CMCC is seeking two highly motivated and talented recent early career post graduate researchers in Environmental Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Physics to contribute to the development and integration of the hydrological component within large-scale energy system models (e.g., PyPSA, MACRO).
The main objective is to make these models dynamic and sensitive to hydro-climatic variability, enabling a more realistic and time-varying representation of water availability, hydropower generation, and reservoir operations under both current and future climate conditions.
By embedding hydrological processes and feedbacks, the new modelling framework will provide a more accurate assessment of seasonal patterns, climate variability, and long-term change, and their implications for energy planning, system flexibility, and associated costs.
A further dimension of the work will involve considering the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with large dams and reservoirs, to better quantify their climate footprint and integrate these effects into the broader assessment of energy system decarbonization pathways.
The research will combine data analysis, process-based modelling, and software development, ultimately producing a robust, open-source module suitable for use in regional to continental-scale studies of energy transition and climate resilience.
This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the interface between hydrology, climate science, and energy systems, and to contribute to the next generation of climate- and sustainability-aware energy planning tools. The candidate will collaborate with an international, multidisciplinary research team and play an active role in CMCC’s mission to advance sustainable, equitable, and resilient low-carbon transitions through science-based innovation.

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Application deadline: 15 November 2025