CPAESS Computational Scientist V

Position Type:

Term - 6 months or more (Fixed Term)

Visa Sponsored Job:

Yes

Relocation Assistance Eligible:

Yes

Hiring Range:

128,520.00 USD - 167,180.00 USD

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

Application Closes at 12:00am MST on:

2026-10-10

About the Role

UCAR is excited to announce the job opening for the Computational Scientist V role with the Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) working with NOAA's Office of Modeling and Development (OMD). This position will focus on enhancing coupled ocean and sea ice JEDI-based data assimilation system for the Global Forecasting System (GFS) by integrating critical marine observations. This may include transition from retrieved products to direct assimilation of Level 1b radiances for sea-surface-sensitive channels to improve atmosphere-ocean balance and sea surface temperature conditions, and integrating sea ice freeboard observations to address model biases and significantly improve sea-ice forecast skill.

​CPAESS serves the Earth System Science community in three distinct areas of service. We partner with federal agencies and businesses to hire critical scientific staff enabling a more robust workforce. Through our scientific programs we seek to edify new research with our postdoctoral programs, our visiting scientist and internship programs, along with our interagency support programs. We also help build the Earth system science community by convening and managing summer schools and institutes, conferences, and advisory committees.

Job Description

Develops innovative numerical methods for high-performance computing implementations. Advances computational frameworks for atmospheric and environmental processes while analyzing large-scale simulations. Requires expert collaboration with other scientists and stakeholders to validate models and communicate scientific insights. Leads scientific teams or programs, defining strategic directions aligned with institutional and sponsor priorities. Mentors less experienced staff, drives program innovation, and represents the organization in high-level scientific, operational, and collaborative engagements across sectors. Engages in mission-aligned activities both within the organization and throughout the broader scientific community. Contributes through a combination of scientific expertise, professional service, education, and outreach.

Responsibilities

• Leading, designing, and executing complex computational research initiatives focused on Earth system science, ensuring alignment with program objectives.

• Developing innovative numerical methods and computational algorithms to solve difficult scientific and engineering problems.

• Directing teams in implementing and optimizing scientific software for high-performance computing environments.

• Designing scalable computational frameworks that advance understanding of atmospheric and environmental processes.

• Analyzing large-scale simulation results and assimilating data to validate models and extract insights for Earth system science.

• Engaging with senior leadership and sponsors to shape scientific strategies, align goals with broader priorities, and guide proposal development and program planning.

• Supporting the professional growth of less experienced computational scientists, mentoring, and fostering collaboration and team performance. Enabling collaboration between computational experts and other scientists.

• Contributing actively to, leading, and/or co-leading papers, reports, technical documentation, data sets and findings, and proposals that advance computational science capabilities within programs, as appropriate.

• Disseminating significant outcomes through peer-reviewed publications, technical tools, invited talks, stakeholder briefings, and thought leadership that influence computational science and practice.

• Implementing advanced visualization techniques to communicate complex scientific results to diverse stakeholder groups.

• Representing the organization in external engagements, participating in advisory roles, national panels, or collaborative initiatives with emerging influence at strategic levels.

• Leading development of complex products and/or tools for projects and programs.

Requirements

Education

Typically requires a minimum of a Bachelors of Science degree and 15 years related experience, or a Master’s degree and 11 years of experience, or a PhD in a scientific discipline and 7 years related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge

• Has expert knowledge of numerical methods, parallel computing, and high-performance computing architectures.

• Possesses deep understanding of scalable software architectures and parallel computing frameworks for atmospheric process simulation.

• Has extensive expertise in proposal development, technical documentation, and computational science project management.

Skills and Abilities

• Is proficient in developing and optimizing complex computational algorithms for large-scale environmental simulation applications.

• Demonstrates analyzing and validating large-scale simulation results using advanced statistical and visualization techniques.

• Is skilled in translating complex scientific results into clear visualizations and presentations for diverse stakeholder audiences.

• Is a skilled mentor and team builder, capable of supporting technical development, inclusive collaboration, and cross-project alignment.

• Is skilled in leadership, mentoring, and developing teams, with a focus on fostering collaborative and high-performing environments.

• Is capable of leading multidisciplinary research teams while fostering collaboration between computational experts and domain scientists.

• Is able to mentor less experienced scientists and shape technical direction across multiple computational science projects.

• Is capable of leading and/or making significant contributions to proposal development, technical documentation, and computational science project management.

• Has proven capability in delivering publications, presentations, or externally recognized outputs that reflect meaningful contributions to the field.

• Is recognized as an emerging leader in computational science communities through service, collaborative influence, or participation in national initiatives.

