CPAESS Scientist III

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)•College Park, MD

7d•$85,780 - $111,490

About The Position

UCAR is hiring a CPAESS Scientist III to support NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) under NOAA’s Early Warning Systems (NEWS) program. The role independently applies advanced forecasting methods, including AI/ML and ensemble post-processing, to improve sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) predictions of extreme climate events. It also serves as a primary point of contact for stakeholder engagement, co-developing impact forecasts and training programs with partners in the Caribbean and Latin America, or Africa. Professional bilingual proficiency in English and French is required. The scientist designs and executes scientific analyses, develops or adapts hypotheses, models, and tools, and contributes to publications, reports, technical documentation, datasets, findings, and proposals. The role includes mentoring less experienced colleagues, collaborating across disciplines, supporting proposal development, and contributing to scientific service, education, and outreach. Specific work includes post-processing global ensemble forecasts such as GEFS and NMME using model calibration, bias correction, and AI/ML; verifying forecasts and using multivariate and spectral analysis to advance understanding of sub-seasonal predictability and extreme events; mapping extreme-event forecasts with GIS; and working with stakeholders to co-develop impact forecasts for agriculture, water resource management, and health. The position also contributes to S2S forecasting training materials and technical and scientific reports for the PREPARE Early Warning System project. The position may be performed in person, hybrid, or fully remotely, but all work must be performed within the United States, excluding U.S. territories. Hybrid staff are expected to work on-site approximately three days per week. The start date will be confirmed after successful completion of federal screening.

Requirements

Typically, a minimum of a Bachelor of Science degree and 8 years of related experience, a Master’s degree and 4 years of related experience, a PhD in a scientific discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Solid knowledge in a relevant scientific field and the ability to apply theories, methods, or frameworks to complex or interdisciplinary problems.
Familiarity with project planning and proposal development, including scoping technical work, aligning with program goals, and supporting deliverable management.
Skill in developing or refining scientific tools, workflows, or models, including quality assurance and integration with broader project efforts.
Skill in using data analysis tools for data preparation, visualization, or workflow automation.
Ability and commitment to mentor less experienced colleagues on methods, tools, and collaborative practices.
Ability to contribute to peer-reviewed publications, sponsor reports, or presentations, communicating scientific information clearly and accurately to varied audiences.
Ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams and foster productive working relationships.
Ability to independently design and carry out analyses or investigative tasks using established methods and adapt approaches as needed.
Professional bilingual proficiency in spoken and written English and French to communicate technical scientific information to clients and stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Strong knowledge of the global climate system, with regional expertise in the Caribbean, Latin America, or Africa at S2S timescales.
Experience engaging stakeholders in agriculture, water resource management, or food security in developing-world contexts.
Familiarity with operational forecast workflows, including model-output processing, forecast verification, and communicating uncertainty to end users.

Responsibilities

Design and execute scientific investigations and analyses using established or emerging methods to address research, operational, or applied science questions.
Develop or adapt tools, models, and methods for data collection, processing, analysis, system evaluation, or experimental workflows.
Analyze and interpret observational, experimental, or model-generated data.
Lead or contribute to project components and small project teams, coordinating activities, deliverables, and technical direction across collaborators.
Author or co-author peer-reviewed publications, technical documentation, datasets, findings, project reports, and proposals, and present findings to internal, sponsor, or scientific audiences.
Collaborate across disciplines and institutions, contributing technical expertise to team-based projects.
Support proposal development and project planning, including scoping, technical writing, and alignment with program objectives.
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to less experienced staff and students on methods, tools, and best practices.
Develop products, tools, instruments, or technologies for projects and programs.
Apply model calibration, bias correction, and AI/ML tools to post-process global ensemble forecasts, including GEFS and NMME, to improve precipitation and temperature forecasts at week 2–4, monthly, and seasonal timescales.
Verify forecasts using statistical methods and apply multivariate and spectral analysis to observations and model outputs to advance understanding of sub-seasonal predictability, including extreme-event prediction.
Use GIS tools to map extreme-event forecasts and collaborate with stakeholders to co-develop impact forecasts for agriculture, water resource management, and health.
Contribute to developing and delivering S2S forecasting training materials for meteorologists, scientists, and stakeholders across agriculture, water resource management, and health sectors.
Author technical and scientific reports documenting work related to the PREPARE Early Warning System project.
Engage stakeholders and support co-development of impact forecasts and training programs with partners in the Caribbean and Latin America, or Africa.