USA: Climate Change Specialist Faculty Position (Bilingual)
Aug 27, 2023
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William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (WJPC) at National Defense University
Position: This position is located at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (WJPC) at National Defense University in Washington DC. The Perry Center provides Executive-level education and research to representatives from more than 30 partner nations from Latin American and the Caribbean. Specifically, the Center supports military and national security professionals in the Americas to develop policy solutions to complex security and defense challenges in the hemisphere. More than 6,500 partner nation representatives have graduated from Perry Center courses and seminars in the institution’s 27 years of existence.
Faculty opening for climate change specialist
Duties: The Perry Center seeks a Bilingual Faculty/Adjunct Professor for a one-year, funded assignment to support climate and environmental initiatives of the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense in the Latin America and Caribbean.
Hiring service: ACT1 Federal contracting company. POC: Mr. Dieter Bareihs. Email: DBareihs@act1federal.com
Note: this billet is a contracted position through ACT1 Federal contracting though the faculty member will work at the Perry Center. The performance work statement (PWS) and job description will be posted by ACT1 Federal contracting by the end of August.
Salary range: Compensation for the 1-year contracted position is commensurate on the individual’s level of experience and education. ACT1 Federal, the contracting agency for this position, will handle salary and benefits negotiations with qualified candidates.
Assignment: 01 October 2023 through 30 September 2024
Work expectations: Full time, estimated at 40 hours per week.
Travel requirements: Occasional travel within the continental United States as well as throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Language requirements: English and Spanish fluency required; Portuguese language skills are desired.
Citizenship: Position open to U.S. citizens and foreigners with green card or work visa in hand.
Application window: No deadline; position will be open until filled.
Interested applicants should send (1) cover letter and (2) CV to Mr. Dieter Bareihs, email:
DBareihs@act1federal.com. Because of the anticipated number of applicants, only finalists for the position will be contacted. The cover letter should be no more than 2 pages and should describe your qualifications for the position. Provide specific examples and evidence of your experiences that fulfill the requirements listed in the section on Academic Expectations (see below). Additional application requirements may be listed in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) provided by ACT1 Federal.
Minimum Job Qualifications: Four plus (4+) years of professional experience as a subject matter expert on climate change issues, with focus on the risks, consequences, and responses associated with climate change, development of national policy to build resilience to catastrophic risks, including climate mitigation and adaptation and the development of strategic plans regarding environmental disasters.
Ability to speak and write Spanish and English is required.
Master's degree in the field of climatology, earth sciences, or environmental sciences or equivalent degree.
Additional preferred skills:
- Doctorate degree in a field of earth or environmental sciences is preferred.
- Ability to speak and write Portuguese desired.
- Additional compensation. Benefits for the position are negotiated through ACT1 Federal. All
- subsequent travel associated with the faculty member’s official duties at the Perry Center will be provided including travel costs, lodging, per diem, and reimbursement for miscellaneous expenses.
- Living expenses within the nation’s capital are the responsibility of the candidate. Hiring will be
- contingent on passing a successful background check.
Academic expectations: Duties of the Perry Center Climate Fellow would include some of the following (see the PWS for additional requirements):
- Educate participants about the scientific and meteorological causes of global warming. These educational opportunities come in the form of in-residence courses and seminars at the Perry Center in Washington DC; in-region conferences as part of a regional or bilateral academic event; or international or regional discussions with partner nation representatives.
- Consult with practitioners and conduct science needs assessment by translating the climate information needs of community leaders into viable and effective climate mitigation plans.
- Develop climate change research and publications (reports, web content, briefing papers, and fact sheets) for diverse audiences.
- Communicate science findings and assessments to diverse non-academic audiences, including governments and policy makers.
- Work with partner nation government officials and members of civil society to mitigate the threats posed to communities in Latin American and Caribbean nations by climate change and global warming. These include more powerful storms, increased levels of precipitation, heat waves, droughts, and rising sea levels, among others.
- Advise partner nation governments in the region on how to adapt to the effects of climate change, for example, through conversion of electrical generation, industry, and transportation systems away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy systems; reinforcement and upgrading of critical infrastructure; and hardening existing military installations.
- Identify interagency and whole-of-government efforts to combat climate change.
- Work with representatives of the armed forces to effectively prepare for climate change related disasters. These may include additional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) capabilities, preparing security forces for socio-economic protests, managing climate-provoked migration, using the armed forces to protect environmental resources and biodiversity, defense support of civilian authorities, preservation of critical infrastructure, interagency coordination, and continuity of operations for the government.
- Examine ways to increase regional cooperation in the face worsening climate conditions.
- Possess excellent communication and writing skills, including synthesizing scientific literature and other sources of knowledge orally and in writing.
- Possess experience with co-production, use-inspired research, and scientific needs assessment.
- Demonstrate familiarity with climate science and climate change impacts.
- Able to convene and organize meetings and workshops.
- Demonstrate knowledge of or experience with climate resilience planning and implementation.
General Perry Center faculty qualifications: Perry Center faculty are subject matter experts and teach, research, publish, and develop curriculum on complex security and defense challenges in the Americas. Through courses, conferences, research, and publications, they provide important academic perspectives that decision makers in the U.S. and partner nation countries can translate into policy and practice.
Most Perry Center faculty have several unique skills:
- Expertise in security and defense matters.
- Advanced academic degrees (doctorate preferred) in political science, international relations, history,
- sociology, conflict resolution, and other associated fields.
- Demonstrable record of research and publications.
- Knowledge of Latin American and Caribbean politics, history, and culture.
- Familiarity with national defense architecture, structures, and strategy.
- Well-developed language skills in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.
Perry Center constituents: Participants in Perry Center educational events are normally officials and practitioners from institutions that work on security and defense matters. They may hail from several different sectors of society:
- Civilian personnel from government ministries who work directly on or oversee security and defense issues. These students normally come from the Ministries of Defense or Interior in the partner nation.
- Civilian personnel who work on or oversee security and defense issues from other government departments (e.g., Ministry of Justice, national legislature, military war colleges, etc.).
- Members of the security and defense forces.
- Personnel from civil society organizations with interest in security and defense matters including non-government organizations (NGO), academic institutions, and think tanks.
Institutional address.
William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies
National Defense University
Abraham Lincoln Hall
260 5th Avenue, Building 64
Washington, DC 20319-5066
Phone: +1 202 685-4670
Hiring contact: Mr. Dieter Bareihs. Email: DBareihs@act1federal.com
Organizational contact: Dr. Patrick Paterson, Associate Dean of Research and Publications at the Perry Center, can answer additional questions about the position and can be reached by email at Patrick.paterson@ndu.edu.