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 Hydrometeorology 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). 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, which includes verification of precipitation.
Who We Are
At CIRES, more than 900 people work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people’s relationship with the planet. An institute at the University of Colorado Boulder, we have partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) since 1967. Our areas of expertise include weather and climate, wildfire and water, changes at Earth’s poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and more. Our researchers work in 10 CU Boulder departments and eight NOAA laboratories and centers.
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 Precipitation Experiment for Atmospheric Rivers (PEAR) at WPC. (70%)
- Collaborate with Principal Investigators (PIs), HMT staff, WPC/NWS forecasters, NWS field offices, academia, and outside partners to ensure successful testing of experimental tools in testbeds.
- Develop recommendations to assist in the transition of new tools and techniques into NWS operations.
- Produce Operation Plans and final reports for experiments and provide input on reports for funded projects.
- Represent the HMT effort by contributing to formal scientific publications, and/or attending off-site conferences, symposia and hazardous-weather-related outreach events.
- Perform independent, operationally relevant research and/or development inspired by and consistent with the goals of the HMT and WPC. (10%)
- Assist, as needed, in planning and/or execution of other HMT experiments involving heavy rainfall and winter weather. (15%)
- Perform related duties as assigned. (5%)
What You Should Know
- Based on current funding, this appointment will be approximately 1 year long and may be extended if additional funding is identified.
- The targeted start date for this position is January 1, 2026.
- Access to the NOAA Federal Center’s computer facilities (regularly through VPN and infrequently in-person) is necessary to perform the work of this position. Access is not available for individuals working in the United States through a visa or a working permit and therefore we are unable to consider applications from individuals on a visa, working permit, or requiring visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future.
- Normal working hours will be observed except for occasional irregular hours during data collection, warning/forecast experiments, or workshops conducted at remote sites. The 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 fully remote work will be considered.
- Selected finalists will be required to pass a federal background check for access to NOAA resources.
What We Can Offer
- CIRES can offer a generous compensation package.
- The annual hiring salary range for this position is $60,000-$97,000. Salary is commensurate with education and experience and determined based on our CIRES internal career track classification.
- This position can accommodate a fully remote work modality.
- 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.
- As an employee at CU Boulder, you will have free access to the regional public transit system, an outstanding network of buses, and light rail systems that service Boulder and connect to Denver, the Denver airport, and surrounding communities.
Benefits
Be Statements
What We Require
A master’s degree in meteorology, atmospheric science or related area and at least one year experience in operational meteorology or applied research; additional relevant post-graduate degrees or certifications may be substituted for experience.
What You Will Need
- Strong oral and written communication skills, including abilities to produce concise final reports for testbed activities.
- Strong ability to work in a collaborative team environment with individual and team goals.
- Strong analytical skills for the analysis of NWP strengths and weaknesses.
- Demonstrated programming skills for data analysis, web programming (e.g. shell scripting, Python, Javascript, React, php, html, etc.) or cloud computing.
- Familiarity in working with and interrogating large meteorological data sets (e.g. GRIB, netCDF, geojson, csv, zarr, parquet, etc.).
- Familiarity with working in a Linux environment.
- Ability to plan, organize, and conduct small focus groups with varied audiences of meteorologists and hydrologists.
What We Would Like You to Have
Please note that while the position details both required and preferred skills and experience, we invite applicants to apply even if they do not have the preferred skills and experience outlined in this section. If you meet the requirements 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 asking insightful questions.
- Experience with precipitation forecasting and research applications.
- Experience with ensemble prediction systems and their application to hazardous weather diagnosis and prediction.
- Experience with geographic information system data and programming.
- Experience with facilitating groups of people, encouraging open discussion, and innovative thought.
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
- Resume or CV.
- Cover letter addressed to the Search Committee briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position.
- List of contact information for 3 references (at least 1 must be from a professor or supervisor). If you are identified as a finalist for this role, we will later check references through Crosschq. Crosschq 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.
The position will close October 27, 2025. Applications will be reviewed as received.
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.correiajr@colorado.edu