Hydrologist

Who we are: First Street is the standard for Climate Risk Financial Modeling. We use transparent and peer-reviewed methodologies to calculate the past, present, and future climate risk for every property in the world. We started working with the world’s leading climate scientists to create groundbreaking, climate-adjusted, property specific models over 8 years ago and haven’t stopped. 

Our mission: We exist to connect climate and financial risk. 

Our data: We create physics-based, deterministic models of flooding, wildfire and hurricanes, and advanced statistical models of extreme heat, air quality, drought, hail, severe convective storms, winter storms, and more. All of this data is used to create property-level financial risk metrics and macroeconomic variables to quantify the impacts of climate, property by property.

Our customers: We empower governments at the highest levels to make smart regulations, businesses to avoid bad investments, and everyday Americans to understand their personal risk from climate change. We are relied on every day by:

• Agencies ranging from the U.S. Department of Treasury to Fannie Mae

• The world's biggest banks such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo 

• Institutional investors like Nuveen and Blackstone 

• Millions of everyday users on Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, Homes.com, and more 

We believe:  With the right data, we can identify the problems, avoid bad investments, and implement solutions. This is why we have invested tens of millions of dollars into our science, data, people, and products and have raised tens of millions more to move even faster. Read more about our culture here and see what Climate Risk Financial Modeling is all about here. 

Come join us and use your talents to change the world.

Team & Role Overview:

We are looking for a Hydrological Scientist with a specialization in flood analysis and modeling to join our team. This person will need to have several years of postdoctoral professional experience and the ability to lead projects independently.

What you’ll do:

• Conduct hydrologic/hydraulic analysis and modeling to evaluate extreme flood events and their impacts.

• Develop and operate the First Street Flood Model to produce high-resolution hazard maps at national and regional scales.

• Innovate and implement new methodologies to enhance flood model performance and assess flood risks with high spatial resolution.

• Oversee model production processes, including quality control and ongoing evaluation/validation.

• Identify, acquire, and integrate new data inputs and methodologies into the First Street Flood Model to improve accuracy and usability.

• Manage workflows for model and data processing using commercial cloud platforms and local cluster computing resources.

What you’ll need:

• An advanced degree (e.g., M.S. or Ph.D.) in hydrology, water resources engineering, or a related field.

• Strong foundation in understanding and modeling hydrological cycles and extreme events enhanced by climate change.

• Strong knowledge of probability, statistics, and extreme value analysis related to precipitation and flood frequency.

• Strong experience in handling and analyzing time series data and gridded weather variable datasets.

• Strong knowledge of climate projection data such as CMIP6

• Demonstrated experience in flood modeling and risk assessment.

• Proficiency in big data analysis, high-capacity processing workflows, machine learning, and cloud computing.

• Advanced programming skills using both compiled and scripted languages (e.g., Python, Matlab, UNIX shell, C++, Fortran, SQL) and GIS software (e.g., QGIS, ArcGIS).

• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative team environment.

What will make you stand out:

• Skills/Experience in developing large-scale extreme value models.

• Skills/Experience in modeling inland, coastal, and/or compound flooding events.

• Skills/Experience in creating satellite-based flood inundation maps for validation and calibration purposes.

• Experience authoring peer-reviewed scientific publications

How we work: 

• Impact: We only focus on things that move the needle 

• Drive: We are driven by the role we play in connecting climate and financial risk 

• Ownership: This is our company and we act accordingly

• Urgency: We move quickly because the world depends on it 

• Resilience: We have a growth mindset in all that we do

What we offer: 

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience 

• Ownership interest in the company via Employee Stock Option Plan 

• Hybrid Schedule with in-office work days on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 

• 15 vacation days along with 8 statutory company holidays, 5 days for winter break office closure, and 10 sick days 

• Health benefits covered at 100% for employee or a significant contribution for family plans 

• Vision and dental benefits with partial employee contribution

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave 

• Access to One Medical, Teledoc, HealthAdvocate, Kindbody, and Talkspace

• Company 401k program 

• Commuter benefits 

• Life Insurance

• Tech startup environment 

• Weekly team meals and an office stocked with coffee and snacks 

• Working on the world’s biggest issue with other passionate professionals 

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.