Associate Professor of Climate Science
About the Role
Our client, a prestigious university in Saudi Arabia, is seeking a highly qualified and accomplished Associate Professor of Climate Science to join their faculty. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research and teaching in one of the world’s most dynamic regions, with a focus on addressing global and regional climate challenges that are particularly acute in arid and semi-arid environments.
Saudi Arabia sits at the center of one of the world’s most climate-sensitive regions — and universities in the Kingdom are building serious research capacity to study, model, and address those challenges. This is a role for a climate scientist who wants their work to matter in a place where the stakes are real, the funding is genuine, and the institutional commitment to climate research is growing rapidly.
Key Responsibilities
Research and Scholarship
- Conduct advanced research in climate science with an emphasis on areas such as climate modeling, change mitigation, adaptation strategies, and arid region climatology relevant to Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East.
- Publish research findings in leading peer-reviewed journals and present work at international conferences to enhance the university’s reputation for research excellence in the climate sciences.
- Develop and actively pursue external research funding including grants, industry partnerships, and government-funded research initiatives at both national and international levels.
Teaching and Instruction
- Deliver high-quality undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in climate science and related disciplines, designing coursework that is academically rigorous and regionally relevant.
- Foster a stimulating and inclusive learning environment that encourages critical thinking, scientific literacy, and engagement with real-world climate challenges.
- Develop and regularly update course materials to reflect current developments in climate science research, policy, and practice.
Student Supervision and Mentorship
- Supervise and mentor graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, guiding them through research design, methodology, and the publication and presentation of findings.
- Support the academic and professional development of students and early-career researchers, helping them build competitive profiles for academic and policy careers.
Collaboration and Partnerships
- Collaborate with academic colleagues, industry partners, and governmental organizations to advance research initiatives and contribute to national and international climate science agendas.
- Build interdisciplinary partnerships across departments and with external institutions to strengthen the university’s climate research capacity and visibility.
- Engage with regional and international climate policy networks to ensure research outputs contribute meaningfully to evidence-based decision-making.
Service and Governance
- Participate actively in departmental and university governance, contributing to curriculum development, program review, and strategic planning for the climate science program.
- Serve on academic committees and engage with university-wide initiatives related to sustainability, environmental research, and institutional strategy.
Required and Preferred Qualifications
Skills and Attributes
Exceptional written and verbal communication with the ability to engage diverse audiences from undergraduate students to government policymakers and international scientific communities.
Strong leadership and team-building capabilities with a genuine commitment to fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and building a supportive and productive research environment.
Open to interdisciplinary approaches in research and teaching, with a global outlook and the cultural adaptability needed to contribute effectively in an international academic environment.
Demonstrated commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion within academic settings, including in student mentorship, curriculum design, and research team culture.
What the University Offers
Why Saudi Arabia, Why Now
Saudi Arabia is one of the most consequential places in the world to conduct climate science research. As one of the world’s largest oil producers navigating a genuine energy transition, and as a country facing acute climate pressures including extreme heat, water scarcity, and desertification, the region is both deeply implicated in global climate dynamics and increasingly committed to understanding and addressing them.
Universities in Saudi Arabia are investing significantly in research capacity across the sciences, and climate science is a clear priority. For a researcher with strong credentials and a willingness to engage with a new academic and cultural context, this is a genuinely rare opportunity — with institutional support, regional relevance, and the kind of career impact that is difficult to replicate in more crowded academic markets.
The most important climate science of the next decade will come from researchers who are willing to work in the places where the challenges are most acute and the answers most urgently needed.
Retained Search by Excelon Associates
Excelon Associates is a retained executive search firm headquartered in Asheville, NC, with additional offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, FL. Our higher education practice supports international faculty recruitment across the Middle East and beyond, placing professors, associate professors, program directors, and academic leaders at universities committed to building world-class research programs. Since 2007 we have placed faculty and academic leaders at institutions in the United States and internationally.
For institutions seeking exceptional climate science faculty for international appointments, reach out to start a confidential conversation. You can also browse our full sample job descriptions library for related higher education and international faculty roles.
Hiring an Associate Professor of Climate Science?
Excelon Associates recruits international climate science faculty and academic leaders for higher education institutions across the Middle East and globally. Headquartered in Asheville, NC. Retained search since 2007.