Who We Need & What You’ll Do

The Lead Fire Scientist is responsible for leading and managing the scientific research and strategy for the development of fire-related datasets at AccuWeather. The successful candidate will serve as the senior advisor on innovative solutions that drive and support the development of new products. One of the initial responsibilities of this position will be leading the definition and development of AccuWeather’s fire-related technologies along with the creation of new innovative and industry leading solutions. This position will report to the Chief Data Officer, with a great amount of collaboration working closely with the Product and Development teams, AccuWeather for Business Leadership, Air Quality Experts and Forecast Operations Leadership.

 

Who We Are

AccuWeather, recognized and documented as the most accurate source of weather forecasts and warnings in the world, has saved tens of thousands of lives, prevented hundreds of thousands of injuries and tens of billions of dollars in property damage. With global headquarters in State College, Pennsylvania; a severe weather center in Wichita, Kansas; and offices in New York City and elsewhere around the world, AccuWeather serves more than 1.5 billion people daily to help them plan their activities and get more out of their day through innovative digital media properties, such as AccuWeather.com and mobile, as well as AccuWeather For Business (AFB), radio, television, newspapers, digital out of home, the 24/7 AccuWeather Network channel and AccuWeather NOW streaming service. Additionally, AccuWeather produces and distributes news, weather content, and video for more than 180,000 third-party websites.

Job Responsibilities

  • Define and develop innovative and differentiating fire-related datasets by leading and managing the scientific research to support existing and future technologies
  • Define and develop the strategy and methodology to realize data availability
  • Partner with the product team to advise on strategic roadmaps as subject matter expert
  • Work closely with data development and air quality experts to consult on existing technologies and projects
  • Work closely with forecast operations leadership to validate use cases and needs
  • Work cross-functionally to improve the continuous flow of communication among relevant teams
  • Lead data validation efforts and establish key performance metrics and goals
  • Set clear and measurable goals to track progress as it relates to data development timelines and prototyping
  • Provide subject matter expertise and consultation on related projects across the entire company
  • Other duties as assigned.

 

Job Qualifications

  • MS or PhD in Computer Science, Meteorology, Statistics or equivalent degree in Science, Technology, or related field required
  • Five (5) years’ experience in similar position
  • Expertise in advanced wildfire detection methods
  • Expertise in advanced fire behavior modeling and meteorological data
  • Knowledge of fire behavior and how weather, fuels and terrain influence wildfire behavior
  • Experience in the acquisition, use and analysis of fire-related datasets
  • Excellent prioritization, organization, and communication skills
  • Comfort and experience working with product and technology partners
  • Possess a unique ability to operate both autonomously and collaboratively with a passion for initializing and forging new opportunities as a motivated, self-starter
  • Ability to read and interpret complex documents
  • Ability to speak effectively before groups of employees and/or client, prospective clients, and community organizations
  • Distill essential insights from research and create clear and thoughtful briefs
  • Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
  • Preferred: Experience supporting the creation and/or maintenance of products related to wildfires
  • Preferred: Experience in Artificial Intelligence, specifically with Deep Learning and Neural Networks
  • Preferred: Fire-related industry certifications
  • Enjoys engaging in a team environment, including daily stand ups and routine brainstorming.

More About AccuWeather

AccuWeather's innovation-first promise has led to the development of many award-winning and propriety features that are available free to the public, including AccuWeather MinuteCast® Minute by Minute™ forecasts with Superior Accuracy ™, the exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature, and AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes, among many other revolutionary products for the greater safety, convenience and comfort of our users. Further, AccuWeather serves more than half of the Fortune 500 and thousands of other businesses in the U.S. and globally.

Dr. Joel N. Myers, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, established AccuWeather in 1962 and is considered the “father of modern commercial meteorology.” Dr. Myers, a leading creative thinker and visionary, has been named “the most accurate man in weather” by The New York Times and one of the top entrepreneurs in American history by Entrepreneur’s Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs.

 

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

AccuWeather is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity to all applicants and existing employees and we evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity/expression), sexual orientation, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religion, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. View the EEO is the Law poster here and its supplement here. The pay transparency policy is available here. 

AccuWeather is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to human.resources@accuweather.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. 

 

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