Work Environment

Work may be performed in a combination of office, laboratory, industrial, and research environments depending on project assignments. Office-based work typically involves maintaining concentration and focus on assigned tasks, extended periods of computer use, prolonged periods of sitting or standing, reviewing information on screens or documents, applying established protocols in a timely manner, communication with others regarding project assignments, and participating in meetings or collaborative activities.

This role and assigned projects may also include laboratory or field research activities that involve travel, work in variable environmental conditions such as weather and altitude (including extreme temperature changes, heat exposure, cold exposure, and other exposure to severe weather), and the use of specialized scientific instrumentation or equipment. Field assignments may occur in remote locations and may involve navigating uneven terrain, accessing elevated platforms, performing high-intensity manual tasks, or positioning oneself in constrictive spaces such as vehicles or aircraft.

Work may involve interaction with hazardous equipment and processes including electrical systems, heavy machinery, or chemicals that may lead to exposure to irritants or pollutants. Participation in workplace safety training is mandatory, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required depending on the assignment.

Staff assigned to this role are expected to follow all applicable safety policies and procedures and must not pose a threat to the safety or wellbeing of themselves or others. Employees must be able to perform all mental and physical requirements necessary to carry out the responsibilities of the position and project assignments as outlined in the job description, which are considered essential functions of this position. All essential functions of the position must be performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Significant experience with atmospheric or oceanic numerical modeling.
• Advanced knowledge of data assimilation methods, especially coupled data assimilation.
• Proficiency with JEDI or a similar data assimilation framework.
• Excellent scientific communication skills for documenting research findings and coordinating with partners.
• Advanced programming skills for scientific model development and data analysis.

Specific Responsibilities for this Role

• Validation and Impact Assessment: Conducting rigorous validation of the global data assimilation system through an iterative process. This includes analyzing model output, and evaluating the impact of assimilation techniques on model biases to drive system improvements.
• System Configuration and Iterative Development: Developing and configuring the JEDI system for coupled data assimilation with GFS. This involves an iterative cycle of adding new observations to the data assimilation system (e.g., direct radiance assimilation for sea surface temperature, sea ice freeboard) and refining the system based on ongoing performance feedback.
• Documentation and Stakeholder Coordination: Documenting research findings and coordinating with stakeholders at NWS/OMD and partner agencies to ensure the new capabilities are ready for operational integration into the GFS system.

Application Requirements

Cover Letter, Resume/CV

For full consideration, all application materials must be submitted by 12am (MST) at the start of the application deadline. These should highlight how your skills and experiences align with the responsibilities of this position. We recognize that no candidate will meet 100% of the listed qualifications. If you believe your background has prepared you for success in this role, we encourage you to apply.

Supplemental questionnaires are often requested in lieu of a cover letter, where you address critical skills needed for the position. Your answers will be read and weighed equally to your resume and should provide specific, detailed, and informative responses based on your direct and previous work experiences.

Background checks and/or federal screenings are conducted for candidates selected for hire.

Benefits Overview

UCAR offers a comprehensive benefits package: health insurance, dental, retirement plan, leave plans, tuition assistance, and employee assistance programs:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Short & Long Term Disability Insurance
• Generous retirement plan - UCAR contributes of 10% of base salary
• Time Off Plans
  • Minimum 20 days of annual PTO
  • 10 paid holidays
  • 12 weeks of paid parental leave
  • FAMLI Leave
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer

UCAR is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from all individuals. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, sex, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants are not required to provide age-related information (like date of birth or graduation dates) in initial submissions.

For sponsored positions: UCAR can sponsor individuals for H-1B status only if they are already in the U.S. in H-1B status or another visa status that allows them to change to H-1B status within the U.S. UCAR is unable to sponsor new H-1B visas for individuals who are outside the U.S. and need to obtain H-1B status through Consular Processing.

While UCAR does not prohibit the use of AI tools in job applications, we strongly recommend that applicants submit primarily original work.

All roles require compliance with U.S. export control regulations and work location requirements. All hybrid staff are expected to work on-site approximately 3 days per week.

About Us

At NCAR - the National Center for Atmospheric Research - we study weather, water, climate, air quality, and space weather to help protect lives and livelihoods, grow the economy, and enhance our nation’s security and well-being. We collaborate with research partners to advance the science that makes predictions better and with end users to develop applications for forecasters, farmers, resource managers, retailers, the military, and many other stakeholders.

UCAR - the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research - manages NCAR on behalf of the National Science Foundation. We are a nonprofit consortium of more than 115 colleges and universities with research and training programs in Earth system science. We bring together the academic community and provide the operational management that are both essential to NCAR's success. UCAR’s community programs, from educational resources to data delivery and other services, extend the reach and impact of NCAR’s world-class research to the community and society.

We seek talented people with diverse backgrounds, training, and skills to join us in our mission of science in service to society. Want to learn more? Visit ucar.edu.