Atmospheric Composition Data Assimilation Scientist

Job Description

Description

SAIC is looking for a candidate to support a candidate to support the Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) in carrying out research, development, and operational transition work related to atmospheric composition data assimilation for future operational applications of the Unified Forecast System (UFS).  The candidate’s work will involve the development, execution, testing, and evaluation of the assimilation of satellite retrievals of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) for use in operational air quality prediction capabilities at NCEP.  The work location is at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP) in College Park, MD.

Responsibilities

The candidate will perform the job duties in a collaborative environment, assisting developing and applying innovative methods for the primary work areas described below. The candidate will work with EMC scientists and external collaborators to develop atmospheric composition data assimilation capabilities for use in applications of the UFS, with emphasis on regional air quality prediction for the short range weather application.  In particular, the candidate will focus on the use of NO2 retrievals from the TROPOMI instrument aboard the Sentinel-5p platform.  Future assimilation related developments will leverage and contribute to the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation, including the Joint Effort for Data assimilation Integration (JEDI) project.

The successful candidate will work in the following areas:

• Develop new or enhance existing techniques for the improved assimilation of satellite NO2 retrievals
• Develop and evaluate observation quality control procedures including data thinning or superobbing for TROPOMI NO2 retrievals
• Design, setup, and execute impact assessment experiments and pre-implementation testing to facilitate possible transition to operations
• Participate in technical infrastructure development such as collaborating with NCEP observation processing and dataflow groups to collect retrievals on operational systems

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 

Qualifications

Bachelors Degree and two plus (2+); Masters Degree and zero plus (0+) years of demonstrated knowledge, skills and abilities in the following areas:

Required:

• Knowledge of data assimilation techniques (variational-based and/or ensemble methods)
• Knowledge of the physical and mathematical basis of geophysical modeling (atmospheric and/or environmental) and experience running advanced numerical weather prediction (NWP) models
• Knowledge and experience of modern programming languages such as object-oriented FORTRAN, Python, and/or C++
• Experience working in a UNIX environment with advanced scripting languages
• Good oral and written communication skills in English

Desired:

• Experience in running numerical models on High Performing Computer (HPC) platforms using MPI, OpenMP, Slurm, LSF, etc.
• Experience with coupled earth system models.
• Experience with air quality/chemistry/constituent modeling (e.g. CMAQ, WRF-Chem)
• Experience using satellite-based retrievals of atmospheric constituents

• Experience in model testing and evaluation and/or knowledge of verification principles.

• Knowledge of modern software engineering practices (requirements gathering, design, prototyping, version control, integration, testing, and documentation).
• Advanced understanding of atmospheric chemistry

Candidates must be a U.S. Citizen or Green Card Holder to qualify and must live in US for 3-5 years prior to application

Overview

SAIC® is a premier Fortune 500® technology integrator driving our nation's technology transformation. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian, and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in engineering, digital, artificial intelligence, and mission solutions. Using our expertise and understanding of existing and emerging technologies, we integrate the best components from our own portfolio and our partner ecosystem to deliver innovative, effective, and efficient solutions that are critical to achieving our customers' missions.

We are more than 26,500 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, fostering a respectful work culture based on diversity, equity, and inclusion that values all contributors. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.1 billion. For more information, visit saic.com.