Climate Modeler and Developer for Cooling Singapore 2.0 - 1 year

Climate Modeler and Developer for Cooling Singapore 2.0 - 1 year

ETH Zurich is one of the leading universities of the world with a strong focus on science and engineering. In 2010 it established the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) in collaboration with the National Research Foundation (NRF) to do interdisciplinary research on pressing problems.

The Singapore-ETH Centre is home to a community of doctoral, postdoctoral and professorial researchers working in three main programmes: Future Cities Laboratory, Future Resilient Systems, and Future Health Technologies. The centre provides a multicultural and interdisciplinary environment to researchers working on diverse themes, with the shared vision of translating research to practical solutions for more sustainable and liveable cities, resilient physical and social urban systems, and patient-centric healthcare systems.

SEC is leading the interdisciplinary Cooling Singapore 2.0 project – a collaboration between ETH Zurich, SMU, TUM, MIT, Cambridge and NUS. The project is dedicated to reducing the urban heat island and improving the outdoor thermal comfort in Singapore. The project aims to develop a Digital Urban Climate Twin (DUCT) for Singapore. This includes development, deployment and operations of the necessary technical infrastructure and integration of a variety of computational models for anthropogenic heat emissions and urban climate simulations. The DUCT will feature a sophisticated user interface and multiple applications to support government agencies and planning authorities in assessing strategies for reducing urban heat in a holistic, systematic and interactive manner. https://sec.ethz.ch/research/cs.html  

We are looking for a talented individual to join our interdisciplinary team based at the Singapore ETH-Centre. The candidate will be a climate Modeler & Developer to carry out – with the support of supervisors- numerical simulations of micro-climatic conditions at the urban district or the city level in Singapore to study the urban heat island problem.

Specifically, the research will focus on how different architectural design strategies and how the quantity and configuration of green spaces affect local wind circulation, air temperature, and near-surface humidity. This will be the primary aim of the research. Various numerical models can be used to achieve this goal.

The ideal candidate will be able to disseminate the work utilizing presentations and journal articles, constructively interact with other project members, and further develop the scientific network with scholars, researchers, and peers. We are looking for candidates who are confident in working in flat hierarchies and enjoy the start-up vibe, who are driven by curiosity and not afraid of learning new things.

Specific tasks:

• Work closely with all project team members to develop and assess what-if scenarios to mitigate the Urban Heat Island and improve the Outdoor Thermal Comfort. 
• Run mesoscale and microscale simulations closely with the Energy & Transportation Pillar and Data Analysis Pillar. 
• Conduct post-processing, analysis and validation of the data resulting from the simulations and measurements. 
• Develop and document algorithms and models for integration in the DUCT software. 
• Write technical reports and other publications. 
• Participate in and support the preparation of technical meetings and workshops to provide a forum for regular review of the work progress, both internally and externally. 

The Modeler & Developer will be working exclusively for the Cooling Singapore project and will be responsible for providing expertise and creating knowledge, close collaboration with the various domain expert in the Cooling Singapore team.  

You are required to have:

• MSc/PhD in a relevant Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering or computer/data science.
• Microscale and mesoscale modelling (e.g., IEM, WRF, PALM4U…) experience and knowledge. 
• Solid general data analysis and result validation skills. 
• Relevant experience in developing algorithms and models for model integration in the DUCT Software. 
• Experience in writing shell scripts for process automation and excellent programming skills in programming languages (e.g., Python).
• Excellent presentation and communication skills (must be able to clearly articulate ideas and concepts to domain experts).
• Ability to take ownership and work independently with a minimum of supervision.
• Fluency in English, both spoken and written

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in
science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education,
cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge
into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our
university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an
environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe,
yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to
develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.