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Introduction

The Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) of the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Research Associate (two-year term) to work on-site in College Park, Maryland at the National Weather Service (NWS) National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP).

The position will support a hurricane intensity forecast improvements project coordinated by the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), the National Ocean Service (NOS) and the NWS, with a focus on upper ocean observations and model data assimilation. An ocean observing field campaign is planned for the 2023 and 2024 Atlantic hurricane seasons using myriad observing platforms, and this position will directly support connecting those important ocean observations to the NOAA models to help NOAA improve its hurricane intensity forecasts. Ultimately, this position will directly benefit coastal communities and help NOAA reduce risk and loss of life and property.

Department Specific Functions

The incumbent will be physically located at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, which houses the NCEP Environmental Modeling Center (EMC). The position will be part of the EMC’s Dynamics and Coupled Modeling Group under the Modeling & Data Assimilation Branch, and duties will also directly support the OAR Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), the NOS Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Office, and the OAR Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing (GOMO) program.

Responsibilities:

• Track ocean observations to NOAA models: Confirm assimilation of ocean observations into operational ocean models (specifically, the Real Time Ocean Forecast System (RTOFS)) and develop a tool that identifies which in-situ upper ocean temperature and salinity datasets are assimilated.
• Contribute to optimizing ocean observing network designs during the 2023 and 2024 hurricane seasons: Conduct model-to-observations comparisons and model evaluations to determine model performance. Coordinate with a Rutgers University team and AOML scientists, who will provide support and recommendations. Provide feedback to ocean observing system operators on areas where additional observations might improve models. Observing systems in scope include uncrewed maritime systems (e.g. gliders), and Argo floats, ALAMO floats, and moored buoys.
• Co-develop coupled ocean-atmosphere model visualization tools to study the rapid evolution of the ocean under intense hurricane forcing and compare to observations.
• Communicate impacts of ocean observations on the models:
  • Collaborate with the AOML Data Assimilation group on Observing System Experiments and Observing System Simulation Experiments.
  • Generate (or retrieve) plots that illustrate the impact of assimilation of ocean observations on reducing the 48 hours forecast error in RTOFS, including regional impacts in hurricane prone areas.
• Contribute to development and improvements of ocean data assimilation in operational models and future models currently run in experimental mode at the NWS.
• Identify a pathway for public access and storage of operational ocean model output.
• Closely coordinate with the relevant task teams and partners, and communicate any new features being added to RTOFS as they’re being considered, implemented, and tested.

Minimum Qualifications

• Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) in order to gain access to the required NWS systems behind the NOAA firewall.
• Applicants must have a Master’s of Science degree in physical oceanography or a related field, and a background in oceanographic research at the M.S. level.
• Necessary skills include data analysis, and experience with commonly used software and protocols in the oceanographic community including MatLab and/or Python and FORTRAN. Competency in Unix/Linux administration is desired.
• The successful candidate must be able to work collaboratively within a diverse and dynamic team. Good teamwork abilities, fostering a respectful environment, and communication skills are essential.
• Scientific writing skills and the ability to work with oceanic observational data are desired.
  

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law. Click here for additional information.

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