NASA FEWS NET Research Scientist

Job Description

Description

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Goddard Space Flight Center’s (GSFC) Hydrological Sciences Laboratory (HSL) examines the role of water in the Earth system. Laboratory researchers developed the NASA Hydrological Forecast and Analysis System (NHyFAS) to provide seasonal drought forecasts that are relevant for USAID and USACE activities in the Middle East and Africa, based on existing NASA Earth science capabilities. Primary goals include: (1) supporting USAID’s Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) to better predict water supply deficits related to agricultural drought and food insecurity, and (2) provide indicators related to forecasted hydrological anomalies and conditions.  USAID FEWS NET actively collaborates with GSFC/HSL personnel, who provide support to FEWS NET’s capability to quantitatively characterize water availability using historical, current, and projected future conditions over all FEWS NET areas of interest, and provide a basis for understanding water stress indicators related to water availability.

 

SAIC has been supporting the HSL for over 30 years.  SAIC seeks to hire a research scientist to contribute to the maintenance of the NHyFAS system and provide continuous improvement, such as ensuring the NHyFAS system is up to date with respect to the Land Information System (LIS) version, computational environment changes, etc.; supporting modifications to NHyFAS codes and/or workflow as needed due to changes to input data and other factors; identification and implementation of code and/or workflow changes to improve system performance and data quality; and development of new derived products.  The candidate is also expected to support curation of NMME, GEOS, and MERRA2-provisional data sets; data provision via the NCCS data portal and NHyFAS website; participation in the monthly FEWS NET seasonal forecast reviews; development of new forecast models with support from the project technical lead, project PI, and other collaborators; and individual research targeting science questions that align with FEWS NET project priorities with support from the project technical lead, project PI, and other collaborators.

 

The candidate will be responsible for presenting results to internal and external audiences via scientific presentations at NASA FEWS NET team meetings, other GSFC meetings, external FEWS NET meetings, and scientific conferences.  The individual will be encouraged to present results in peer-reviewed publications and scientific meetings.  

Qualifications

TYPICAL EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND SKILLS

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in atmospheric science, geophysics, hydrology, or related discipline.
• High level understanding of:
  • • • Earth systems modeling and forecasting systems, including model and forecast frameworks, development, implementation, evaluation, and validation.
      • NASA Land Information System (LIS).
      • Remotely sensed and modeled earth science datasets and their application to hydrology and food security.
• Proficiency with Python and other scripting languages, Unix, and multiprocessor environments and an understanding of MPI.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Good organizational skills related to:

• Workload planning and progress tracking
• Management of multiple tasks
• Team player.

Target salary range: $75,001 - $100,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.

Covid Policy: SAIC does not require COVID-19 vaccinations or boosters. Customer site vaccination requirements must be followed when work is performed at a customer site.

Overview

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