Jobs UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER

CIRES is an internationally recognized leader in innovative environmental science and research and is located at the University of Colorado Boulder. At CIRES, more than 950 environmental science professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people’s relationship with the planet. CIRES has partnered with NOAA since 1967, and our areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at Earth’s poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and more. Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable future environment by advancing scientific and societal understanding of the Earth system.

NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory

The Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases (CCGG) division of NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML) has been operating a cooperative global network of atmospheric CH₄ measurements since 1983. These measurements are the most fundamental means of tracking long-term changes in global CH₄ abundance and emissions. A subset of the air samples that provide these CH₄ measurements are also analyzed for isotopologues of CH₄, namely δ¹³C-CH₄ and δD-CH₄, in collaboration with the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado Boulder. These measurements are difficult but provide additional information about methane sources that traditional CH₄ measurements do not.

In previous work, GML scientists and collaborators implemented CH₄ and δ¹³C-CH₄ in the 3D tracer transport model TM5 to attribute the post-2006 growth in atmospheric methane to different source sectors. The post-doctoral candidate will incorporate δD-CH₄ in this model to further investigate the role of atmospheric sinks, and the relative contribution of natural versus anthropogenic microbial emissions, to the post-2006 CH₄ growth. The candidate will run OSSEs to determine the optimal sampling strategy for making CH₄, δ¹³C-CH₄ and δD-CH₄ measurements in the future that provide the best information to decipher the global methane budget.

• Carry out atmospheric transport simulations of methane and its isotopologues under various emission scenarios to determine which scenarios are consistent with atmospheric measurements over years to decades.
• Perform observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) to design a future sampling network that will maximize the information derived from a limited number of methane and isotopologue measurements.
• Collaborate with scientists in NOAA, CIRES, INSTAAR (Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research) and other partner organizations to synthesize research results into meaningful scientific conclusions.
• Lead and contribute to the publication of research results in the peer-reviewed literature.
• Present research findings at national and international conferences.

• This is a 3-year appointment.
• The targeted start date for this appointment is no later than January 1, 2024.
• This position will be rostered in CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder, but will be located at the David Skaggs Research Center, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO.
• If you are selected for this position you will be required to pass a federal laboratory background clearance for site access. Non-US citizens without green cards may have limited building access, and require an escort in the building.

• CIRES offers a generous compensation package.
• The annual hiring salary range for this position is $65,000- $71,000.
• Salary is commensurate with education and experience and determined based on our CIRES internal career track classification.
• Relocation funds are available following CIRES and the University of Colorado’s relocation processes and procedures.
• This position offers a hybrid work environment with both on-site and remote work hours.
• CIRES and the University of Colorado Boulder offer a robust training curriculum, opportunities for professional development and a Mentorship Program.
• Boulder is a vibrant community with access to mountain parks, dog parks, miles of trails, rivers, lakes, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, theaters, museums, and sports venues. Boulder was recently ranked as one of the top places to live in the U.S. by U.S. News.
• As an employee at CU Boulder, you receive a pass allowing free access to the regional public transit system, which is an outstanding network of buses and light rail systems that provide service within Boulder and connect to Denver, the Denver airport, and surrounding communities.

• A Ph.D. in geoscience or a related discipline.
• Experience in at least one compiled programming language (Fortran, C/C++) and one scripting language (Python/R/MATLAB).
• Experience in manipulating and visualizing geoscientific datasets.
• Experience in scientific data analysis for peer-review publications.

• A demonstrated ability to work independently and in an inclusive team environment.
• Meticulousness, attention to details, and curiosity about why and how things work.

We invite applicants to apply even if they do not have the preferred skills and experience outlined in this section. If you meet the minimum qualifications and have passion for the work, you are encouraged to apply. We encourage on-the-job training for any additional skills or knowledge that become relevant to the position.

• Knowledge of basic linear algebra and ordinary differential equations greatly preferred.
• Experience in a combination of Fortran and Python is greatly preferred, but other experiences will be considered.
• Experience in running TM5 or any other atmospheric tracer transport model preferred.
• Experience with inverse modeling and data assimilation preferred.
• Experience on Unix or Unix-like shell environments.
• Experience in running models on high performance computing platforms.