CPAESS Scientist III

Visa Sponsored Job:

Yes

Relocation Assistance Eligible:

Yes

Job Location:

College Park, Maryland

position Type:

Full time, Regular

$84,100 – $109,300

*Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.*

Application Deadline: This position will be posted until 11:59pm MT on Friday, April 24. Applications will not be accepted past this date.

Background checks and Federal screens are conducted for candidates selected for hire. Learn more.

Work Location Expectations: This position is open to candidates seeking in-person, hybrid (combination of 3 days in-person and 2 days of remote), or fully remote opportunities. UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories. UCAR Staff deployed to federal agencies must abide by their respective federal agency requirements concerning remote/flexible work arrangements.

Program/Project-Specific Details

• Contribute to the development and delivery of training materials on subseasonal to seasonal (S2S) forecasting 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.

Role-Specific Responsibilities

• Apply advanced scientific methods – including model calibration, bias correction, and AI/ML tools – to post-process global ensemble forecasts (GEFS, NMME, and others) and 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 understand and advance sub-seasonal predictability, including prediction of extreme events.

• Use GIS tools to map extreme event forecasts and collaborate with stakeholders to co-develop impact forecasts for agriculture, water resource management, and health.

Required Role-Specific Skills or Experience

• 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.

• Proficiency in verbal and written English and Spanish or English and French to effectively communicate technical scientific information to clients and stakeholders.

Required Application Materials (preferably in PDF Format):

• Resume

• Cover Letter
  In lieu of a traditional cover letter, answer the prompt below that address the critical skills needed for this position. Your answers will be read and weighed equally to your Resume/CV and should provide specific, detailed, and informative responses based on your direct and previous work experiences. Please keep cover letter to 1-2 pages.

  • Describe your knowledge of the global climate system, with emphasis on the climate of Africa, the Caribbean, or Latin America at sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) timescales. Include your experience applying advanced methods (e.g. AI/ML, model calibration, bias correction, or statistical analysis) to post-process climate or weather model outputs and improve forecast skill.

  • Where relevant, describe experience verifying forecasts or communicating uncertainty to non-technical users. Please ground your response in concrete examples from your research or professional work.

  • Additionally, describe your professional or academic experience working in or with partners in Africa, Latin America, or the Caribbean, and indicate your language proficiency in English and Spanish or English and French, including any professional contexts in which you have communicated technical or scientific content in those languages.

Job Description SummaryUCAR is excited to announce the job opening for the CPAESS Scientist III position, supporting NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) under NOAA’s Early Warning Systems (NEWS) program. The incumbent will independently lead the application of advanced forecasting methods (including AI/ML and ensemble post-processing) to improve sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) predictions of extreme climate events. The CPAESS Scientist III will serve as a primary point of contact for stakeholder engagement, driving the co-development of impact forecasts and training programs with partners in the Caribbean and Latin America, or Africa, and must demonstrate professional bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish or English and French.
CPAESS serves the Earth system science community in three distinct areas of service. CPAESS partners with federal agencies and businesses to hire critical scientific staff, enabling a more robust workforce. Through scientific programs, CPAESS seeks to edify new research with postdoctoral programs, visiting scientist and internship programs, along with interagency support programs. CPAESS also helps build the Earth system science community by convening and managing summer schools and institutes, conferences, and advisory committees. Through Scientific Partnerships, CPAESS supports large-scale partnerships and initiatives in the Earth system science (ESS) community. Currently, there are about 100 scientists in a variety of federal agencies and laboratories across the U.S.

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.

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.

Requirements

Education

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.

Knowledge

• 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.

Skills and Abilities

• 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.

Benefits Overview

UCAR affirms its commitment to employees through competitive benefits. In addition to medical, dental, vision, retirement, and life insurance, UCAR offers a variety of programs focused on work-life balance and professional, and personal development. These include:

• Tuition Assistance, time off allowance to attend classes, and other professional development opportunities.

• UCAR contributes 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.

Commitment to Job Application Fairness

Applicants are not required to provide age or age-related information and may redact information related to age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution from any submissions during the initial application process.

Some Final Considerations

At NSF NCARjobshiringnearme.org UCAR jobshiringnearme.org UCP, you will work alongside a dedicated team of professionals conducting critical research and community outreach to solve complex Earth system science problems including climate change, air pollution, extreme weather, floods, drought, wildfires, and space weather, all with the goal of improving human life and reducing economic loss. Each of us, from scientists to the professionals who support their work, serves the public and a collaborative community of scientists in our mission to understand the complex processes that make up the Earth system, from the ocean floor to the Sun’s core.

Flexible Work

At UCAR, we are committed to supporting our mission by giving staff the flexibility to find the schedule and location that works best to maintain their own work-life circumstances and reach their full potential as professionals. Many positions within our organization are eligible for fully on-site, hybrid (three days per week) and/or flexible work hours.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UCAR is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy.Whatever your intersection of identities, you are welcome at UCAR.

Export Control

All positions are required to comply with U.S. export compliance regulations and work location requirements regarding access to facilities and research systems.

Work Location

UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

AI Software

ChatGPT and similar AI software are powerful tools that are changing theway society receives, processes, and leverages information promptly. While we acknowledge its benefits and do not restrict leveraging it with job applications, we highly encourage a majority of the applicant material to be original work.

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer that strives to develop and maintain a diverse workforce. UCAR is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy.
Whatever your intersection of identities, you are welcome at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). We are committed to inclusivity and promoting an equitable environment that values and respects the uniqueness of all members of our organization.