Fellow, Aviation (Private Jets)

Position description

The ICCT is an award-winning, independent, global, non-profit research organization that supports the effective design and implementation of policies to address the impacts of the global transportation sector on climate change and public health. Our organization achieves this by providing high quality and timely data-driven research to public officials at all levels of government – city, state, national, regional and international – as well as to civil society and the media. The ICCT offers a mission-driven and culturally diverse workplace where intelligence, flexibility, transparency, and good humor are highly valued. Join our growing team of talented researchers with offices in Washington D.C., San Francisco, CA, Berlin, Germany, Beijing, China, New Delhi, India, and São Paulo, Brazil.   

The ICCT seeks a highly motivated and committed individual to fill a 1-year Fellowship Position for the Aviation Program in San Francisco, California or Washington, DC. This position will analyze greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from private jets as an input into public policy. 

In 2022, the UN agreed upon a 2050 net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) goal for international aviation. Private jets are thought to contribute a relatively small percentage (~2%) to aviation GHGs, but this figure is highly uncertain. Increasing scrutiny of private jet emissions from celebrities including Drake, Taylor Swift, and Elon Musk has highlighted the equity implications of private jets. Moreover, given the very high willingness-to-pay for private aviation, private jets have the potential to serve as technology demonstration platforms for technologies like sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and zero emission planes (ZEPs) powered by hydrogen. But further work is needed to understand their operations in order to develop policies to control their emissions. 

You Will: 

• Work with ICCT’s Aviation Director to develop the first global, bottom up GHG and air pollution inventory for private jets using ADS-B data.
• Research policy options to address private jet emissions for publication on ICCT’s website.
• Collaborate with other Aviation researchers on research related to private jets, including contrail abatement and hydrogen aircraft research.
• Synthesize technical information into documents and presentations relevant to policy for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Engage with external stakeholders, including government officials, multilateral institutions (notably ICAO), NGOs, academics, and industries related to private jet emissions.
• Other duties as assigned.

You Have: 

• A Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred) in engineering, environmental science, data science, public policy, or a related field.
• Proficiency with processing large datasets using Python (preferred), R, or PostgreSQL.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Quantitative, analytical, and research skills, combined with strategic problem-solving, critical thinking, and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Good project management, organization, and interpersonal skills.
• An understanding of aviation transportation systems and policies is preferred.

Application instructions

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