CIRES/NOAA Weather Prediction Center, Atmospheric River Experiment Facilitator
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Job Summary
The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder is seeking a Professional Research Assistant (Associate Scientist) to provide scientific and meteorological expertise for the NOAA Hydrometeorological Testbed (HMT), which is jointly organized by the NWS/Weather Prediction Center (WPC) and the OAR/Earth Systems Research Laboratory (ESRL). The incumbent will serve as the primary HMT facilitator for WPC’s Atmospheric River Experiment.
The position will be based at the WPC in College Park, MD, within the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP), but hybrid and fully remote work will be considered. The NCWCP is a highly collaborative environment containing several NOAA organizations, including the Environmental Modeling Center (EMC), Ocean Prediction Center (OPC), and Climate Prediction Center (CPC). The incumbent will interact with HMT staff, NOAA scientists and forecasters, CIRES employees working at WPC, and externally funded researchers to facilitate the transition of new science to NWS forecast operations for atmospheric river prediction. Areas of particular need and interest to be addressed include the forecasting of midlatitude storms and atmospheric rivers. Additional areas of focus include the use of experimental deterministic and ensemble model output including verification of precipitation.
Who We Are
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.
The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) is America's Go-To Center for high-impact precipitation events and forecast guidance out to 7 days for a Weather-Ready Nation.
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
- Serve as the primary HMT Facilitator for the Atmospheric River Experiment (ARE) at WPC.
- Collaborate with Principal Investigators (PIs), HMT staff, WPC/NWS forecasters, NWS field offices, academia, and partners to ensure successful testing of experimental tools in testbeds.
- Develop recommendations to assist in the transition of new tools and techniques into operations.
- Draft final reports for experiments and provide input on reports for funded projects.
- Assist, as needed, in planning and/or execution of HMT experiments involving heavy rainfall and winter weather.
- As needed, represent the HMT effort by contributing to formal scientific publications, and/or attending off-site conferences, symposia and hazardous-weather-related outreach events.
- Perform related duties as assigned.
What You Should Know
- This is an 18-month appointment with the possibility of extension based on performance and the availability of funding.
- Please note that those applicants requiring visa sponsorship now or in the future will not be considered for this position.
- Applicants must be currently authorized to legally work in the United States on a full-time basis.
- The targeted start date for this position is December 1, 2023.
- Normal working hours will be observed except for occasional irregular hours during data collection, warning/forecast experiments, or workshops conducted at remote sites. Incumbent will receive training and gain expertise in Facilitating forecast experiments and evaluations.
- The new hire will be employed by CIRES with technical oversight provided by WPC management. The incumbent will work under general supervision but is expected to work independently and determine action to be taken in handling all but unusual situations. The incumbent is expected to serve as a leader of scientific or technical experiments, groups, or teams; therefore, strong teamwork and leadership skills are necessary.
- This position is based at the WPC in College Park, MD, and remote work will be considered.
- Selected finalists will be required to pass a federal background check for site access.
- CIRES and NOAA CSL are committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
What We Can Offer
- This role is based at the WPC in College Park, MD, but fully remote work will be considered.
- CIRES can offer a generous compensation package. Salary is commensurate with education and experience and determined based on our CIRES internal career track classification.
- The annual hiring salary range for this position is $60,000-$95,000.
- Relocation funds are available for this position following CIRES and the University of Colorado’s relocation processes and procedures.
- CIRES and the University of Colorado Boulder offer a robust training curriculum, opportunities for professional development and a Mentorship Program.
Benefits
Be Statements
What We Require
- A Master’s or PhD degree in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science or related area and at least one year of experience in operational meteorology or applied research; additional relevant post-graduate education may be substituted for experience.
What You Will Need
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
- Strong ability to work in a collaborative team environment.
- Strong analytical skills with excellent programming skills specifically shell scripting and Python.
- Familiarity in working with and interrogating large meteorological data sets (e.g. GRIB, netCDF, etc.).
- Familiarity with working in a Linux environment.
- Knowledge or willingness to participate in web development.
- Ability to plan, organize, and conduct focus groups for model evaluations or forecasts.
What We Would Like You to Have
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.
- Experience with precipitation forecasting and research applications.
- Experience with ensemble prediction systems and their application to hazardous weather diagnosis and prediction.
- Experience with the creation and dissemination of probabilistic hazard information.
- Experience with ArcGIS.
- Experience with facilitating groups of people, encouraging open discussion, and innovative thought.
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
- Resume/CV.
- Cover letter addressed to the Search Committee briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position.
- Although not needed at the time of application, please be ready to provide contact information for 3 professional references (including at least 1 professor or supervisor). If you are identified as a finalist for this role, you will be asked to invite your references to complete a SkillSurvey questionnaire on your behalf. SkillSurvey is an online reference check solution. This information will be kept confidential and viewable only by the search committee.
If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources department using an approved online vendor. If your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit a translated version as an optional attachment.
Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Positions will remain posted until finalists have been identified.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.
Posting Contact Information
Posting Contact Name: James Correia Jr.
Posting Contact Email: james.correia@noaa.gov