Assistant Curator in Climate Physics: Atmosphere or Ocean

The Division of Physical Sciences at the American Museum of Natural History ( AMNH) seeks an outstanding colleague to join the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences ( EPS). This is an Assistant level tenure-track appointment intended for Early Career Scientists (typically within 10 years of receiving a Ph.D.).

The museum seeks an innovative researcher and educator specializing in the physics of climate systems, with emphasis on high-impact research on atmospheric or oceanic processes and their relation to human and natural systems including ecosystems or biodiversity. The successful candidate will have demonstrated scientific creativity and the potential to establish an independent research program, mentor graduate students and post-doctoral scholars, and establish effective collaborations and partnerships within and outside of the AMNH. Applicants' research focus could include, but are not limited to, ocean-atmosphere-land interactions, climate system feedbacks, and climate sensitivities to ocean or atmosphere dynamics. The ideal candidate would naturally connect their science either through research or outreach to broader ecosystem questions, biodiversity, evolution, or climate adaptation.

Responsibilities include conducting original scientific research in climate science as well as active participation in the AMNH's exhibitions, education and public programs relating to climate change and its impact on sustainability and society. The successful candidate will demonstrate the interest and ability to engage in public outreach in line with AMNH's strategic goal to address the local and global impact of climate change and biodiversity loss through collaboration across science, education, exhibitions, and external partners. We welcome interest in collaboration with colleagues within AMNH including our Master of Arts in Teaching Earth Science Residency Program and participating in mentoring undergraduate research. In addition, we have a large community with whom to collaborate including NASA GISS, Columbia University, and the Graduate Center of CUNY.

The AMNH is a recognized leader in scientific research and academic and public education. AMNH computational resources include local HPC clusters ( CPU, GPU, high-memory nodes) as well as access to Open Science Pool (OSPool/PATh), the National Research Platform ( NRP), and ACCESS. Research data storage services have an aggregate capacity exceeding 5 petabytes (PB). High-speed data transfer is available via Globus Data Transfer Nodes (DTNs) with 10Gbps access to the Internet2 and other R&E (increasing to 40/100Gbps by early 2026). Additional resources available at the AMNH include extensive geology, zoology, anthropology, and paleontology collections; a wide range of optical, electron beam, and other analytical tools; experimental laboratories; LA- ICPMS facilities shared with Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory; and a generous internal grant program to support field research across many disciplines. Candidates must hold a doctoral degree in Atmospheric Sciences, Oceanography, Climate Science, Physics, or a closely related field and have post-doctoral research experience at the time of application submission.

The expected salary range for the Assistant Curator in Climate Physics is $125,000 - 142,000.

Pay will be determined based on several factors. The hiring range for the position at commencement is based on the type of work and the scope of responsibilities. The salary and placement offered is based on a number of individualized factors, including, but not limited to, skills, knowledge, training, education, credentials, areas of specialization and depth and scope of experience.

Candidates must hold a doctoral degree in Atmospheric Sciences, Oceanography, Climate Science, Physics, or a closely related field and have post-doctoral research experience at the time of submission.

The American Museum of Natural History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. The Museum does not discriminate with respect to employment, or admission or access to Museum facilities, programs or activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, gender (including sexual harassment), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy and lactation accommodations, alienage or citizenship status, current or former participation in the uniformed services, status as a veteran, caregiver, pre-employment marijuana testing, sexual and reproductive health decisions, salary history, national or ethnic origin, height, weight, or on account of any other basis prohibited by applicable City, State, or Federal law. Additional protections are afforded in employment based on arrest or conviction record, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, unemployment status, and credit history, in each case to the extent provided by law.

Applications should consist of:

Application materials should be submitted as a single PDF under "Other Document", with the exception of publication PDFs, which can be submitted under "Publications". Publications may be submitted as a file share link/folder if the size exceeds 10MB.

Inquiries about the position should be directed to Nathalie Goodkin (ngoodkin@amnh.org). Consideration of applications will begin October 17, 2025, but applications will continue to be accepted after this date. Applications should be submitted through the AMNH career portal: https://careers.amnh.org/ .