Postdoctoral Researcher – AI for Weather Forecasting

About the role

MBZUAI offers a fully funded two‑year postdoctoral position focused on AI‑driven weather forecasting, in collaboration with the University of Chicago’s AI for Climate initiative.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct original research in probabilistic and ensemble weather forecasting, deep learning for spatiotemporal data, uncertainty quantification, and data assimilation.
• Develop and evaluate AI‑based forecasting methods using reanalysis, satellite, observational, and forecast datasets, assessing accuracy, calibration, extremes, and regional performance.
• Design forecasting models suitable for operational use, especially for agriculturally relevant products and sector‑specific needs.
• Publish research in top‑tier venues and communicate findings to technical, interdisciplinary, and operational audiences.
• Collaborate with research institutions, government agencies, national meteorological services, agricultural institutions, and contribute to training and knowledge transfer.

Required profile

• PhD in Computer Science, Atmospheric or Climate Science, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, or a closely related field.
• Experience applying machine‑learning methods to weather forecasting, climate analysis, or spatial data.
• Strong publication record in top‑tier AI or domain‑relevant venues.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Required skills

• Proficiency in Python.
• Hands‑on experience with PyTorch or JAX.
• Experience with weather or climate datasets (reanalysis, satellite, observational, forecast).
• Familiarity with xarray, Dask, NetCDF or Zarr for scalable scientific‑data workflows.
• Experience with GPU or distributed training.

What we offer

• Competitive tax‑free monthly salary.
• Housing allowance and comprehensive medical insurance.
• Annual return flight and full visa support.
• Opportunity to work in Abu Dhabi, a safe city with modern amenities.