Agriculture and Land Use Modeler, FLW

Worldwide

This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days/month in the office. You can be based in our office in Washington DC, London, or The Hague. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position. To be eligible for this position in US, you must be a resident of DC, Maryland or Virginia at the start of employment.

About the Program:

WRI’s Food, Land, and Water Program works to transform the way the world produces and consumes food and other land-based products to create a better future for people, nature and the climate. We curate open data platforms around food systems and develop cutting-edge research and innovative partnerships to produce more food while protecting and restoring ecosystems and shifting toward lower-carbon consumption patterns (e.g., reducing food loss and waste, shifting to healthier and more sustainable diets), including through advancing innovative technologies. WRI reports such as Creating a Sustainable Food Future (2019) and The Global Land Squeeze (2023), informed by quantitative modeling, have helped elevate food systems transformation in the global climate and nature agendas. www.wri.org/food

Job Highlight:

You will be responsible for integrating equity into your work.

Reporting to the Director for Agriculture Initiatives, you will be responsible for developing and testing a user-friendly, open-access modelling tool combining features of several WRI food and land use models and data sets, with a view to helping policymakers and other stakeholders in food and land use systems estimate the impacts of current and future food production, food consumption, and other land use factors such as energy, timber, and feedstocks for the bioeconomy, on land use scenarios to 2050 and beyond. You will be supported by project teams in the Food, Land, and Water Program in the U.S., Europe, and Africa, and also work with the WRI Data Lab. You will also collaborate closely with modelers in WRI partner organizations. There will be multiple opportunities to publish model results in WRI knowledge products and peer-reviewed journals.

What will you do:

Learn WRI’s food and land use models and data sets (35%):

• Learn to use the ClimAg and Carbon Harvest (CHARM) models
• Learn to use the Land & Carbon Lab’s cropland and pastureland datasets
• Meet with teams who curate the models and datasets
• Work with senior colleagues in the Food, Land, and Water Program and the WRI Data Lab, to develop a plan for a consolidated, user-friendly, open-access modeling tool

Develop a user-friendly, open-access modelling tool (65%):

• In coordination with partners, revise the existing WRI-used models over time, including by incorporating additional modules or datasets as relevant
• Help develop a modeling tool for transparently evaluating trade-offs between different uses of land and biomass
• Work with colleagues and partners to develop realistic assumptions for the models, reflecting the specific circumstances and policies of the analyzed countries
• Work with colleagues and partners to develop user-friendly interfaces for some models or modeling elements
• Work with colleagues and partners to identify and implement pilot use cases for the modeling tool
• Help summarize and interpret results to support communication and policy activities
• Assist other colleagues with short-term modeling tasks as needed

What will you need:

• Education: You have a completed degree in computer science, earth science, or another relevant field. Relevant work experience in lieu of degree is accepted
• Experience: You have a minimum of 7 years of prior work experience
• Excellent computer programming skills and experience with a variety of programming languages, including Python
• Experience with developing modeling systems
• Has authored or co-authored one or more documents reporting research methods and results
• Experience with agricultural and/or land use systems and their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is desirable
• Experience with using both statistical and spatial data (GIS) is desirable
• Ability to understand and anticipate real-world implications of future scenarios and methodological choices
• Ability to spend several weeks per year traveling to work in the US, Europe, and/or Africa with colleagues and partners
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently as well as part of a team
• Ability to adapt to rapidly changing priorities
• Ability to think creatively and innovatively
• Ability to work with external partners in a professional and collaborative manner
• Languages: Verbal and written proficiency in English
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization

Potential Salary:

US salary range is between 116,000 and 139,000 USD if based in the US. For the UK: 54K – 68K GBP; For the NL: 68K – 86K EUR. If located in another country office, salary will be determined by local market conditions. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with a required cover letter by the date of September 25, 2025. We may close for applications sooner if we receive a high volume of qualified applications.

We are unable to consider your application without a cover letter in addition to your resume.

You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure
• For US location: Medical Coverage, Dental Coverage, Vision Coverage, retirement plan access and employer contribution

About Us:

World Resources Institute works to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization, we leverage our data, expertise and global reach to influence policy and catalyse change across systems like food, land and water; energy; and cities. Our 2,000+ staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Independence, Integrity, Impact, Partnership and Care.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission including equal opportunities in employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, caste, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications