Quick Facts:
More than
Full-time employees
Rated among the top
High-tech companies in Hawai‘i
Over
%
PDC staff recruited through internships
Careers and Culture
Fuel your passion for innovation and public service by working with a leading tech organization that routinely pushes the limits of lifesaving possibility. For 30 years, Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) has been a pioneer in the innovation of early warning technologies, exercise scenario design, advanced analytics, and risk reduction science and research. Headquartered in Hawai‘i, PDC is regarded as a global leader in risk reduction and resilience-enhancing tools—a reputation built on the dedication and expertise of our team from across disaster management, technology, academic, and scientific disciplines. The Center’s products and services support the most demanding government customers, international, regional, and nongovernmental organizations worldwide in reducing risk and building safer, more resilient communities. As an applied science and research center managed by the University of Hawai‘i, we are always experimenting with new technologies, including applications for artificial intelligence in hazard alerting, monitoring, and predictive risk analytics. Our products benefit public users, government, humanitarian, and private sector decision makers. To learn about job opportunities with PDC, visit the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘i site at www.rcuh.com or through our LinkedIn postings.
Internships
PDC provides mentored internship opportunities to self-motivated students who take pride in their work, have a passion for learning, and a commitment to problem-solving. Our internships allow individuals to apply learned skills and theory to real-world problems.
If you are interested in applying for an internship with PDC, please review the programs below to see if there is a good match. You should also examine the criteria for a direct internship before submitting your resume with the link below.
Programs Available
Akamai Workforce Initiative
Offered to college students in Hawaii. Applications accepted in November. Please check the site for details.
https://akamaihawaii.org/interning/
University of Hawai‘i Student Employment & Cooperative Education (SECE)
Available only to college students within the UH system. PDC posts internship position descriptions to this site.
https://sece.its.hawaii.edu/sece/login
CareerLink – UH Maui College Cooperative (Co-Op) Education program
Available only to UH-MC students. Please check the site for details.
http://maui.hawaii.edu/careerlink/
Ke Alahele Program
Offered through Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) internship program
http://www.medb.org/programs/education-to-workforce/ke-alahele-education-fund/
Direct Internships
Direct internships with PDC are also available on an as-needed basis. Please inquire per the guidelines below.
Internship Criteria
- All internships are based on the island of Maui in Hawaii. PDC does not support internships outside of Maui.
- All internship programs are paid internships. However, we do not offer relocation or housing support.
- Technical internships are for summer undergraduate and graduate students. Communications internships are offered year-round.
- U.S. Citizenship is not required, however:
- Candidates MUST have permission to work in the U.S. for the duration of internship; and
- PDC does NOT sponsor visas for international students.
- Long-term internships (for graduate students) may be as long as 6 months. Candidates must submit a resume as part of the submission. Areas of interest for internship may also be submitted.
- For PDC’s direct internship program, the applicant must submit a resume. Area(s) of interest for internship may also be submitted. Internship is contingent upon need and availability.
Skills We Need
Over the years, interns have made valuable contributions to PDC projects and activities with such skills as:
Computer or GIS skills and literacy
- Computer programming (C++, Java, Jscript, …)
- Scripting (PHP, Python, Shell, …)
- Web/App development (HTML, CSS, JSON, …)
- AI experience and/or interest
- GIS (data processing, visualization, …)
- Imagery and/or Image analysis
- Physical sciences and/or modeling
- Data analysis and/or statistics
Communications or design skills and literacy
- Public relations, communications, content development experience
- Web UX / UI design principles
- Graphic design using latest Adobe products
- Video editing
- Marketing copy development
- Social media content management
Follow Us
Following recent impacts to northern Madagascar and Mozambique, Tropical Cyclone Jude is now aiming towards southern Madagascar. Landfall is anticipated within the next 2 days.
According to PDC's automated Event Brief and advanced analytics, an estimated 91,300 people may become exposed to damaging winds along the current forecast track. Madagascar has been impacted by several cyclones since December 2024, starting with Tropical Cyclone Chido.
