Senior Associate – Climate Risk Scientist

PricewaterhouseCoopers International; Montreal; Hybrid; CAD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm is seeking a Senior Associate – Climate Risk Scientist in Montreal. This role involves using analytical skills for climate change projects, developing climate hazard models, and supporting clients in their adaptation strategies. Candidates must possess an advanced degree and have a good command of English and French. A competitive compensation package is offered along with a commitment to an inclusive work environment.

Benefits

Competitive compensation package

Inclusive benefits

Flexibility programs

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in climate hazard modelling for flooding, drought, wildfire, and convective storms.
• Proficiency in climate datasets and models.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in statistical methods.

Responsibilities

• Apply analytical skills to leading climate change projects.
• Support clients with adaptation and mitigation strategies.
• Develop climate hazard models using observation data.

Skills

Climate hazard modelling

Analytical skills

Programming in Python

GIS expertise

Data visualization

Education

Advanced degree (MSc or PhD) in Climate Science, Meteorology, Data Science, Geoinformatics or related field

Tools

Python

PowerBI

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Overview

PwC Canada is building the country’s leading climate change and environment team within our Sustainability practice. We focus on supporting our priority clients to address Canada’s most significant climate change questions, challenges and opportunities.

Meaningful work you’ll be part of

As a Senior Associate – Climate Risk Scientist, you’ll work as part of a team of problem solvers, helping to solve complex business issues from strategy to execution. This role will be based in Montreal or Toronto, with a preference for bilingual candidates. You will work alongside and learn from Canadian leaders in the climate risk, transition and adaptation planning space. You will play a pivotal role in delivering cutting-edge climate risk analytics and insights to help clients navigate the evolving landscape of climate-related financial and operational risks. You will work at the intersection of climate science, data analytics, and business strategy, contributing to the development of robust methodologies for assessing physical climate risks and their impacts on infrastructure, ecosystems, and economies.

Responsibilities

• Apply analytical skills and specialist knowledge of climate change to some of the most exciting and leading climate change projects in Canada
• Have an opportunity to support Canada’s most complex and impactful climate change projects
• Gain experience across a range of sectors including financial services, agriculture, energy, mining, real estate, public sector, infrastructure, etc
• Contribute effectively to complex, multi-disciplinary projects – often supporting several projects at a time
• Continue to develop your technical understanding of climate change and how it applies to business, investment, and government decision making; and support internal and external thought leadership on specialist issues within climate change
• Support technical projects in areas such as climate hazard modelling, financial impact assessment, climate scenario analysis, adaptation and transition planning
• Develop and apply climate hazard models (e.g., flood, drought, wildfire, extreme wind) using earth observation data and climate projections, and quantify exposure and vulnerability of assets to current and future climate events
• Support our clients with the development, implementation, and evaluation of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, conduct cost-benefit analyses, and design tailored adaptation plans
• Support the creation of client deliverables including technical reports, dashboards, and presentations tailored to stakeholder needs
• Contribute to thought leadership on climate risk and resilience

Experiences and skills you’ll use to solve

We are looking for someone who is curious and showing a willingness to learn and take on responsibility. Qualified candidates must have:

• Advanced degree (MSc or PhD) in Climate Science, Meteorology, Data Science, Geoinformatics or a related field
• Proven experience (2 or more years) in climate hazard modelling for flooding, drought, wildfire, and convective storms
• Climate science knowledge including using climate datasets and models (e.g., ERA, GCMs, RCMs, etc.), ensemble analysis, uncertainty quantification, and climate model downscaling
• Demonstrated experience working with large, multi-dimensional data and combining large datasets in different formats (e.g., netCDF, Xarray, Dask, TIFF, HDF, GRIB)
• Advanced programming skills in Python, GIS, Microsoft Excel and PowerBI for data analysis, modelling, data visualization, geospatial analysis and remote sensing applications
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in statistical methods, such as stochastic and probabilistic modelling, and extreme value analysis
• Experience working with machine learning for climate change applications is preferred
• Critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, problem solving abilities
• Strong communication skills with the ability to convey highly technical concepts and scientific insights to non-technical audiences
• Ability to self-start and thrive in a high-performance, diverse, multi-disciplinary and collaborative team environment
• The successful candidate requires fluency in English, in addition to French as they will be required to support or collaborate with English-speaking clients, colleagues and/or stakeholders during the course of their employment with PwC Canada
• PwC Canada is committed to cultivating an inclusive, hybrid work environment. Exact expectations for your team can be discussed with your interviewer

Why you'll love PwC

We’re inspiring and empowering our people to change the world. Powered by the latest technology, you’ll be a part of diverse teams helping public and private clients build trust and deliver sustained outcomes. This meaningful work, and our continuous development environment, will take your career to the next level. We reward your impact, and support your wellbeing, through a competitive compensation package, inclusive benefits and flexibility programs that will help you thrive in work and life. Learn more about our Application Process and Total Rewards Package at:

We’re committed to cultivating an inclusive community of solvers where everyone feels that they truly belong. We understand that experience comes in many forms and building trust in society and solving important problems is only possible if we reflect the mosaic of the society we live in.

We’re committed to providing accommodations throughout the application, interview, and employment process. If you require an accommodation to be at your best, please let us know during the application process.