CPAESS Scientist III

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research • Princeton, NJ

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

UCAR is excited to announce the job opening for the Scientist III role with the Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) working with NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL). This position is focused on modeling past and future global fire dynamics and associated emissions of carbon and aerosols in the GFDL Earth System Modeling framework. The project aims to improve understanding of physical, biological, and anthropogenic processes that lead to land surface states that increase or decrease wildfire potential and evaluate whether Earth system models can simulate fire-weather conditions, fire events, and associated emissions. The hindcasts and prediction of future fire precursors and characteristics are performed with the novel orography-aware version of the GFDL land model LM4 and require the ability to design experiments, derive and prepare input files to characterize both land surface characteristics and ignition drivers, analyze model output, and communicate scientific findings at conferences and in peer reviewed publication. CPAESS serves the Earth System Science community in three distinct areas of service. We partner with federal agencies and businesses to hire critical scientific staff enabling a more robust workforce. Through our scientific programs we seek to edify new research with our postdoctoral programs, our visiting scientist and internship programs, along with our interagency support programs. We also help build the Earth system science community by convening and managing summer schools and institutes, conferences, and advisory committees. Job Description Designs and executes scientific analyses; develops, and adapts, and/or tests hypotheses, models and/or tools. Contributes to papers, reports, technical documentation, data sets, findings, and/or proposals. Mentors less experienced colleagues, collaborates across disciplines, and supports proposal development to advance scientific goals through high-quality, methodologically sound work. Engages in mission-aligned activities both within the organization and throughout the broader scientific community. Contributes through a combination of scientific expertise, professional service, and education and outreach efforts.

Requirements

• Summarize your research or applied experience with fire-weather modeling, ignition drivers, or biogeochemical carbon/aerosol emissions from fire.
• Describe a scientific question you’ve addressed using Earth system models (e.g., GFDL, CESM) on HPC systems. Please explicitly note any experience with GFDL land model components or fire/vegetation modules.
• Give an example of how you used machine learning or clustering to analyze large, heterogeneous datasets. In your answer, please reference your proficiency in Python, Fortran 90, or MATLAB, and the impact of your analysis on scientific conclusions or model improvements.
• Application of machine-learning based methods for data manipulation, including clustering methods for from diverse regional and global data sources
• Application of Python, Fortran 90, and Matlab
• Configuration, simulation, and analysis of global Earth system models on High Performance Computing Systems
• Research leading to peer-reviewed publication of comparison of observations and physical and biogeochemical models of fire and fire emissions
• Knowledge of land-surface, fire, and vegetation modeling
• Demonstrated ability with analyzing and synthesizing high-resolution remotely sensed data
• Demonstrated skill in modifying, running, and analyzing terrestrial components of GFDL Earth system models
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability of working in interdisciplinary teams
• Typically requires a minimum of a Bachelor of Science degree and 8 years related experience, or a Master’s degree and 4 years related experience, or a PhD in a scientific discipline; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Has solid knowledge in a relevant scientific field, with an ability to apply theories, methods, or frameworks to complex or interdisciplinary problems.
• Is familiar with project planning and proposal development, including scoping technical work, aligning with program goals, and supporting deliverable management.
• Is skilled in developing or refining scientific tools, workflows, or models, including quality assurance and integration with broader project efforts.
• Is skilled in using data analysis tools used for data preparation, visualization, or workflow automation.
• Is committed to mentoring with the ability to guide less experienced colleagues on methods, tools, and collaborative practices.
• Is capable of contributing to peer-reviewed publications, sponsor reports, or presentations, with clear and accurate scientific communication tailored to varied audiences.
• Collaborates effectively within multidisciplinary teams, integrating diverse inputs and fostering productive working relationships.
• Demonstrates the ability to design and carry out analyses or investigative tasks independently using established methods, adapting approaches as needed.

Responsibilities

• Designing and executing scientific investigations or analyses using established and/or emerging methods to address defined research, operational, or applied science questions.
• Developing or adapting tools, models, or methods to support data collection, processing, analysis, system evaluation, or experimental workflows.
• Performing detailed analysis and interpretation of observational, experimental, or model-generated data, contributing to new insights or improvements in scientific understanding.
• Leading or contributing to components of a larger project or small project teams through coordination of activities, deliverables, and technical direction across collaborators.
• Authoring or co-authoring peer-reviewed publications, technical documentation, data sets, findings, project reports, and/or proposals, and presenting findings in internal, sponsor, or scientific community settings.
• Collaborating across disciplines and institutions, contributing technical expertise to team-based projects and enhancing interdisciplinary research or operational outcomes.
• Supporting proposal development and project planning activities by contributing to scoping, technical writing, and alignment with programmatic objectives.
• Providing technical guidance to less experienced staff/students, mentoring on methods, tools, and best practices while engaging in and modeling inclusive team participation.
• Developing products, tools, instruments and/or technologies for projects and programs.

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• vision
• retirement
• life insurance
• Tuition Assistance
• time off allowance to attend classes
• other professional development opportunities
• 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: Senior