Download our free Disaster Alert app to receive early warnings and updates on tropical cyclones and 27 other types of hazards!
>>> Available on Google Play and the iOS App Store (Search "Disaster Alert" in the app stores)
Are you a Disaster Manager or Humanitarian Assistance Practitioner?
>>> Access our award-winning, multi-hazard early warning and risk intelligence platform—trusted by disaster managers worldwide!
>>> Learn more at www.pdc.org/disasteraware/
#EarlyWarningforAll #SaferWorld #TropicalCyclone #Madagascar #jude #Mozambique #DisasterAlert #DisasterAWARE
BNGRC
Stay safe and stay informed—get alerts on earthquakes and 27 other types of hazards with PDC's free Disaster Alert app. Download now!
Download our free Disaster Alert app for early warnings and near real-time information—enhanced by AI—for 28 types of natural and man-made hazards around the world!
>>> Available on Google Play and the iOS App Store (Search "Disaster Alert" in the app stores)
Are you a Disaster Manager or Humanitarian Assistance Practitioner?
>>> Access our award-winning, multi-hazard early warning and risk intelligence platform—trusted by disaster managers worldwide!
>>> Learn more at www.pdc.org/disasteraware/
#EarlyWarningforAll #SaferWorld #DisasterAlert #hurricane #volcano #fire #flood #tsunami #earthquake #disaster #hazard #landslide #tornado #winterstorm #storm #wildfire #severestorm
Get alerts, stay safe! Access the #1 award-winning, multi-hazard early warning and risk intelligence technology trusted by disaster managers worldwide.
Disaster Alert app (3.5 million downloads, worldwide!)
• Stay alert from anywhere with our FREE Disaster Alert app, powered by DisasterAWARE!
• Available in the Apple App Store and Google Play (Search "Disaster Alert" in the app store.)
DisasterAWARE Pro (20,000+ professional users!)
• Free access for humanitarian assistance and disaster management practitioners.
• Learn more at www.pdc.org/DisasterAWARE
#saferworld #earlywarningforall #disasteraware #disasteralert #hurricane #volcano #fire #flood #tsunami #earthquake #disaster #hazard #landslide #tornado #winterstorm #storm #wildfire #severestorm
Don’t let hazards catch you off-guard—stay ahead and stay informed!
Download our free Disaster Alert app today for early warnings and near real-time information—enhanced by AI—for 28 types of natural and man-made hazards around the world!
>>> Available on Google Play and the iOS App Store (Search "Disaster Alert" in the app stores)
Are you a disaster manager or humanitarian assistance practitioner?
>>> Access our award-winning, multi-hazard early warning and risk intelligence platform—trusted by disaster managers worldwide!
>>> Learn more at www.pdc.org/disasteraware/
#EarlyWarningforAll #SaferWorld #DisasterAlert #hurricane #volcano #fire #flood #tsunami #earthquake #disaster #hazard #landslide #tornado #winterstorm #storm #wildfire #severestorm
PDC and Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) finalize disaster preparedness analysis and hyper-local risk assessment:
"Municipality-level data will enable Colombia's UNGRD to focus programs within smaller communities more effectively..."
www.pdc.org/colombias-data-driven-approach-to-safer-resilient-communities/
Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)
Embajada de los Estados Unidos Colombia
#SaferWorld #disasteraware #EarlyWarningForAll #NDPBA#colombia
www.pdc.org
Colombia's latest milestone will help direct national investments and actions to reduce disaster risk and build resilience at the municipal level.
It was a pleasure to host Texas A&M University Master's degree students at PDC headquarters for a university-to-university exchange and to help educate the next generation of leaders in disaster management best practices in early warning, risk mitigation, preparedness, and disaster response.
Texas A&M University
Download the free Disaster Alert app today to receive early warnings about natural and man-made hazards around the world!
