Energy Systems & AI Research Lead

About the role

The Energy Systems & AI Research Lead will act as the scientific integrator for the NEST programme, connecting energy modelling, artificial intelligence, and policy expertise to produce decision‑relevant climate solutions. This fully remote, three‑year grant‑funded position reports to the Open Earth Foundation team and collaborates with partners such as IIASA, Central European University, Imperial College London, and the Active Inference Institute.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the primary energy‑systems expert and lead scientific integration across institutions and disciplines.
• Translate requirements between energy modelers, AI researchers, inference scientists, and policy analysts.
• Guide the development of AI‑agent architectures that couple nested energy models from buildings to national systems.
• Manage programme milestones, deliverables, and cross‑scale reasoning processes.
• Utilise AI‑native coordination tools to minimise administrative overhead and focus on methodological breakthroughs.

Required profile

• Proven scientific leadership in energy systems, AI, or related fields.
• Experience managing multi‑institutional research programmes.
• Ability to work across Central European and U.S. Pacific time zones.
• Strong communication skills for interdisciplinary translation.

Required skills

• Energy modelling
• AI research and development
• Bayesian inference

What we offer

• Fully remote work with flexible hours.
• Three‑year grant‑funded contract with renewal potential.
• Opportunity to shape open digital infrastructure for planetary stewardship.