Program Manager, Climate Impact Lab

Department

EPIC - Climate Impact Lab (CIL)

About the Department

The University of Chicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth (ICSG) is a groundbreaking initiative that brings together faculty from across the University to advance society’s understanding of our energy and climate future. ICSG integrates insights in energy markets and policy, climate systems engineering, and energy technology to generate transformative ideas, while also fostering the next generation of energy and climate leaders through innovative educational programs.

The Climate Impact Lab, a flagship initiative of the ICSG, convenes leading climate scientists, economists, data engineers, and risk analysts to quantify the impacts of climate change sector-by-sector and community-by-community across the globe. With a research scope covering more than 25,000 geographic regions—comparable in size to U.S. counties—the Lab’s team of over 25 experts produces rigorous, evidence-based estimates of how climate change affects mortality, agricultural productivity, labor, energy demand, coastal flooding, and more. The Lab is also deeply engaged in policy and media efforts to ensure its findings drive meaningful action around the world.

The Climate Impact Lab is seeking a Program Manager to support a new portfolio of climate research and public engagement focused on quantifying climate risks and informing adaptation strategies. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a leading interdisciplinary team translating cutting-edge climate science into actionable insights for decision-makers worldwide.

Job Summary

The Climate Impact Lab is seeking a Program Manager to support a new portfolio of action-oriented climate research and public-facing outputs. The Program Manager will support a range of projects focused on quantifying the global distribution of climate risks, identifying priorities for adaptation interventions, and communicating scientific findings to practitioners. The Program Manager will join an interdisciplinary group of economists, scientists, and computational experts based at University of Chicago and at the Lab’s partner institutions that measure and communicate the impacts of climate change on human wellbeing with the goal of empowering effective decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Manages day-to-day operations of interdisciplinary research projects, ensuring tasks are completed on time and aligned with project goals.
• Coordinates with Lab principal investigators, research staff, and external partners to support smooth communication and collaboration.
• Tracks project progress using established management tools and helps adapt plans as needed to meet evolving research priorities and deliverables.
• Contributes to the development of high-quality project outputs, including literature reviews, data summaries, memos, and presentations.
• Supports internal decision-making by facilitating information sharing across research teams and project stakeholders.
• Drafts and maintains documentation such as meeting notes, timelines, and status reports for both internal and external use.
• Assists in synthesizing research findings and translating them for policy, practitioners, and general audiences.
• Maintains  and strengthens relationships with implementation partners, funders, and other collaborators.
• Applies foundational knowledge in economics, statistics, climate science, and/or computer science to engage meaningfully with research content.
• Represents the project team in external communications and meetings, as appropriate, in coordination with senior staff.
• Works somewhat independently to develop detailed work plans, schedules, project estimates, resource plans, and status reports. Assembles and leads a project team, assigns individual responsibilities, identifies appropriate resources needed, and develops schedules to ensure timely completion of projects.
• Is responsible for tracking progress, conducting analysis, as well as preparing for and facilitating project meetings.
• 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 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in economics, climate science or policy, public policy, environmental science or policy, or a related field.

Experience:

• At least 2 years of experience providing project management, communication, coordination, and/or research support to research, consulting, or industry projects.
• Coordinating collaborative projects and teams with multiple partners related to climate policy, climate change impacts, or other economic development or environmental topics.
• Familiar with partner/stakeholder engagement.
• Developing detailed project plans to monitor and track milestones and deliverables to keep projects and staff on track.
• Synthesizing and writing technical information to non-technical audiences.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Working with project management and communications platforms such as Slack, Asana, Airtable, or Trello.
• Sourcing, negotiating with, and managing vendors.
• Proficient in Microsoft Windows Suite, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Excellent computer skills including fluency in Google Suites.
• Subject matter expertise in climate change, domestic and international climate policy, and/or climate adaptation.

Preferred Competencies

• Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational and time management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Handle a diverse portfolio of responsibilities simultaneously with speed, accuracy, and courtesy, and exhibit exceptional levels of insightful planning.
• Budget management skills.

Working Conditions

• This is a hybrid position, with an expected 3 days on campus per week.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Sample of Work to which you contributed substantially. This may include an academic paper, master’s thesis, professional report, technical document, or another relevant deliverable (required)
• Three Professional References Contact Information (required)

Job Family

Administration & Management

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

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

$88,000.00 - $93,000.00

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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