner who will be hired to work full-time on this project. In addition, the fellow will work in collaboration with the overall University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership applied research and Extension team with transdisciplinary expertise in climate adaptation science, as well as the Minnesota State Climatology Office’s climatologists. Specific mentors include:

• Dr. Nathan Meyer, associate director and Extension program leader of the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership, is the project PI and will be the fellow’s primary mentor.
• Dr. Heidi Roop, director, University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership and assistant professor, Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
• Stefan Leiss, climate scientist, University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership
• Dena Coffman, GIS specialist, University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership
• Kenny Blumenfeld, senior climatologist, Minnesota State Climatology Office and adjunct assistant professor, Department of Soil, Water, and Climate

To apply, please upload the following materials in one PDF file:

• Resume (two-page limit)
• Statement of interest, where the candidate describes what they hope to gain from the fellowship experience and what they can contribute. Candidates should also highlight any connections to or special interests in the region, including Indigenous or local knowledge and relevant life experiences. (500-word limit)
• Unofficial academic transcripts to show coursework (or joint services transcript for veterans)
• Two professional or academic references (names and contact information)