Research Assistant, Eco-Hydrology

Conservation International is committed to conserving natural capital and delivering human well-being through targeted investments. Understanding the state of natural capital and effectiveness of investment is integral to the organization’s business and learning. To advance understanding on the contribution of natural capital to improving human well-being and strengthening the evidence base, CI has developed a metrics framework to inform priority setting and monitor progress in achieving institutional goals. Hydrology focuses on understanding the distribution of water resources. Eco-hydrology is a new and increasingly essential science that explains how healthy natural ecosystems contribute to the distribution and delivery of this water people and biodiversity. The position of Research Assistant, Ecohydrology will help these efforts through supporting development of methods and analyses related to the freshwater component of CI’s institutional metrics framework and application of freshwater metrics in two priority geographies.

Conservation International is well positioned to enhance the eco-hydrological components of the metrics framework and has extensive experience on the use and implementation of eco-hydrological tools and policy support systems tailored for data poor regions. The Betty & Gordon Center for Science & Oceans is looking to expand its capacity on Eco-hydrology in order to integrate consideration of state and trends in freshwater ecosystems into our institutional metrics framework. With a minimum of MSc level and demonstrated ability on eco-hydrology, the assistant’s responsibilities would include review, acquisition and processing of data for the implementation of the eco-hydrological components of the project. Sufficient understanding and experience with eco-hydrological tools suited for poor data and tropical contexts such as FIESTA, WaterWorld and Costing Nature is required. Knowledge of tools like SWAT, Tremarctos, InVEST, WASSI, WEAP, R, Maxent would be a plus.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key responsibilities of the position include:

• Review, acquisition and processing of data for the implementation of the eco-hydrological components of the project.
• Implement models FIESTA/Waterworld and Costing Nature and related analyses in two CI geographies – Cambodia & Madagascar
• Collaborate with the broader cross-divisional team to articulate hypotheses, methodologies and synthesis of results
• Prepare and compile results from analyses for peer-reviewed publication and dissemination to relevant fora
• The Research Assistant will report to the Director Of Ecohydrology within the Ecosystem Service Group of the Moore Center for Science & Oceans. This position works in close collaboration with a cross-divisional team working on institutional metrics.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Two years experience on manipulating and processing climatic data and on hydrological or environmental modeling and management.
• Clear understanding of land use/cover hydrological and climatic interactions and ability to model them.
• Skills on hydrological tools such as FIESTA/WaterWorld and Costing Nature. Knowledge of SWAT, Tremarctos, InVEST, WaSSi, R, Maxent would be a plus.
• Skills on modeling languages such as pcraster python, pcraster, R or IDL.
• Knowledge of GIS and remote sensing platforms (such as ArcGIS, Global mapper, Tremarctos, HEC-RAS, ENVI, ERDAS, Maxent).
• Demonstrated work on the processing of climate and hydrological data using any of the GIS platforms mentioned above.
• Ability to work as a team and to receive and put into practice suggestions provided by immediate supervisors.
• Excellent oral and writing skills.

Working Conditions

• The position is based at CI Headquarters in Crystal City, VA.
• Travel time is up to 10%.

Preferred

• Masters of Science Degree in water resources, environmental modeling, conservation biology, civil, agricultural or topographic engineering. Masters of Science degree in agronomy, geography or statistics can be selected if demonstrated skills on hydrology.
• Languages (English and Spanish,r Portuguese or French).
• Experience on eco-hydrology, climate, water, and soil research institutes.
• Experience on geo-statistics and informatics research.
• Established links with scientific universities and agencies working on eco-hydrology and natural resource management topics.
• Track record of peer-reviewed publication.

*This is a  fixed term position that is renewable if funding is available.