ARC_AIR - Postdoctoral Position in Earth Observation, AI, and Territorial Sustainability

Organisation/Company MOHAMMED VI POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY Research Field Computer science Environmental science Geosciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Established Researcher (R3) Final date to receive applications 27 Feb 2026 - 00:00 (UTC) Country Morocco Type of Contract Permanent Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) is an institution dedicated to research and innovation in Africa, aiming to position itself among the world’s leading universities in its fields. The University is committed to economic and human development and places research and innovation at the heart of Africa’s progress. This approach enables UM6P to strengthen Morocco’s leadership in these areas through a unique model based on partnerships and by fostering the development of skills essential for Africa’s future.

Located in the municipality of Benguerir, at the heart of the Green City, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University aspires to make a lasting impact at the national, continental, and global levels.

The African Research Center on Air Quality and Climate () is a research unit within UM6P dedicated to advancing scientific understanding and innovative solutions in the fields of air quality, atmospheric chemistry, and climate. ’s mission is to support sustainable development in Africa through high-impact research, capacity building, and technology transfer. The center brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers, engineers, and students working on addressing environmental challenges such as industrial emissions, urban pollution, and climate change impacts.  

also collaborates closely with national and international partners to strengthen Africa’s contribution to global atmospheric science and to develop tools and strategies that guide evidence-based policy making.

• Earth Observation
• Climate Change
• Urban and Territorial Sustainability
• Water–Energy–Food Nexus

African Research Center on Air Quality and Climate () of UM6P invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher position within an interdisciplinary research program focusing on the integrated analysis of climate change, urbanization, resource systems, and territorial performance, with a particular emphasis on Morocco, Africa, and semi-arid to arid regions.

The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of Earth Observation, geospatial analytics, artificial intelligence, climate and sustainability science, aiming to develop predictive, decision-oriented, and operational frameworks for climate-resilient and sustainable territories.

The successful candidate will contribute to the following research axes:

• AI-driven territorial diagnostics and foresight, integrating multi-source satellite data with machine learning and spatial modeling
• Climate–water–energy–agriculture interactions, with applications to water scarcity, urban heat stress, air quality, and territorial resilience
• Land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) and its impacts on surface climate, ecosystem services, and socio-economic systems
• Urban and territorial sustainability indicators, observatories, and decision-support tools for policy and planning
• Energy demand and territorial energy metabolism, including building-scale, urban-scale and territorial-scale assessments
• Urban and peri-urban agriculture as climate-resilient territorial solutions

By joining this program, the postdoctoral researcher is expected to:

• Conduct independent and collaborative research leading to publications in high-impact international journals
• Develop and apply advanced geospatial, statistical, and AI-based methodologies
• Contribute to international research projects, reports, and proposals
• Support the supervision of graduate students and contribute to capacity building
• Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration with researchers,…