Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Societal Impacts of Extreme Heat Events in a Warming Climate

About Us

The Department of Geography at King’s College London is a vibrant hub of multi-disciplinary scholarship that seeks to address and resolve the most pressing issues facing our world today. By drawing together a unique cohort of scholars, the Department includes expertise in global environmental governance, the physical and social science dimensions of climate change, cross-border migration, emerging economies, and politics.

About the Role

The purpose of this role is to work on the UK Research and Innovation Future Leader’s Fellowship: Reducing Global Catastrophic Risks from Unseen Climate Extremes.

The appointed candidate will be embedded within a wider team of physical and social scientists working to identify the most pressing threats to humanity from ‘unseen’ climate extremes – those events which lack a historical precedent, but which could occur in the relatively near future.

The focus for this specific position will be on the societal impacts of extreme heat events, including those severe enough to overwhelm human physiology. Using the case study of Jacobabad, Pakistan (one of the hottest cities on earth), the appointed candidate will perform qualitative research to help improve understanding of the scale of the challenges ahead, and how they may be confronted through adaptation.

The researcher will also contribute their social science expertise to help the wider research team explore the most concerning unseen climate extremes which threaten our future.

This is a full-time post and you will be offered an a fixed term contract until June 2028.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria 

• A PhD in climate human geography, social science, anthropology, or a cognate discipline   
• An excellent understanding of the societal impacts from extreme weather events
• Expertise in qualitative research methods, including interviews and focus group discussions
• Experience in publishing scientific articles
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• An excellent ability to work independently

Desirable criteria

• Experience of fieldwork in South Asia
• Expertise in the hazard of extreme heat
• Experience of working collaboratively within an interdisciplinary context
• Have a good understanding of gender related issues

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Please click 'Apply’ to be redirected to our website, for full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

Closing date: 02 June 2024

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