CPAESS Scientist II

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research • College Park, MD

16h • Hybrid

About The Position

UCAR is excited to announce the job opening for the CPAESS Scientist II position, supporting NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) under NOAA's Early Warning Systems (NEWS) program. In this role, the incumbent will focus on the development and refinement of technical forecasting tools to improve sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) predictions of extreme climate events, with an emphasis on scientific programming, algorithm development, and statistical analysis. Working collaboratively with senior scientists, engineers, and partners under NEWS, the CPAESS Scientist II will contribute to the implementation of early warning systems in the Caribbean and Latin America, or Africa, and must demonstrate professional bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish or English and French. CPAESS serves the Earth system science community in three distinct areas of service. CPAESS partners with federal agencies and businesses to hire critical scientific staff, enabling a more robust workforce. Through scientific programs, CPAESS seeks to edify new research with postdoctoral programs, visiting scientist and internship programs, along with interagency support programs. CPAESS also helps build the Earth system science community by convening and managing summer schools and institutes, conferences, and advisory committees. Through Scientific Partnerships, CPAESS supports large-scale partnerships and initiatives in the Earth system science (ESS) community. Currently, there are about 100 scientists in a variety of federal agencies and laboratories across the U.S. Job Description Conducts scientific analyses and contributes to data collection, processing, and/or analysis using established tools and methods. Supports research and operational projects through scripting, visualization, and process improvements, while coordinating tasks with collaborators. Contributes to documentation and outreach, and applies sound judgment to address moderately complex challenges and deliver reliable results. Engages in mission-aligned activities within the organization and throughout the broader scientific community. Contributes through scientific expertise, professional service, and education and outreach efforts.

Requirements

• Typically requires a minimum of a Bachelor of Science degree and 4 years related experience, or a Master’s Degree; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Possesses knowledge of scientific principles, methods, and tools in a relevant field, with ability to apply established techniques to moderately complex problems.
• Demonstrates effective collaboration skills, including task coordination, feedback integration, and clear communication with scientists, engineers, or technical staff.
• Is skilled in collecting, processing, synthesizing, and auditing data from a variety of sources, including observational, modeled, or experimental datasets.
• Demonstrates proficiency with scripting and data analysis tools used for data preparation, visualization, or workflow automation.
• Is capable of modeling good work practices and helping build inclusive, team-oriented environments.
• Is capable of contributing to documentation or reporting, including technical summaries, visualizations, data sets, and presentations of data or project findings.
• Is able to adapt or refine existing workflows, tools, or procedures, and contribute to process improvements within defined guidelines.
• Knowledge of the global climate system, with familiarity with the climate of the Caribbean, Latin America, or Africa at S2S timescales.
• Proficiency in Python, Fortran, MATLAB, or equivalent, with demonstrated experience developing algorithms and Unix scripting workflows for model output processing and statistical analysis.
• Familiarity with forecast verification methods and basic statistical tools such as filtering and multivariate analysis.
• Proficiency in verbal and written English and Spanish or English and French to effectively communicate technical scientific information to clients and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Conducting data collection, processing, and/or analysis tasks using established procedures to support research, modeling, or operational projects.
• Applying standard scientific methods, tools, or workflows to collect, prepare, audit, or synthesize data from observational, modeled, or experimental sources.
• Contributing to the evaluation or improvement of existing tools, models, or processes, making modifications as needed within defined parameters.
• Developing or adapting scripts and workflows for data processing, analysis, visualization, or automation tasks using programming or software tools appropriate to the field.
• Supporting preparation of technical documentation, internal reports, and presentations, contributing to the communication of project status and findings.
• Participating in collaborative project teams, sharing updates, integrating feedback, and coordinating work with other scientists or technical staff.
• Contributing to training, tutorials, or outreach efforts, including presenting scientific concepts or tools to internal or external audiences under guidance.
• Providing guidance to interns or less experienced staff to support learning and uphold work quality, under direction from senior team members.
• Participating in creating and collaborative work environments.
• Engaging actively in and contributing to papers, reports, technical documentation, data sets and findings, and proposals, as appropriate.
• Developing products, tools, instruments and/or technologies for projects and programs.

Benefits

• UCAR affirms its commitment to employees through competitive benefits . In addition to medical, dental, vision, retirement, and life insurance, UCAR offers a variety of programs focused on work-life balance and professional, and personal development.
• These include: Tuition Assistance, time off allowance to attend classes, and other professional development opportunities.
• UCAR contributes 10% of your eligible pay into your retirement account; 100% fully vested on day one.
• Starting minimum accrual of 20 days of personal time off each year (prorated for less than full-time positions).
• 10 paid holidays.
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Short-term medical leave paid at 100% of your regular salary.
• EcoPass for local Colorado residents to use the Denver and Boulder-area transit system at no cost.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level