Postdoctoral Researcher

Position Description

African Research Center on Air Quality and Climate (ARC_AIR) of UM6P invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher position within an interdisciplinary research program focusing on the integrated analysis of climate change, urbanization, resource systems, and territorial performance, with a particular emphasis on Morocco, Africa, and semi-arid to arid regions.

The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of Earth Observation, geospatial analytics, artificial intelligence, climate and sustainability science, aiming to develop predictive, decision-oriented, and operational frameworks for climate-resilient and sustainable territories.

Research Scope and Objectives

• AI-driven territorial diagnostics and foresight, integrating multi-source satellite data with machine learning and spatial modeling
• Climate–water–energy–agriculture interactions, with applications to water scarcity, urban heat stress, air quality, and territorial resilience
• Land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) and its impacts on surface climate, ecosystem services, and socio-economic systems
• Urban and territorial sustainability indicators, observatories, and decision-support tools for policy and planning
• Energy demand and territorial energy metabolism, including building-scale, urban-scale and territorial-scale assessments
• Urban and peri-urban agriculture as climate-resilient territorial solutions

Expected Contributions

• Conduct independent and collaborative research leading to publications in high-impact international journals
• Develop and apply advanced geospatial, statistical, and AI-based methodologies
• Contribute to international research projects, reports, and proposals
• Support the supervision of graduate students and contribute to capacity building
• Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration with researchers, institutions, and stakeholders

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Remote Sensing, Geospatial Sciences, Environmental Science, Climate Science, Data Science, Urban Studies, or related fields
• Strong background in Earth Observation data analysis and/or spatial modeling
• Proven ability to publish in high impact peer-reviewed international journals
• Experience with machine/deep learning / AI applied to environmental or urban systems
• Familiarity with climate modeling, urban climate, urban agriculture, water resources, and energy systems
• Experience working in interdisciplinary or international research projects
• Interest in policy-relevant and impact-oriented research

Application Procedure

Interested candidates should submit the following documents:

1. Cover letter outlining research interests and motivation
2. Curriculum Vitae (including publication list)
3. Research statement (1–2 pages) describing alignment with the research program
4. One or two representative publications
5. Contact information of two referees