[ES_JOBS_NET] Project Scientist I, numerical weather and air quality prediction; NCAR, Boulder, CO

[Christine Wiedinmyer]

*http://tinyurl.com/o7go6hw*

    *PLEASE NOTE*: This is a full time position. Initial consideration
    will be given to applications received prior to 4:00 p.m. on Friday,
    June 26th, 2015. Thereafter, applications will be reviewed on an
    as-needed basis.

    NCAR –Research Applications Laboratory (RAL) - National Security
    Applications Program (NSAP)

    Partial Relocation costs paid per UCAR’s relocation policy.

    If necessary, UCAR/NCAR will sponsor a work visa to fill this position.

    **

    *BASIC JOB FUNCTION*: This Project Scientist I position specializes
    in numerical weather and air quality prediction and data
    assimilation, with variational, ensemble-based, and hybrid
    approaches. The candidate will work on a variety of projects in a
    team-oriented environment, spanning modeling applications from meso
    to micro and urban scales, air pollution, and transport and
    diffusion simulations.

    The first two years of the project to which the candidate will
    contribute are funded by the National Aeronautics and Space
    Administration (NASA) to improve the accuracy of the National
    Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) / National Centers for
    Environmental Prediction (NCEP) short-term predictions of
    ground-level ozone and particulate matter less than 2.5 m in
    diameter (PM2.5) and to provide reliable quantification of their
    uncertainty, by exploiting NASA Earth Science Data with chemical
    data assimilation and analog-based approaches. To improve the
    initialization of the NOAA/NCEP operational air quality system,
    which is based on the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model,
    the successful candidate will use the Community Gridpoint
    Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system to assimilate surface and
    satellite data. These data sets include retrievals of aerosol
    optical depth (AOD) from the NASA Aqua/Terra Moderate Resolution
    Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite instruments and possibly
    retrieval of carbon monoxide from the NASA/Terra Measurements Of
    Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) and the EUMETSAT/MetOp
    Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). Surface
    observations of PM2.5 (and possibly of ground-level ozone) from the
    AIRNow network, the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual
    Environments (IMPROVE) stations, and the Clean Air Status and Trends
    Network (CASTNET) will also be assimilated.

    *DUTIES INCLUDE*:

      * Coupling of the CMAQ and GSI system for the assimilation of AOD
        satellite retrievals, surface observations of PM2.5, and
        possibly CO retrievals and ground-level O3 measurements. This
        will include the development of forward operators for the
        observation platforms for which are not available, the extension
        of the analysis control variable list that defines which model
        fields get updated, new data readers, observation quality
        control procedures, and bias correction schemes and error
        specification within the GSI system from NCEP Central Operation
        (NCO).
      * Building of the horizontal and vertical auto-covariances, as
        well as cross-covariances via statistical processing of a
        dataset of CMAQ forecasts, to train the stationary model of
        background error covariances. Testing, refinement, and further
        improvement of the chemical data assimilation system based on
        GSI/CMAQ.
      * Contributing to the transition to operation of the new chemical
        data assimilation capability to NOAA/NCEP operations, in
        collaboration with NOAA Air Resource Laboratory (ARL) team
        members, assuring the code compliance with NCO protocol and
        computational environment.
      * Communicate research results through publication in
        peer-reviewed journals, meeting proceedings, and presentations
        at scientific meetings.
      * Contribute to the development of new research programs with
        internal and external collaborators across disciplines and
        participate in developing and writing proposals for external
        funding.
      * Interactions with stakeholders and air quality forecasters,
        which will be the end-users of the new AQ products.

    *REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE*:

    Educations and Experience:

      * PhD. degree in atmospheric sciences or closely related disciplines
      * Well-developed experience of air quality forecasting and
        variational data assimilation

    Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

      * Advanced capabilities in air quality forecasting and variational
        data assimilation.
      * Demonstrated knowledge of satellite data assimilation.
      * Ability to establish and maintain a nationally recognized
        publication record.
      * Ability to participate in and interact productively with experts
        from different disciplinary fields both within NCAR, with our
        partner universities and national laboratory (i.e., NOAA/ARL and
        ESRL, CU Boulder, University of Maryland).
      * Strong skills in written and oral communication of research results.
      * Ability to write proposals for research program development.
      * Familiarity with the atmospheric boundary layer physical and
        chemical processes
      * Familiarity with high performance computing architectures
      * Fluency in scientific programming languages such as FORTRAN, C,
        C++, PERL and/or Python
      * Strong written and oral communication skills
      * Demonstrated record of research and publication
      * Familiarity with the proposal writing process for different sponsors
      * Familiarity with GSI and CMAQ are desired.

    The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is an
    *equal opportunity employer*
    <http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf>. We
    evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color,
    religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status,
    sexual orientation, domestic partner status, disability, or veteran
    status.

Job Location
    Boulder, Colorado, United States 
Position Type
    Full-Time/Regular 

Appointment Type
Regular, Full-Time (R1)
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