Scientist (Climate Change)

Position within the Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), an organization of NATO. CMRE is a world‑class scientific research and experimentation facility that conducts science & technology (S&T) development centred on the maritime domain, delivering innovative solutions to address defence and security needs of the Alliance.

We are looking for a talented scientist in climate change and security to join our team. The role requires a strong background and expertise in analysing climate data applied to the defence realm. The incumbent will be part of a multi‑disciplinary research team and will share expertise to assess the implication of climate change across all military domains.

• Support the programme of work investigating Climate Change (CC) impacts on the Alliance's defence in all military domains.
• Execute research activity in support of the Climate Change and Security (CCS) Programme in strategic areas of NATO's operational environment, specifically:
  • Leverage climate data (including global and regional climate models) to assess impacts of future climate on the five military functional areas for the benefit of NATO.
  • Elaborate studies on NATO defence in future physical operating environments, including extreme regions such as the Arctic.
• Revise internal reports and contribute authoring scientific articles for publication in international peer‑reviewed journals.
• Support the organisation and execution of NATO workshops and conferences; establish multi‑national projects in the field of CC; develop proposals to secure external funding from national R & D agencies, NATO multi‑national projects or European mechanisms.
• Lead or support the organisation of Table‑Top exercises (TTX) and wargames focused on CCS scenarios.
• Work closely with other projects as required.

• Flexibility Clause: The incumbent may be required to perform other related duties as directed, provided they align with the required competencies for the job.
• Deployment / Travel: The incumbent may be required to work onboard CMRE or chartered vessels, and may undertake TDY assignments within and outside NATO boundaries.

• Professional / Experience:
  • Proven expertise in climate science and related disciplines, data science or engineering.
  • Research record evidenced by peer‑reviewed publications and technical reports.
  • Proven experience in defence analysis, including knowledge of modern military capabilities and problems.
  • Proven ability to work with standard software and operating systems (e.g. Linux, Windows, MS Office, Python, C/C++, MATLAB, R, SQL).
• Education / Training:
  • MSc in climate sciences, atmospheric sciences, marine environmental sciences, physics, engineering, data science, defence studies, or related field, and at least 5 years post‑MSc experience as scientist or analyst focusing on climate data and projections.
  • or PhD in one of the same fields, and at least 2 years post‑PhD experience as scientist or analyst focusing on climate data and projections.
• Language Requirements:
  • Proficient in one of the two NATO languages, both written and spoken; knowledge of the other language desirable.

• A strong record of science publications and/or reports.
• Demonstrated record of delivering high‑quality reports/research to customers.
• Experience working in multi‑disciplinary environments with experts from other domains.
• Experience working in international environments.
• Demonstrated relationship‑building skills across defence‑related stakeholders.
• Experience interacting with high‑level civilian and/or military decision makers.
• Experience leading research projects.
• Experience with analysis of large climate datasets.
• Experience in statistical analysis and data visualization.
• Experience working in cloud environment, using Pangeo and Jupyter notebooks.

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written – able to communicate at all levels.
• Very good interpersonal skills; solicits input and encourages others.
• Innovative, capable of thinking outside the box, and driven; always displaying sound judgement.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.

• Salary: €5,879.80 monthly (2026 value), subject to future adjustments.
• Grade: ABCL grade A2 / NATO grade G15.
• Location: World‑class research facility in La Spezia, Italy, supported by two specialised research vessels.
• Comprehensive system of allowances