Regional Climate & Anticipatory Modeling Specialist

Action Against Hunger is seeking a highly skilled Regional Climate and Anticipatory Modeling Specialist to serve as the technical authority on climate science, hydrometeorological modeling, early-warning systems, and anticipatory-action trigger development within a multi-country humanitarian consortium. This is a strategic and hands-on role that sits at the intersection of advanced climate analytics and operational humanitarian decision-making across Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and South Sudan.

Reporting to the Regional Consortium Coordinator, the Specialist will translate complex climate intelligence from ICPAC, national meteorological agencies, and global modeling platforms into actionable trigger matrices, Early Action Protocols, and contingency plans. The role is ideal for an experienced climate scientist or hydrometeorological modeling expert who thrives in fragile, climate-vulnerable contexts and can bridge the gap between technical rigor and practical field application.

• Lead the development, calibration, and validation of multi-hazard climate and hydrometeorological models supporting anticipatory action across Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and South Sudan.
• Analyze and integrate global, regional, and national climate datasets including ERA5, MERRA-2, CHIRPS, NDVI, MODIS, IRI, ECMWF, GFS, and ICPAC seasonal forecasts.
• Apply drought, flood, heat, and climate-projection models — including SPI, SPEI, HBV, SWAT, and VIC — to produce decision-ready risk information for pastoral, agricultural, urban, and cross-border contexts.
• Assess shared river-basin risks, seasonal migration corridors, urban flash flooding, heat exposure, drought conditions, and climate impacts on vulnerable communities.
• Review existing early-warning systems and identify opportunities to strengthen interoperability between ICPAC, FEWS NET, IGAD PREPARE, national EWARS and IDSR systems, and anticipatory-action platforms.
• Produce accessible climate-risk bulletins, seasonal forecast summaries, technical reports, scientific briefs, and decision-support products for program teams, governments, donors, and regional partners.
• Lead the development and validation of multi-hazard trigger matrices integrating climate, hydrological, epidemiological, food-security, displacement, and conflict-sensitivity indicators.
• Conduct cross-border trigger-validation exercises across the Ethiopia–Somalia, Somalia–Djibouti, and Ethiopia–Djibouti corridors.
• Ensure trigger methodologies align with the SCALAA harmonization framework, the IGAD Anticipatory Action Roadmap, and national disaster-risk management systems.
• Analyze trigger performance following simulations, pilot activations, and Crisis Modifier responses, including accuracy, false-alarm rates, and lead times.
• Support climate-informed malnutrition modeling in South Sudan, integrating climate projections with nutrition, WASH, and food-security indicators.
• Oversee the integration of DG ECHO Minimum Environmental Requirements (MER) throughout program delivery.
• Build capacity of national meteorological agencies, disaster-risk management authorities, and consortium partners in climate-data interpretation and anticipatory-action frameworks.

• Must hold a Master's degree or higher in Climate Science, Hydrology, Meteorology, Environmental Science, or a closely related discipline.
• Must demonstrate at least 7 years of applied experience in climate or hydrometeorological modeling in humanitarian, development, or disaster-risk reduction settings.
• Must be proficient in operating climate modeling tools and indices including SPI, SPEI, HBV, SWAT, and VIC, and able to interpret outputs for non-technical audiences.
• Must have hands-on experience working with datasets such as ERA5, MERRA-2, CHIRPS, MODIS, and ECMWF/GFS forecasts in an operational context.
• Must demonstrate experience designing or validating anticipatory-action trigger systems, Early Action Protocols, or forecast-based financing mechanisms.
• Must be able to engage effectively with early-warning platforms including ICPAC, FEWS NET, and IGAD PREPARE and translate their outputs into programmatic decisions.
• Must possess strong technical writing skills and be able to produce high-quality climate bulletins, scientific briefs, and donor-facing reports.
• Must demonstrate experience working across multiple fragile or conflict-affected countries, preferably within the Horn of Africa region.
• Must be able to facilitate cross-border technical workshops and build capacity of government and civil-society counterparts.
• Familiarity with DG ECHO-funded programs, the SCALAA framework, or IGAD Anticipatory Action Roadmap is a strong advantage.

Action Against Hunger offers a competitive remuneration package commensurate with experience and the seniority of this regional specialist role. While the exact salary is not publicly disclosed, market-aligned estimates for a senior INGO specialist position of this nature in Nairobi range from KES 350,000 to KES 600,000 per month, inclusive of applicable allowances. The organization also provides a comprehensive benefits package in line with INGO standards, which typically includes medical cover, international staff insurance, annual leave entitlements, and relocation support where applicable.

Ideal candidates are seasoned climate scientists or hydrometeorological specialists with a proven track record in anticipatory humanitarian action, particularly within the East Africa or Horn of Africa context. You should be comfortable working with ambiguity, navigating multi-stakeholder consortia, and converting complex model outputs into operational decisions that save lives. You bring deep technical expertise alongside strong communication and facilitation skills.

Do not apply if you have fewer than 5 years of applied climate modeling experience, have no background in humanitarian or DRR programming, or are unable to work across fragile and conflict-affected environments. Candidates without hands-on experience using the specified datasets and modeling tools will not meet the technical threshold for this role.

To apply for this position, visit the official Action Against Hunger careers portal and submit your application online. Prepare a current CV and a cover letter clearly demonstrating how your experience aligns with the key responsibilities and required competencies outlined above. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for a technical assessment followed by a competency-based interview. Action Against Hunger is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from qualified women and candidates from the Horn of Africa region.