We are growing our team!
by Mona Alsubaei, David Helgason
The climate crisis is the defining challenge of our time. The stakes are high. The need is urgent. The opportunity is vast, very vast.
Climate is not a sector; it's a force that cuts across all industries. This means the people tackling the climate crisis need to reflect that diversity. At Transition, we've built a team that includes founders, investors, scientists, policy shapers, and more. And this past year, our PhD fellow Shan has been a valuable addition to that skillset.
Hear it from him!
“As the inaugural PhD Fellow, I was immediately treated as part of the core team: contributing my scientific expertise in Monday dealflow meetings and learning from the investors about markets and team assessment. The role struck a perfect balance between academic depth and hands-on VC experience, letting me translate technical concepts for investment decisions while deepening my understanding of how breakthrough research becomes scalable climate solutions.
What made the fellowship especially valuable was the chance to engage across the entire investment process from sourcing to technical diligence and eventually market analysis. I explored topics well beyond my PhD, from energy-efficient chips to clean ammonia synthesis. The cherry on top was meeting so many brilliant founders and playing a small role in helping them shape the future.” – Shan, 2024 Fellow
So following the success of last year, we’re now hiring our second PhD Fellow for a one-year, part-time, remote role. You’ll expand our scientific reach and support our investment work from sourcing and diligence to shaping how research becomes real-world climate impact.
Who is likely to thrive in the role?
Someone curious and eager to learn.
We’re a team with broad passions and knowledge. Even our most specialised Venture Partners love seeking out new areas of learning; take Eerik Hantsoo as an example - he’s a battery expert by trade, but has been exploring robotics. We want our PhD Fellow to be generous with their attention: help us learn from your expertise, but also be a sponge for new information and experiences.
Someone who values clear communication in all its forms.
We’re a diverse team, speaking multiple languages and collaborating across several time zones, so clear, concise and empathetic communication is key. Strong communication in our minds also means having the ability to translate highly technical ideas into digestible formats for diverse audiences, which will be a crucial component of this role.
Someone with an entrepreneurial spirit.
We want our team to reflect the dynamism, ambition and tenacity we see every day in climate founders. Perhaps our PhD Fellow has founded something in the past? Maybe they’re keen to walk that exciting path in the future and want to immerse themselves in the world of venture capital to learn how? Regardless, having the ability to navigate ambiguity and thrive in ever-changing environments (and gaining great energy from doing so!) is something we feel our PhD fellow will have.
Someone who exhibits humility and a desire to collaborate.
While our PhD Fellow will bring depth of knowledge in their field of expertise, they’ll be faced with a huge amount of topics and situations that will be brand new and unfamiliar. Being open, humble and willing to ask for support when things feel unclear and uncomfortable is the way we grow. We are too smart to pretend to be smart, someone needs to ask the stupid questions!
What impact will you make during your Transition fellowship?
Lead an investment thesis in an emerging scientific area of your interest (supported by the wider Transition team).
Help us to build and engage with your community both on your campus, across campuses and beyond.
Contribute to the end-to-end work of our investment team, pitching in with deal sourcing and due diligence where relevant.
Work directly with some of Transition’s portfolio companies, using your knowledge, perspective and network to work through difficult problems collaboratively
Recap of key details
Position: PhD Fellow
Location: USA or Europe, remote.
Commitment: Part-time (10 hours per week). We are open to more hours depending on your availability
Sectors: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Plants Science, Systems Engineering. Or any major relevant to climate science. We are not looking for battery-related expertise at the moment.
Duration of appointment: 12 months
Requirements: Work authorization and active enrollment in a PhD program
Compensation: This is a paid position with a competitive stipend
Deadline: Please submit your application by September 30th. We’ll review applications on a rolling basis.
Job Application
Please use this link to submit your application
We've added some questions below. They are optional, but we are more likely to get excited about you, if we know more about you and what motivates you! We know your time is valuable, so keep your answers brief and to the point.
What thesis do you want to work on, and why?
What is your favorite and least favorite Transition investment, and why? Here is the link to our portfolio
Which startup from your university are you most excited about? And Why?
What underrated (not famous) book and film do you love and want to share? And why? Could be fiction, non-fiction, documentary, animation, climate, non-climate, poetry, graphic novel, children's books, anything really!
Optional: One of the most important skills in VC is translating complexity, help us see how you’d do that. Can you provide an elegant and simple explanation of a complex topic in your field? Look at this link here for ideas and inspiration