Research Scientist

Hamad Bin Khalifa University

HBKU s Qatar Environment & Energy Research Institute (QEERI) is seeking a highly motivated and visionary Research Scientist to join its multidisciplinary team tackling critical environmental and urban challenges. We are particularly interested in candidates with a strong research track record in GIS, remote sensing, spatial data science, and urban dynamics, who are passionate about advancing climate resilience, sustainability, and environmental health in the built environment.

The successful candidate will lead and support research that integrates Earth observation, geospatial analytics, and emerging technologies to inform urban planning, risk assessment, and decision-making in the face of climate and environmental stressors.

• Design and implement advanced geospatial and AI-enhanced methodologies for analyzing urban environmental risks, exposure, and vulnerability to climate change.
• Apply remote sensing and GIS-based tools to assess urban dynamics, including land-use change, population distribution, and environmental degradation, and their implications for public health, resilience, and sustainability.
• Develop and integrate multi-source datasets (e.g., satellite imagery, airborne and drone data, sensor networks, model outputs, socio-demographics) to support spatial-temporal analysis of environmental risks.
• Contribute to the development of urban digital twins and other spatial simulation models to support climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable infrastructure planning.
• Collaborate on interdisciplinary projects involving climate-smart urban development, nature-based solutions, and environmental impact assessment.
• Engage in national and regional initiatives, producing policy-relevant spatial insights and participating in stakeholder engagement and knowledge transfer.
• Publish research in high-impact journals, present at international conferences, and contribute to thought leadership in geospatial science and environmental sustainability.

• PhD in Environmental Science, Urban Studies, Geography, Geoinformatics, Civil engineering, or related fields.
• At least 3 years post-PhD experience in research or applied work using geospatial technologies in environmental or urban contexts.
• Proven record of peer-reviewed publications in relevant fields such as urban resilience, environmental vulnerability, remote sensing for urban analytics, or environmental health.
• Proficiency with geospatial AI/ML and remote sensing tools and platforms (e.g. Google Earth Engine, AWS, ENVI, SNAP), and tools such as ArcGIS, QGIS, Python, R, and spatial databases.
• Experience working with high-resolution EO data (e.g., Sentinel, Landsat, Planet, LiDAR) and integrating data from disparate sources.
• Demonstrated ability to produce translational research that supports evidence-based policy and planning for sustainable urban development.
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary teams and communicate research to both academic and non-academic stakeholders.

• Research experience related to arid and extreme climate regions.
• Previous engagement with science into policy development.
• Experience in securing research funding and managing projects.