Postdoctoral Science Fellow, MethaneSAT Science

EDF fellowships provide high-quality experiences, including relevant projects and opportunities for networking, that form the foundation serious candidates need to pursue an environmental career.

Program/Department Overview

Science & Innovation (S&I) is the nexus of science at EDF, ensuring that the science that is the backbone for all EDF policy positions is based on the best available information. To be most effective in this role, S&I provides programmatic support for all scientists at EDF and fosters relationships with scientists outside the organization.

MethaneSAT, LLC, an affiliate of EDF has launched a new, high performance, purpose-built satellite—MethaneSAT—to map and measure oil and gas methane emissions worldwide, with the potential to assess emissions from the full range of man-made sources. The satellite enables us to gather methane emissions data on a global scale and with data from other sources, locate and quantify these emissions. Data from MethaneSAT will help EDF reduce methane emissions and holds the potential to help reduce the temperature of our planet by as much 0.5 degrees C by the end of the century. This could be the most impactful environmental project yet conceived.

Overall Function

The MethaneSAT Science Team within Science & Innovation at EDF seeks a Postdoctoral Science Fellow with proven research, analysis, and writing skills to assess methane emissions from the global oil and gas, as well as non-oil and gas sectors focusing on satellite remote sensing, geospatial, and data analysis approaches. The Fellow will work on methane emissions assessment using quantitative data from MethaneSAT and other data sources. They will contribute significantly to MethaneSAT targeting strategy, and lead disaggregation and source attribution analysis of emissions.

The Postdoctoral Science Fellow will be a key team member of the MethaneSAT Science Team at EDF, and will work collaboratively with scientists and technologists from MethaneSAT, EDF, and external partners, including from academia and industry. This position will report to a Senior Scientist, MethaneSAT Science in EDF’s Science and Innovation team.

Key Responsibilities

Tasks will include but are not limited to:

• Lead and support the review and analysis of MethaneSAT data globally, and make rigorous intercomparisons to other satellite and remote sensing data.
• Contribute to MethaneSAT targeting strategy and targets development, updates, and maintenance in coordination with stakeholders.
• Lead and support robust analysis of methane source disaggregation, and attribution of oil and gas and non-oil and gas emissions (e.g., landfills, agriculture, coal).
• Lead and participate in the preparation of science manuscripts and publish MethaneSAT results in peer-reviewed literature and closely collaborate with external science community.
• Perform geospatial, statistical, and other advanced analyses in support of remote sensing and methane science questions.
• Represent EDF in external meetings with a high degree of professionalism.
• Participate in advancing EDF’s organizational effectiveness and culture goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.

Qualifications

• A recent Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, Environmental Science/Engineering, Remote Sensing, Earth System Science, or a related field.
• Demonstrate excellence in rigorous scientific analyses and in oral and written communication of scientific concepts.
• Demonstrate research experience with methane emissions strongly preferred.
• Experience working with large-scale datasets including geospatial and/or satellite datasets is strongly preferred.
• Background and experience with inverse modeling.
• Strong quantitative data analysis skills and knowledge in statistics; preference for proficiency in Python or a similar language allowing analysis of large data sets.
• Proficiency in geospatial data analytics and tools (e.g., geostatistics, ArcGIS, QGIS).
• The ability to communicate complex ideas in writing and orally to multiple stakeholders with different levels of expertise, including the public, industry, and government policy makers.
• A track record of relevant research and presentations at scientific conferences, including at least one peer-reviewed publication (or manuscript currently under review) on a related topic or using relevant methodology desired.
• Ability to work independently and support a multi-disciplinary team, using independent judgment to plan, prioritize, and organize a diverse workload in a fast-paced environment.
• An interest and commitment to solving environmental problems through collaborative projects based on rigorous science and solutions-focused advocacy.
• Demonstrate initiative and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrate self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.

Location

Hybrid in any EDF U.S. office location (Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Boulder, CO; New York, NY; Raleigh, NC; San Francisco, CA; Washington D.C.) or U.S. Remote. Fellow supervisor is in Texas. Eligibility to work in the U.S. is required for the duration of the fellowship.

Term

2 years, with an anticipated start date of September 2025 or earlier.

Compensation

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization. The annual salary for this role is $72,000.

Application Materials

Interested applicants should attach their cover letter and CV to the EDF application, together with a sample peer-reviewed paper or other writing sample (can include manuscripts in prep or in review, and scientific communication pieces).

Learn more about fellowships at EDF - http://www.edf.org/environmental-careers/fellowships