Dr. Guillaume Mauger named Washington State Climatologist

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Dr. Guillaume Mauger has been named the next director of the Office of the Washington State Climatologist. Mauger’s appointment began earlier this month. 

Mauger succeeds Dr. Nick Bond, who retired from the role in February after nearly 14 years. Karin Bumbaco, deputy state climatologist, served as interim state climatologist from February to May. 

Currently a research scientist at the Climate Impacts Group, Mauger has 15 years of experience working in climate change impacts and adaptation in the Pacific Northwest with a focus on flooding and water availability.

“Mauger’s deep knowledge of climate impacts in the Northwest and long history working with decision makers, resource managers and community members makes him an excellent choice for the next State Climatologist,” Jason Vogel, interim director of the Climate Impacts Group, says. “We are thrilled he will be stepping into this role and leading the Office to provide even greater support to the citizens and communities of Washington state.” 

Specializing in Climate Science, Mauger has worked on projects that assess hydrologic changes across a variety of Northwest watersheds, worked to apply climate information in water supply planning and collaborated with floodplain managers to integrate climate change into their work. In addition to his research, he serves as a resource to stakeholders who are interested in obtaining and understanding the numerous climate and hydrologic datasets that are now available. 

“I am excited to get to work,” Mauger says. “Washington State is ahead of the game on climate, and I see a lot of potential for building on that good work.”

Bringing his wealth of experience in co-produced and applied climate research, Mauger will build on OWSC’s valued role as an expert in climate science, as a source of digestible climate information and as a collaborator on climate-related initiatives. One of several near-term initiatives is to reprioritize community engagement for the Office to effectively reach new audiences. 

“We are excited to think critically about how we engage across the state,” says Karin Bumbaco, deputy state climatologist, who will work closely with Mauger in his new role. “For example, we are exploring ways to train students in climate communication, and are developing a new “Climate Matters” database as a resource for learning about local climate phenomena.” 

A near-term priority is to ensure the sustainability of the Office, so it can continue to support Washington State with reputable climate data and interpretation, capacity building and applied climate research.

The Office of the Washington State Climatologist will remain a program of the Climate Impacts Group, and the organizations will continue to collaborate on projects and initiatives. Mauger will remain a member of the leadership team for the Climate Impacts Group.

Now Hiring: Washington State Climatologist

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The Office of the Washington State Climatologist and the Climate Impacts Group are hiring a State Climatologist to lead the activities of the Office of the Washington State Climatologist. 

APPLY NOW 

The Office of the Washington State Climatologist serves as a credible and expert source of climate and weather information for the state of Washington. They specialize in analyzing weather and climate trends within the broader context of climate change, and disseminating this information through presentations, media interviews, committee participation and more. The Office’s newly-released strategic plan outlines four strategic goals in support of their mission: 1) provide reputable climate data and interpretation, 2) broaden climate services through targeted engagement, 3) coproduce new applied climate research, and 4) acquire resources for the sustainability of the Office.

The State Climatologist will direct the Deputy State Climatologist to fulfill the Office’s mission while executing on the Office’s strategic plan. A major component of this work will be to fundraise to build capacity for the Office. Additionally, the State Climatologist will respond to media requests and public presentation requests and engage with state agencies and other decision makers. This position will also serve as the lead principal investigator for the Office and conduct applied research on regional weather, climate and climate change.

We are seeking candidates with expertise in meteorology, climatology or other environmental fields, who have experience presenting technical information to a variety of audiences. We are also seeking candidates with experience co-producing research, fundraising and writing grant proposals. 

The Office of the Washington State Climatologist is housed within the UW Climate Impacts Group and is a member organization of EarthLab. The State Climatologist will join a team of principal investigators at the UW Climate Impacts Group. This is a .5 FTE position; additional fundraising and grant writing would be required to develop this role into a full-time position.

The salary range for this position is $3,850-$4,600 per month for a 0.5 FTE position ($7,700-$9,200 per month at full time) or $46,200-$55,200 annually for a 0.5 FTE position ($92,400-$110,400 annually at full time). This position is located in Seattle, and a hybrid (but not fully remote) telework agreement is possible.

We will start reviewing applications for this position on March 1, 2024. To learn more and apply, visit the UW hires website. We look forward to reviewing your application! 

 

Questions and answers about this position:

We will post answers to questions we receive about this position on this webpage to ensure transparency and equity in our hiring process. Please check back occasionally for more information.

Q: Is this position open to non-U.S. candidates?
A: We cannot sponsor a visa for this position. This position is only open to applicants in the U.S.

Washington State Climate Office releases new strategic plan

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The Washington State Climate Office (formerly called the Office of the Washington State Climatologist) has released a new strategic plan to guide their future work. Among several key priorities, the strategic plan emphasizes engaging with decision makers and communities and co-producing applied research. 

Building off of their long history of providing climate data and information for local and state governments, communities, tribes and other organizations, the Washington State Climate Office will develop new long-term partnerships with priority stakeholders, help build capacity among key partners and cultivate applied and multi-disciplinary research collaborations. The Office will also explore new avenues of funding to help grow and sustain themselves over the long-term. 

One key focus area will be to replicate their successful drought partnership with state agencies, for example by focusing on a new effort of sharing weather and climate information with state and local health departments. Modeled after their coordination with the Water Supply Availability Committee (a Washington state interagency committee), the Climatologist’s Office looks to share information and help build capacity for planning and responding to other climate risks. 

The strategic plan was led by the Office of the Washington State Climatologist with input from the Climate Impacts Group, and support from the College of the Environment. “As we prepare to have some staffing changes at the Office, it was the right time to reflect on our successes over the last 20 years and think hard about our future role and how working toward a larger presence could enhance the climate services we already provide,” Deputy State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco said.

In summer 2023, the Washington State Climate Office joined the Climate Impacts Group and became a member organization of EarthLab; the strategic plan further aligns the goals of the Office and their new host organizations. The Climate Impacts Group and the Washington State Climate Office both have a long history of co-producing applied research in climate services and engaging with a diverse range of partners on similar topics. EarthLab provides capacity-building and support for each of their nine member organizations, and brings a strategic approach to funding and growth. Over the next several years, the Climate Office also aims to strengthen their partnerships across the College of the Environment and the University of Washington.

WASCO Strategic Plan (PDF)