Research engineer on the exploitation of remote sensing data for atmospheric composition modelling and assimilation (RE2

11 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

BARCELONA SUPERCOMPUTING CENTER

Research Field

Physics

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)
Recognised Researcher (R2)

Country

Spain

Application Deadline

16 Apr 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid)

Type of Contract

To be defined

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

37,5

Offer Starting Date

1 May 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

European Union / Next Generation EU

Reference Number

145_24_ES_AC_RE2

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description
Context And Mission

 

We are looking for an enthusiast research engineer to join the Atmospheric Composition (AC) group within the Earth Sciences department at the BSC-CNS. The AC group is currently composed of about 30 people among researchers, engineers and students of different nationalities. It aims at better understanding and predicting the spatiotemporal variations of atmospheric pollutants along with their effects upon air quality, weather and climate. This is addressed through the continuous development and application of numerical models over multiple scales, from weather to climate and from global to urban scales.

The AC group develops and maintains its own forecast model MONARCH, which is a coupled meteorological-chemistry model that can be run at global and regional scales to simulate gaseous chemistry and aerosols plus their feedbacks on radiation. MONARCH is also coupled to a data assimilation scheme for gases and aerosols. The AC group also contributes to the development of the Earth System model EC-Earth for atmospheric composition climate research.

In this framework, ground and satellite observations of the atmospheric composition are fundamental to evaluate model developments, to produce forecasts with data assimilation, and to inform on the quality of the bottom-up emissions. In addition, they will be used for near real time plume detection algorithms and diverse applications of AI.

The AC group developed internal analysis tools (PROVIDENTIA) and long-term databases (GHOST) that cover a large spectrum of ground observations related to air quality. The successful candidate will work along with PROVIDENTIA, GHOST, atmospheric modelling and data management experts to integrate satellite retrievals in these tools, covering multiple aspects from the data collection and management to the end use.

The effective utilization of satellite observations and their integration into user-end applications is crucial for achieving the objectives of the larger initiative on the “Modernization of observation networks and digitalization of production processes for the development of intelligent meteorological services in the context of climate change” in the framework of the European Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan funded by the European Union - Next Generation EU. Female candidates are especially encouraged to apply.

 

Key Duties

 

• Implement satellite and vertical sounding instruments processing in the PROVIDENTIA and GHOST frameworks
• Collect columnar and vertically resolved observations from current generation of satellite and ground-based remote sensing products (e.g., VIIRS, IASI, TROPOMI, EARLINET) for aerosols and some key trace gases
• Implement quality assurance procedures for remote sensing observations in-line with GHOST standards
• Develop statistics and score-boards for model evaluation and experiments comparison
• Train and assist modellers and satellite data users within the team
• Contribute to code documentation, scientific publications, and technical reports
• Contribute to the data management of remote sensing products in the AC group

Requirements

Research Field

Physics

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications
Requirements

 

• Education
  • A master degree on computer sciences, physics, mathematics or related disciplines
• Essential Knowledge and Professional Experience
  • Understanding of the fundamentals of satellite retrievals and atmospheric remote sensing.
  • Proficiency in Python.
  • Experience working in Unix/Linux environments.
  • Experience in collaborative code development and the use of version control systems.
• Additional Knowledge and Professional Experience
  • Experience in processing L2 satellite products (aerosols and/or trace gases).
  • Experience with observations quality control and statistical analysis.
  • Experience with atmospheric composition models.
  • Experience with parallel programming and HPC environments.
• Competences
  • Very good interpersonal skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to take initiative, prioritize and work under set deadlines.
  • Ability to work both independently and within a team.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Good

Additional Information
Benefits
Conditions

 

• The position will be located at BSC within the Earth Sciences Department
• We offer a full-time contract (37.5h/week), a good working environment, a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructure, flexible working hours, extensive training plan, restaurant tickets, private health insurance, support to the relocation procedures
• Duration: Open-ended contract due to technical and scientific activities linked to the project and budget duration
• Holidays: 23 paid vacation days plus 24th and 31st of December per our collective agreement
• Salary: we offer a competitive salary commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate and according to the cost of living in Barcelona
• Starting date: asap

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Country

Spain

State/Province

Barcelona

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.bsc.es/join-us/job-opportunities/14524esacre2

Contact

City

Barcelona

Website

http://www.bsc.es/

Street

c/ Jordi Girona nº31

Postal Code

08034

STATUS: EXPIRED