We are a science-driven, philanthropically funded nonprofit that accelerates progress on
unsolved climate challenges. Our goal is to enable a safer climate by filling targeted gaps in
current climate action. We look around the corner at the key blind spots that pose big climate
risks or offer big climate opportunities—like major sources of unabated emissions—then work to
speed up development of the fields needed to address those challenges.
Rather than betting on individual pathways, we work to grow fields as a whole so the most
effective science and solutions can be surfaced and scaled. We use a large suite of field-
building tools to support new research, markets, policies, and talent development, through both
in-house initiatives and broader coalitions. We are currently focused on super pollutants from
agriculture, warming-induced greenhouse gas emissions, and methane removal.
Methane emissions account for roughly 30% of current global warming, and even with
aggressive reductions, atmospheric concentrations are expected to remain elevated due to
hard-to-abate sources—including warming-induced emissions from permafrost and wetlands.
Methane removal has emerged as a potential strategy to help manage this risk by accelerating
the natural breakdown of atmospheric methane, but the field is at an early stage and in need of
foundational research, coordination, and rigorous assessment of different potential pathways.
Spark's Methane Removal program accelerates the assessment of the viability of methane
removal to inform the broader climate solutions portfolio. We work across science, engagement,
funding, and governance to help determine—more quickly than would otherwise be
possible—whether methane removal can be a viable option for reducing climate risk.
This is a targeted hire to build the Methane Removal program’s biological methane removal
expertise. The role is a one-year, part-time hourly appointment focused on microbial
approaches to methane removal, specifically methanotrophs, and is designed for an established
scientist who wants to engage with the nonprofit sector on a part-time basis—including those
who are semi-retired, hold other professional commitments, or are exploring how to apply deep
expertise to field-building and applied research strategy.
The first six months will focus on a comprehensive literature review and relationship-building
across the biological methane removal research community to identify Spark’s highest-leverage
entry points. The second six months will translate those findings into action—developing a
funding solicitation and seeing it through the full grants process to award.
This position reports directly to Methane Removal Program Director Megan Melamed.
Months 1–6: Landscape Assessment
• Lead a rigorous literature review of biological methane removal, with a focus on
methanotrophs, synthesizing the state of the science, key knowledge gaps, and most
promising research directions.
• Draw on existing scientific relationships and networks to ground the assessment in
current research practice and community thinking.
• Identify Spark’s highest-leverage entry point for biological approaches—where targeted
investment could most meaningfully advance the field.
• Produce a clear written assessment to guide internal strategy and inform external
communications.
Months 7–12: Solicitation Development and Grants
• Lead development of a funding solicitation based on the landscape assessment findings,
including scientific framing, eligibility criteria, and evaluation rubric.
• Manage the full solicitation process: outreach, proposal review, scientific evaluation, and
grant awards.
• Contribute to program communications summarizing findings and grantmaking outcomes
for internal and external audiences.
Duties and Responsibilities
Scientific Guidance and Research
• Provide expert scientific guidance on biological methane removal to the Program
Director and program team.
• Lead the landscape review and synthesize findings into high-quality written outputs,
including assessment reports and solicitation materials.
• Evaluate grant proposals for scientific merit, strategic alignment, and contribution to the
broader field.
Knowledge Integration and Field Building
• Leverage established relationships across the research community to strengthen
Spark’s understanding of current practice and emerging directions.
• Contribute to thought leadership outputs such as perspective pieces, white papers, and
field assessments.
• Support engagement with key scientific stakeholders and partners to advance
foundational research on biological methane removal.
• Ph.D. in microbiology, biochemistry, environmental science, or a closely related field.
• 15+ years of combined professional and research experience; deep expertise in
biological methane cycling, methanotrophs, or closely related systems.
• Track record of scientific leadership, including high-quality publications, reports, or
applied research outputs.
• Ability to synthesize large bodies of literature and engage effectively with both scientific
and non-scientific audiences.
• Experience working across disciplines, institutions, or sectors; genuine interest in
applying scientific expertise to field-building or policy-relevant research.
• Prior experience in a scientific advisory, consulting, or part-time capacity with a
nonprofit, government agency, or foundation.
• Established relationships within the biological methane removal, microbiology, or related
research communities.
• Experience with grant-making processes, solicitation design, or research program
development.
• Ability to evaluate scientific approaches through the lens of scalability, cost-
effectiveness, and deployment feasibility — not just scientific merit.
Spark Climate Solutions is a nimble, impact-focused nonprofit driving urgent progress on
underinvested climate solutions. You’ll join a team of scientists, strategists, and systems
thinkers working to shift the trajectory of global climate mitigation. This role offers the chance to
make a material difference on some of the world’s most potent and overlooked emissions
sources.
As with all positions at Spark Climate Solutions, this will be 100% remote. Employees can work
anywhere within the United States, or internationally with approval. Travel expectations are
minimal and will be discussed with candidates based on scope and availability.
$80 - $110 an hour
For part-time employees, Spark offers pro-rated PTO based on hours worked, sick time, and 401k matching
*We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
Menu
Stay in touch
Sign up to our Spark newsletter and stay updated!