Marine Data Assimilation Scientist

Job Description

Description

SAIC is seeking a Marine Data Assimilation Physical Scientist to support the Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) in carrying out research and development work related to the future operational marine component of the Unified Forecast System (UFS).

The Marine Data Assimilation Physical Scientist's work will involve the development, execution, testing, and evaluation of several components of the marine data assimilation system in the framework of coupled assimilation and modeling.

Note: The work location is at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP) in College Park, MD.  This hybrid role does offer the ability to work from home 2-3 days per week.

The Marine Data Assimilation Physical Scientist will perform the job duties in a high-quality, independent, and collaborative way, assisting in managing projects and developing and applying innovative methods for the primary work areas described below. The Marine Data Assimilation Physical Scientist will work with EMC scientists and external collaborators to develop the marine and coupled data assimilation capabilities for use in the UFS. In particular, developments will leverage and contribute to the Joint Effort for Data assimilation Integration (JEDI) project. The primary focus will be the marine JEDI project with contributions to the development of the coupled model in support of the data assimilation development activities.

Job responsibilities to include, but not limited to:

• Advance the development of the marine (ocean and sea ice) DA development as well as to
• evaluate the scientific quality of the ocean analysis for use in global medium range weather and subseasonal-to-seasonal prediction systems.
• Investigate the coupled model setup and parameterizations at the interfaces between interacting components of coupled Earth system models.
• Support and further develop UFS’ subsystems and their communication among the model and data assimilation components
• Evaluating the scientific quality of the ocean and sea-ice analyses produced by the JEDI-based coupled assimilation system.

Qualifications

Required Minimum Education and Experience:

• Master’s Degree and equivalent experience in atmospheric sciences or meteorology, physical oceanography, or related physical science
• Citizen or Green Card holder with the ability to obtain a Public Trust clearance.  For the Green Card holder to qualify for the clearance they must have lived in the US for a minimum 3 years prior to application.  An EAD is not accepted.
• 2 years of experience in coupled forecast and analysis systems.
• Expert knowledge of the physical and mathematical basis of geophysical modeling (oceanic and atmospheric).
• Advance knowledge of ocean data assimilation with focus on the DA development and global applications
• Experience in model development in various infrastructures
• Advanced 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
• Experience in working with HPC platforms (MPI, OpenMP, etc.)
• Modern software engineering practices (requirements gathering, design, prototyping, version control, integration, testing, and documentation).
• Experience in model testing and evaluation and/or knowledge of verification principles.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment on complex problems.
• Good oral and written communication skills in English
• Demonstrated skill in performing tasks requiring organization and attention to detail.

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 approximately 26,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is core to our values and important to attract and retain exceptional talent. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.4 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.