Jobs UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER

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CIRES/ NOAA Weather Prediction Center (WPC), Systems Administrator

Requisition Number:

52573

Location:

Boulder, Colorado

City

Boulder

State

Colorado

Employment Type:

Research Faculty

Schedule:

Full-Time

Date Posted:

27-Oct-2023
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Job Summary

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) is seeking a highly motivated Systems Administrator to join the CIRES group at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Prediction Center (WPC) in College Park, Maryland. The primary duties are to manage databases and to perform cloud administration, software administration, and hardware administration. The incumbent would work closely with WPC partners and a federal advisor to improve NOAA/National Weather Service (NWS) products and services by leading IT solutions for many research-to-operations projects. The individual will work closely with NWS federal collaborators.

The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

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

  • Provide IT support to all CIRES members within the WPC working group via multiple communication paths.
  • Establish and maintain cloud working space for the research group (including both web and computing resources).
  • Troubleshoot a wide range of technical problems (both hardware and software).
  • Setup and configure new computers (cross-platform).
  • Assist in remote meeting setup and recordings (primarily through Google Meet).
  • Diagnose network problems.
  • Collaborate and assist staff on IT support including data acquisition, dataflow, website development, and cloud computing.

What You Should Know

  • The work schedule will be normal business hours, Monday-Friday, with rare exceptions.
  • This position requires minimal travel (less than 10% time).
  • This position will be rostered in CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder, but will be physically located in the WPC at the National Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP) federal campus in College Park, Maryland; however, the option exists for partial or full-time (remote) telework modality.
  • Access to the NOAA Federal Center, computer facilities and information 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 work permit and therefore we are unable to consider applications from individuals on a visa or working permit, or requiring visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future.
  • The selected finalist will be required to successfully complete a federal background clearance process for site access.
  • CIRES and NOAA WPC are committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

What We Can Offer

  • CIRES offers a generous compensation package.
  • The annual hiring salary range is $61,000-$100,000 for an IT Research Scientist. 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.
  • CIRES and the University of Colorado Boulder offer a robust training curriculum, opportunities for professional development and a Mentorship Program.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder.

Be Statements

Be flexible. Be supported. Be Boulder.

What We Require

  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science (or Information Technology) or a combination of experience and education.
  • Experience with multiple OS environments: Windows, Linux, Cloud Computing.
  • Experience assembling or replacing common computer hardware (e.g., addition of RAM, graphics cards, hard drives).
  • Experience developing, reading, and diagnosing issues in scripts and programs (e.g., Shell, Python, C, etc.).
  • Experience working with a variety of people with differing computing experience.

What You Will Need

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills are highly desired and a strong ability to work in a collaborative and inclusive team environment is required.
  • Knowledge of common package tools (e.g., apt, yum, pip, conda).
  • Ability to diagnose errors from given logs.
  • Expertise in writing and interpreting documentation of system configuration, software compilation, dataflows, and best practices.

What We Would Like You to Have

We invite applicants to apply even if they do not yet have the additional skills and experience outlined in this section. If you meet the above qualifications and have a passion for the work, you are encouraged to apply. CIRES encourages and supports on-the-job training for any additional skills or knowledge relevant to the position.

  • Experience managing projects, often with competing priorities.
  • Knowledge of configuration management, and industry standards for software development practices.
  • Ability to work both independently and on teams to analyze problems, and identify and implement solutions.
  • Familiarity with NOAA and NWS.
  • Moderate knowledge in understanding networking configurations.
  • Provide training to less experienced users as necessary.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

  1. Resume or CV
  2. One-page cover letter addressed to the Search Committee briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position.
  3. Though not required at the time of application, please be prepared to submit a list of 3 professional references (1 must be from a supervisor or professor). If you are selected as a finalist, we will ask you to contact your references so that they can complete a SkillSurvey questionnaire on your behalf. SkillSurvey is an online automated reference check solution. This information will be kept confidential and viewable only by the search committee.

If you are selected for the position, 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 remain posted until finalists have been identified. Full consideration will be given to applications received by November 13, 2023.

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: David Bright

Posting Contact Email: DAVID.BRIGHT@noaa.gov