FM Research Scientist - Weather and Climate Risks
FM
FM is a leading property insurer of the world’s largest businesses, providing more than one-third of FORTUNE 1000-size companies with engineering-based risk management and property insurance solutions. FM helps clients maintain continuity in their business operations by drawing upon state-of-the-art loss-prevention engineering and research; risk management skills and support services; tailored risk transfer capabilities; and superior financial strength. To do so, we rely on a dynamic, culturally diverse group of employees, working in more than 100 countries, in a variety of challenging roles.
Homepage: https://www.fm.com/
Climate: Past, Present & Future (CL)
Natural Hazards (NH)
Embark on a Cutting-Edge Journey in Climate Risk Research with FM!
Are you ready to dive into the thrilling world of climate science and make a tangible impact on global resilience? Join our world-class research team, where exciting technical challenges await as we tackle the pressing issues of weather and climate risks.
We currently have a fantastic opportunity for someone to join FM Science and Technology EMEA as Research Scientist – Weather and Climate Risks for the Research Department reporting to the Research Director of Climate Risk & Resilience.
Overview
Exciting and interesting technical challenges await when you join a world-class research team dedicated to reducing the impact of weather and climate risks. FM is a market leader in commercial and industrial property insurance and loss prevention, providing more than one-third of FORTUNE 1000 companies with engineering/science-based risk management and property insurance solutions. FM helps clients maintain continuity in their business operations by drawing upon state-of-the-art engineering and research.
Climate risk is an identified area with increasing challenges in the next decades. To provide the best-in-class actionable science-based loss preparedness and prevention solutions to businesses, FM is making vast investments into climate research over the coming years, including the new Science and Technology Center EMEA in Luxembourg. It is the headquarter for FM’s global Climate Risk and Resilience Research and an expansion of the Science and Technology Center APAC in Singapore.
Team
You will be part of the growing FM Science and Technology European research team in Luxembourg and work with the global team of scientists that are located across the U.S., Singapore and Luxembourg. The team develops hazard models and knowledge around flood, wind, severe convective storms, wildfire, etc., to assess current and future impact on our insured and prospect assets.
Opportunity
Join our dynamic team at FM Science and Technology EMEA Research Center in Luxembourg, where you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of climate risk and resilience. As a key member of our research team, you will be responsible for identifying, planning, and conducting groundbreaking research on extreme weather catastrophes impacting Europe, Middle East & Africa.
This position is initially focused on modelling the risk and impact of climate conditions such as heat, drought and freeze. In addition, it offers the opportunity to support regional research initiatives and contribute to the team’s global Climate Risk & Resilience activities.
You will evaluate, develop, and implement novel techniques and models that will lead to impactful improvements in risk analytics and loss prevention for various climate perils. The ideal candidate will have a strong desire to expand research experience beyond academia and bring expertise and innovative leadership.
Qualified candidates must have:
Project and Research Management: Proven ability to manage projects and conduct research effectively. The job title may be adjusted depending on qualifications and experience.
Educational Background: MSc in natural or data science specializing in Meteorology, Hydrology, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Geography or Geoinformation Systems.
Experience: PhD and/or more than 3 years of professional experience in atmospheric or environmental science (or related quantitative field).
Climate Science Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of the fundamentals of climate science including uncertainties and impacts for at least two (preferably more) key perils: extreme precipitation, drought, wildfire, extratropical cyclones and severe weather.
Data Handling: Demonstrated experience using or developing global and/ or regional climate models, analyzing CMIP 6 global climate model output, and combining large atmospheric datasets in various formats (including GeoTIFF, NetCDF, HDF, and GRIB).
Model Development: Hands-on experience using, developing, and evaluating statistical and numerical models.
Advanced Statistical Analysis: Strong analytical skills and proficiency in statistical methods, including extreme value analysis and probabilistic modeling.
Programming Skills: Experienced writing shell scripts and using APIs for process automation, excellence in at least two programming languages among Python, R, Matlab or Fortran.
Communication Skills: Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills; demonstrated effectiveness communicating highly technical and scientific insights to non-technical audiences.
Teamwork: Ability to self-start and thrive in a high-performance, diverse, and collaborative team environment.
Minimum Education and experience:
MS in meteorology, data science or an adjacent field, with practical experience in the modelling of extreme weather, plus more than 3 years of professional experience with a good working knowledge of statistical/ dynamical downscaling techniques.
or
PhD in meteorology, data science or an adjacent field with a good working knowledge of statistical/ dynamical downscaling techniques.
Required Skills and Competency Areas
Project and Research Management: Proven ability to manage projects and conduct research effectively.
Data Handling: Proficient in collecting, processing, and analyzing large datasets.
Advanced Statistical Analysis: Proficiency in statistical methods, including extreme value analysis and probabilistic modeling.
Data Science Expertise: Strong background in data science techniques, including machine learning (ML), neural networks and artificial intelligence (AI) methods with proven experience in developing machine learning models applied to geospatial or climate data.
Climate Science Knowledge: Understanding of meteorological processes, particularly related to tropical cyclones, severe convective storms, synoptic-scale systems, and/ or extreme rainfall.
Demonstrated experience using or developing global and/or regional climate models, analyzing CMIP6 global climate model output, and combining large atmospheric datasets in various formats (including GeoTIFF, NetCDF, HDF, and GRIB).
Programming Skills: Experience writing shell scripts and using APIs for process automation, excellent programming skills in at least two programming languages including Python, R, Fortran, and/or Matlab.
Communication Skills: Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.
Teamwork: Ability to self-start and thrive within a high-performance team environment.
Desired Skills and Competency Areas
Education: PhD in meteorology or atmospheric/ climate science with a solid research record.
Collaborative development and High-Performance Computing: Proficiency in utilizing Linux/Unix clusters for high performance computing, along with experience in DevOps practices and cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure.
Effectiveness in communicating highly technical and scientific insights to non-technical audiences.
GIS Software: Competence in using GIS software and processing tools, including ArcGIS, QGIS, GDAL and Google Earth Engine.
Stochastic Modeling: Demonstrated expertise in developing and applying stochastic models to simulate natural events.
What We Offer:
Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
Opportunities for professional development and career growth.
A dynamic, inclusive work environment that fosters innovation.
The chance to work on impactful projects shaping the future of climate risk resilience.
The final salary offer will vary based on geographic location, individual education, skills, and experience. The position is eligible to participate in FM’s comprehensive Total Rewards program that includes an incentive plan, generous health and well-being programs, a 401(k) and pension plan, career development opportunities, tuition reimbursement, flexible work, time off allowances and much more.