Consultant Assimilation of greenhouse gas data (EU-funded MACC-II project)

Assimilation of greenhouse gas data (EU-funded MACC-II project)

European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)

Reference No: AP11-21

Location: ECMWF Headquarters at Shinfield Park, near Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom.

Main Duties: The European Union is funding the MACC-II (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate - Interim Implementation, http://www.gmes-atmosphere.eu) project within the GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) programme. MACC-II delivers the GMES pilot services for the atmosphere, covering topics ranging from air quality, to long‑range transport of pollutants and radiation, to greenhouse gases. ECMWF is co‑ordinating the project, which is run by a consortium with 35 other European partners, and is responsible for operating the global data assimilation and forecasting system. The team working on MACC‑II comprises 16 people within ECMWF.

The vacancy is in the Satellite Data Section of the Research Department. The main role of the Section is to provide the expertise and the software needed for the exploitation of satellite data for numerical weather prediction (NWP), including geophysical interpretation, forecast model validation, data assimilation and impact studies. Two consultants funded by MACC-II work in this Section on the assimilation of atmospheric composition data.

The main duty of the post is to work on the assimilation of greenhouse gases within the MACC-II project:

• Develop further the assimilation of satellite data on CO₂ and CH₄ in the Integrated Forecasting System (IFS)
• Explore the potential of assimilating in situ CO₂ and CH₄ data
• Assess the performance of the data assimilation system for these variables
• Collaborate closely with the MACC-II consultant working on greenhouse-gas modelling on issues such as biases, model deficiencies and background error representation
• Collaborate with MACC-II consultants working on reactive gases to study interactions through the oxidising capacity of the atmosphere
• Ensure developments on greenhouse-gas assimilation are integrated with other developments within the Satellite Data Section, for mutual benefits regarding atmospheric composition and NWP
• Liaise as required with other partners within the MACC-II subproject on greenhouse gases, in particular with regard to the inference of surface fluxes from atmospheric analyses of CO₂ and CH₄

Qualifications: A university degree in meteorology, physics, mathematics or a related subject is required, and a PhD is highly desirable. A background in geophysical data assimilation and modelling is important. Some research experience in carbon cycle science is desirable.

Programming skills in FORTRAN-90 and UNIX-scripting are essential. Some programming experience with C++ or Python would be an advantage.

The consultant will interact with the Data and Model Divisions of the ECMWF Research Department, and with external users; good communication skills and the ability to work in a team are thus very important.

The working languages of ECMWF are English, French and German. Candidates must be able to work effectively in English and have a good knowledge of one of the other working languages. Interviews will be conducted in English.

Remuneration: Typically within the range of £3,920.00 to £5,429.00 per month net of tax, depending upon qualifications, experience, personal situation and eligibility for expatriation allowance. A deduction of either £31.94 per beneficiary or 4.14% of the monthly remuneration will be made for the supplementary health insurance scheme.

Starting Date: 1 January 2012, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Length of Contract: Until 31 July 2014 (the end of the MACC-II project).

Applications: Application forms can be downloaded from ECMWF's website:

www.ecmwf.int/newsevents/employment/en/

Closing Date: Completed applications for this post must reach the Personnel Section of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts not later than 25 November 2011.

* The ECMWF Member States are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

The ECMWF Co-operating States are: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Morocco, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.