Director, Texas Extreme Weather Adaptation Policy Lab

Job Posting Title:

Director, Texas Extreme Weather Adaptation Policy Lab

----

Hiring Department:

Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs

----

Position Open To:

All Applicants

----

Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

----

FLSA Status:

Exempt

----

Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

----

Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Mar 31, 2026

----

Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

----

Job Details:

General Notes

This position is for 2 years with the possibility of extension based on funding.

Purpose

The LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin seeks a Director for the Texas Extreme Weather Adaptation Policy Lab. The Director will oversee the development of policy-focused activities that increase the resilience of Texas communities to increasingly extreme weather events.  The Director will report to the Dean of the LBJ School as well as coordinate with Faculty at The University of Texas at Austin.   

Most important among these activities is the development of an annual Texas Extreme Weather Adaptation Leadership Academy. The Texas Extreme Weather Adaptation Leadership Academy trains local public officials and community leaders on how to adapt to the extreme weather events that are likely to impact their communities. The Academy will focus weather hazards that include: 1) extreme heat, 2) drought, 3) wildfires, 4) flooding, as well as 5) coastal flooding and erosion. For each hazard, the academy will prepare public and community leaders to understand: 

A. The predicted severity of specific extreme weather impacts on their community

B. Which populations within their community are most likely to be affected by those impacts 

C. Actions that families, businesses and governments can take to increase their resilience

D. A roadmap for improving community-scale policy adaptation

E. Which local, state, and federal programs provide technical and financial support

F. How to apply for and participate in these local, state, and federal programs 

A second activity of the Lab will be the creation of the hazard-specific policy advisory committees. Each committee will be comprised of experts from the research, private, nonprofit, and public sectors who are motivated to share their expertise with community and public leaders who seek to increase community resiliency. These advisory committees will also assist in the development of Leadership Academy trainings.     

A third activity of the Lab will involve bespoke, project-specific advising on community-specific extreme weather policy development and planning. For example, in the first year of the Policy Lab, there is an opportunity to support the City of Austin as it undertakes an impact assessment as well as a multi-hazard policy adaptation road map. These projects will serve as case studies for future use within the Leadership Academy. 

Responsibilities

• Organizing curriculum and recruiting speakers for the Extreme Weather Leadership academy with the assistance of Dean, Advisory Committees and supporters of the Academy.

• Overseeing specific impact assessments and adaptation projects for local government.

• Writing proposals. 

• Communicating and engaging with scientists who will downscale climate projections of extreme weather impacts for state and local leaders and planners.

• Coordinating with university researchers and public agency experts who focus on policy strategies for increasing local resilience to extreme weather impacts.

• Supervising a small staff and assisting with the coordination of teams of graduate students. 

• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree

• At least 2-3 years of experience with resiliency policy and planning for at least one extreme weather hazard and curious about others hazards

• Experience with proposal writing and public speaking

• Strategic thinker and creative problem solver experienced making realistic, data-driven decisions

• Highly skilled communicator with the ability to negotiate complex environments

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree

• Experience with organizing curriculum and recruiting speakers

• Experience in coordinating with scientists, university researchers, and public agency experts on data products and policy strategies

• Experience overseeing specific impact assessments and adaptation projects for local government

• Experience with supervising staff

• Eligible to serve as instructor for LBJ School graduate and