Climate Research Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

About the Opportunity 

Start Date: September 1st, 2026

Length of Fellowship: 10 months

Location Type: Hybrid

Are you passionate about tackling climate challenges and driving sustainability solutions? As a Climate Program Implementation Fellow in the Climate Corps Fellowship program, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to impactful climate protection initiatives with Bay Area Air District. This is a hybrid position with the expectation of onsite work 2 days per week.

In this role, you will work closely with a team of senior staff to implement the Bay Area Regional Climate Action Plan (BARCAP) in partnership with regional agencies, local governments, and other partners to reduce climate pollution in a way that brings key quality-of-life improvements and economic benefits to the region. This role will support overall plan implementation through planning and executing workshops and meetings, developing data visualization and storytelling, and contributing to written deliverables. You will also help advance key actions in the plan, including supporting work to develop projects to advance urban greening and address health-damaging and heat-trapping emissions from backup power at large commercial facilities, including data centers, in the region. This position offers a unique opportunity to develop your professional skills, grow your network, and contribute to Bay Area Air District's climate, air quality, and equity goals.

By serving at the Air District, you will gain firsthand experience in a public agency and insight into regional and local governance approaches for climate action. You will also learn from staff who are working collaboratively with communities and local governments to advance equitable action on clean air and climate protection, which will help illuminate opportunities and challenges for this work. You will hone your project management, facilitation, and leadership skills and gain hands-on experience producing public-facing documents, data visualizations, and stakeholder materials that inform real decisions. You will also have the opportunity to expand your professional network to include regional and local government staff, non-profit and community-based organization staff, academics, and others.

About Our Partner: Bay Area Air District

The Bay Area Air District (Air District) is a regional air pollution control agency that improves air quality to protect public health, reduce historical and current environmental inequities, and mitigate climate change and its impacts for the nine Bay Area counties. The Planning and Climate Protection (PCP) Division works to accomplish this mission through equitable, transparent, and innovative policies, plans, and programs in partnership with local governments, regional agencies, and community organizations. PCP recently led the development of the region's landmark Bay Area Regional Climate Action Plan (BARCAP) and is now focused on its implementation along with more than 30 other implementing entities.

What You'll Do

• Contributing to the development of a report to the USEPA on implementation progress, including research, data compilation, and drafting key sections.
• Assisting in planning and executing an inaugural Annual Implementers Workshop.
• Developing compelling data visualizations and narrative materials to communicate climate action progress across the region.
• Providing targeted support for sector-specific projects focused on Urban Greening and Data Centers (see below)
  • Urban greening: Participating in an internal team to identify and implement practical actions for the Air District to support equitable implementation of urban greening projects in the region.
  • Large commercial facilities/data centers: Supporting work to identify and evaluate non-regulatory approaches to addressing emissions from backup power at data centers, including research and writing.

What We Provide

• A fixed, monthly stipend of $3928.
• $1000 end-of-program financial award.
• Health care coverage with 100% of health care insurance premiums covered by SEI.
• 10 Personal Days (for a standard 10-month Fellowship), in addition to all holidays off that are observed as closure days by the partner placement site.
• Comprehensive career-readiness training, including interview prep, salary negotiation, and resume building.
• Panels, workshops, and networking with climate resilience industry professionals.
• Professional networking and learning opportunities, including a statewide climate policy conference and local government events.
• The University of California Climate Stewards Certification equips you to lead community and ecosystem resilience initiatives.

What We're Looking For

• Background or coursework in environmental policy, urban planning, climate science, public health, or a related field.
• Strong research and data analysis skills, with the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources.
• Proficiency with data visualization tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team, adaptable and capable of working in a variety of professional settings.
• Strong organizational and project coordination skills, with a positive, solutions-focused attitude.
• The ability to work onsite on a hybrid basis (2 days per week on-site). Only candidates currently residing within commuting distance of the site address will be considered.
• Commitment to a fair workplace that honors the experiences, voices, viewpoints, and values of all individuals.
• Authorization to work in the United States for the duration of the fellowship (SEI is unable to sponsor visas).
• May require occasional moving about to accomplish tasks, moving from one worksite to another, or adjusting or moving objects under 25-50 pounds in all directions.
• Must be 18 years or older to apply.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with stakeholder engagement.
• Proficiency in Tableau, ArcGIS, Excel, Python/R, or equivalent.
• Experience with public speaking, presenting, and meeting facilitation.

We encourage everyone interested in this position to apply, even if you don't meet every qualification. We value all perspectives and believe that a unique background can bring significant strengths to this role, even if some qualifications are not fully met.

Climate Corps Fellowships are classified under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as temporary, educational internships that emphasize training and career development, and thus no employment relationship exists, nor is compensation required. However, while not considered traditional employment, Fellows receive a living stipend and professional development support throughout the program.

Recruiting Timeline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage early submissions, as we may stop accepting new applications once a sufficient pool of qualified candidates is identified.