>>> Available on Google Play and the iOS App Store (Search "Disaster Alert" in the app stores)
#EarlyWarningforAll #SaferWorld #DisasterAlert #hurricane #volcano #fire #flood #tsunami #earthquake #disaster #hazard #landslide #tornado #winterstorm #storm #wildfire
PDC returned to Trinidad this week to support the Final Planning Conference for USSOUTHCOM’s Tradewinds '25 Exercise, the Command's largest event focused on regional security, stability, and disaster response. This marks the fourth consecutive year that the Center has supported this Caribbean-centered, multi-domain exercise, which spans the ground, air, sea, and cyber domains. The team is looking forward to returning to Trinidad in April for exercise execution!
PDC enables its partners to more effectively exercise and train as they would in response to real-world events through its custom multi-hazard early warning and decision support platform—DisasterAWARE Exercise—including the world’s largest collection of scientifically verified data, advanced analytics, realistic scenarios, and subject matter expertise.
#tradewinds2025 #SaferWorld #earlywarningforall #disasteraware #disasterpreparedness
Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)
U.S. Army South - Sixth Army
ODPMTT
New technology, training, and scientific information developed in partnership between the Pacific Disaster Center and Honduras, with support from U.S. Southern Command, will help national stakeholders better anticipate potential disasters, quickly mobilize resources, and promote risk-informed decision-making that enhances resilience and readiness.
www.pdc.org/scientific-tools-enhance-disaster-readiness-honduras/
COPECO
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)
Embajada de Estados Unidos en Tegucigalpa
Scientific tools enhance disaster resilience and readiness in Honduras | Pacific Disaster Center
www.pdc.org
New technology, training, and scientific information developed in partnership between Pacific Disaster Center and Honduras, with support from U.S. Southern Command, will help national stakeholders bet...
#EarlyWarningForAll #SaferWorld #DisasterAlert #hurricane #volcano #fire #flood #tsunami #earthquake #disaster #Hazard #landslide #tornado #winterstorm #storm #wildfire
Severe weather is forecast to impact the State of Hawaii starting Wednesday evening through Friday. The threat of flash flooding, damaging south to southwest winds, and strong to severe thunderstorms will accompany this powerful cold front.
Our team is in close support with state and county emergency management and partners. PDC’s Disaster Alert mobile app (for public) and DisasterAWARE (for emergency managers) includes critical information related to wind forecasts, rainfall, flood zones, and more! Note: The animated “Winds (Surface Velocity & Forecast)” layer is depicted (wind forecast dates and times are in UTC/GMT time).
For the Public:
- Monitor PDC’s Disaster Alert app for updates, as well as your local emergency management and National Weather Service office.
- Download the Free “Disaster Alert” app (search “Disaster Alert” in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.)
- Access the “Winds (Surface Velocity & Forecast)” layer under Layers > Featured Layers
- Other layers specific to Hawaii (e.g. Flood Zones) are available under Layers > Hawaii > Hazard Zones
For Emergency Managers:
- Request access to DisasterAWARE at disasteraware.pdc.org
#Saferworld #earlywarningforall #disasteraware #hawaii
The PDC team returned to Honduras this week to launch the inaugural Risk Reduction and Advanced Analytics (R2A2) project in Tegucigalpa. Honduras is the first PDC NDPBA partner country to kick off R2A2 as the next step following the country's 2017 National Baseline Assessment (NDPBA). After many years of implementing NDPBA recommendations, PDC re-engages with national stakeholders through R2A2 to assess the impact of those actions and collaborate on new capacity-building initiatives.
The engagement included reviewing NDPBA results, introducing the R2A2 process, training on risk and vulnerability analysis, and DisasterAWARE. PDC and COPECO held a Train-the-Trainer session to begin the process of certifying 25 personnel to lead future in-country DisasterAWARE training. Participants included COPECO, the Honduran military, first responders, Red Cross, Green Cross Honduras, USAID, U.S. Embassy, and other partners.
We look forward to returning next month for further training and exercises with COPECO and U.S. SOUTHCOM's Joint Task Force Bravo!
#saferworld #earlywarningforall #honduras #disasteraware #NDPBA #R2A2
COPECO
USAID - US Agency for International Development
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)
Embajada de Estados Unidos en Tegucigalpa
