Director, Research Development - Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi)

Department

Climate Systems Engineering Research Initiatives

About the Department

The Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi) is a new University-wide research effort seeded in the Physical Sciences Division (PSD) and part of a larger climate and energy focus at the University of Chicago, anchored in the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth. CSEi addresses the science, engineering, and policy of new technologies to reduce or reverse the harms from accumulated greenhouse gasses, including open-systems carbon removal, solar geoengineering, and local interventions to slow the melting of glaciers. The initiative spans engineering, physical and biological sciences, social sciences, humanistic approaches, behavioral science, law, policy and ethics, bringing together a collaborative group of faculty and researchers and leveraging the global network and partnerships of the University.

Job Summary

The Climate Systems Engineering initiative seeks an experienced Director of Research Development to provide technical and intellectual leadership to the suite of CSEi research activities across its focal areas of open-systems carbon removal, sunlight reflection methods and local interventions to prevent glacial melting. Reporting to the Executive Director, the role will work closely with founding Faculty Director David Keith and faculty leadership to provide direction for, and ensure the rigor and quality of, CSEi’s portfolio of research projects. The Director of Research Development will negotiate and supervise engineering contracts, will recruit at least one junior engineer, and will work with researchers across campus to deliver on CSEi’s research priorities and maximize collective impact.

Responsibilities

• Manages CSEi-funded research projects at UChicago. Develops relationships and communication strategies to encourage proposal submission; structures proposal review; monitors project budgets; engages in frequent substantive coordination between CSEi leadership and researchers with the goal of improving applied research outputs with midcourse adjustment of research plans; assists researchers in managing complex external contracts; supports researchers in raising external funding; develops synergies among projects and helps researchers to develop external collaborations. Most current projects listed here: .
• Manages grant/funding applications. Coordinates CSEi grant application preparation and submission, including developing timelines, organizing documentation, and ensuring compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements. Collaborates with Institute Senior Grants and Contracts Manager on budget preparation, sub awards, budget monitoring and updates. Advises CSEi leadership on adapting plans and priorities to address resource and operational challenges over the grant lifecycle; prepares reports to sponsors.
• Initiates and manages a variety of complex research contracts with engineering firms and vendors. Manages in-house engineers and research staff, is accountable for their performance and results, and develops plans for the team, guided by resource availability and CSEi objectives.
• Coordinates with researchers across UChicago to maximize the practical benefit of CSEi's funding for on-campus research.
• Manages the production of articles, reports and manuscripts. Presents research findings at meetings and/or conference.
• Collaborates with the communications team to disseminate research findings for public audiences and reports to donors.
• Works with external stakeholders in the climate engineering world to advance the field.
• Provides mentoring and support for students interested in applied research in climate systems engineering.
• Ensures compliance of research activities with institutional, state, and federal regulatory policies, procedures, directives and mandates.
• Manages research professionals and support staff involved with planning, monitoring, and compliance aspects of research projects. Advises other researchers on long-range plans for research projects.
• Develops goals and operating procedures, practices, and guidelines for research activity based on department strategy.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualification

Education:

• PhD in climate science, engineering, or a related field.

Experience:

• Knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience, ideally research experience managing engineering and applied research tasks in an environment that mixes public (university or public research center) research with private (contractor or for-profit) research.
  

Preferred Competencies

• Lead complex, interdisciplinary research programs at the intersection of climate science, engineering, policy, and governance.
• Formulate long-term research strategies aligned with institutional and societal priorities in climate systems and emerging technologies.
• Demonstrated success in building and managing research programs, including supervising multidisciplinary teams, mentoring students, overseeing budgets, and setting clear goals and deliverables.
• Deep knowledge of climate and engineering, modeling, risk assessment, and/or climate intervention technologies, such as carbon removal, SRM, glacial interventions.
• Strong understanding of climate governance and the policy landscape surrounding climate intervention technologies.
• Capacity to navigate uncertainty and drive innovation in a rapidly evolving scientific and policy landscape.
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with an ability to synthesize complex technical topics for academic, policy, and public audiences.
• Facilitate collaboration across engineering, natural and social sciences, and humanities.
• Demonstrated sensitivity to the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging climate technologies.
• Experience with and a commitment to stakeholder engagement in a research setting, especially regarding outdoor experiments.
• Track record of securing and managing research grants from public and/or private sources, identifying new funding opportunities, and cultivating partnerships to advance the mission of CSEi.
• Strong commitment to scientific rigor, transparency, reproducibility, and high standards of academic and professional ethics.
• Excellent management skills.
• Excellent computer skills.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.

Working Conditions

• In-person, office-based role on Hyde Park campus.
• Eligible for a partially remote work schedule.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Three Professional References Contact Information (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Research

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$135,000.00 - $160,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook .

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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