Five new CIWRO positions with the BLISS team

Nov 10, 2021 18 min read

Five new CIWRO positions are open with the BLISS team!

closed opportunity

CIWRO, NSSL, the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, and the broader research community at the National Weather Center (NWC) have long collaborated on pioneering research on mesoscale and boundary layer meteorology and severe storms and their impacts. The Boundary Layer Integrated Sensing and Simulation (BLISS) group at NWC is an example of this collaboration, and acts as an umbrella under which those with research interests in boundary layer meteorology can come together and collaborate. The new hires will be part of the collaborative and supportive BLISS team of researchers with diverse interests, and these positions are key elements to the team model.

All potential applicatants are encouraged to visit https://ciwro.ou.edu to learn more. Questions about the BLISS team can be directed to team leadership: Dr. Tom Galarneau, Dr. Petra Klein, and Dr. Elizabeth Smith

Postions:

Post-Doctoral Research Associate – TRACER-CUBIC Project
Research Associate – Boundary-Layer Data Manager and Analyst
Research Scientist – Boundary-Layer Networked Observation Development
Research Scientist – Uncrewed Aircraft System Applications Research and Development for High-Impact Weather
Research Associate – Uncrewed Aircraft System Engineer

Post-Doctoral Research Associate – TRACER-CUBIC Project

The Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO, formerly CIMMS) at The University of Oklahoma is currently seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate position for a project funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) in support of the TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER). The project focuses on Coastal Urban Boundary-layer Interactions with Convection (CUBIC). The Postdoctoral Research Associate will participate in and analyze data from boundary-layer profiling instruments deployed during TRACER-CUBIC. They will also conduct, analyze, and improve numerical model simulations with the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) Warn-on-Forecast (WoF) prediction system. The position is based at CIWRO in Norman, Oklahoma within the National Weather Center.

Background: CIWRO, NSSL, the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, and the broader research community at the National Weather Center (NWC) have long collaborated on pioneering research on mesoscale and boundary layer meteorology and severe storms and their impacts. The Boundary Layer Integrated Sensing and Simulation (BLISS) group at NWC is an example of this collaboration, and acts as an umbrella under which those with research interests in boundary layer meteorology can come together and collaborate. The DOE TRACER-CUBIC study is a collaborative project between scientists from OU’s School of Meteorology, the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and NOAA NSSL. The project provides funding to deploy three boundary-layer profiling systems in the Houston metro area during the Intensive Observation Period (IOP) of TRACER (June 1-Sept. 30, 2022). The three systems will be deployed along a transect perpendicular to the shoreline to investigate the evolution of the sea- breeze circulation and boundary-layer as it develops over and interacts with the Houston metro area. The observations will be supplemented by numerical experiments with the NSSL WoF system. Our goals are to improve understanding and representation of boundary-layer and convection processes in Earth system models through the integrated analysis of novel observations and numerical data sets. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will participate in and analyze data from boundary-layer profiling instruments deployed during TRACER-CUBIC. They will also conduct, analyze, and improve numerical model simulations with the NOAA NSSL Warn-on-Forecast (WoF) prediction system. An ideal candidate will also take on some mentoring responsibilities of graduate research assistants who are members of the project team.

The duties of this position are:

Participate in the collection of data during the TRACER IOP
Process data collected by the boundary-layer profiling systems using existing and newly developed analysis software
Coordinate the setup of the WoF ensemble for CUBIC with the project team
Conduct sensitivity tests with different urban-canopy models
Conduct scientific analysis of TRACER– CUBIC observations and numerical model output
Explore collaborations with other research teams and labs (e.g., NCAR, NOAA, universities)
Write papers for the refereed literature, and present the results of findings at national and international meetings.

The minimum qualifications for this position are:

A Ph.D. in atmospheric science or related area
Background in boundary-layer meteorology
Strong programming/scripting (e.g., Python) skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills (including papers published in or submitted to refereed journals)
An ability to work both independently and cooperatively with others

Applicants should identify expertise within any of the following areas: observations and numerical models in analysis; urban circulations; sea breeze circulations; operating boundary-layer profilers; numerical weather forecast ensembles; mesoscale modeling; meteorological observation data set analysis; meteorological observation platforms; field deployments; ensemble data analysis; convection initiation; large eddy simulation

The beginning salary will be based on qualifications and experience, with benefits provided through the University of Oklahoma (https://hr.ou.edu/Employees). Normal working hours will be routinely observed with some occasional irregular hours during active field deployments. The position is funded for two years and the preferred start date is January 2022.

To apply for the position, please forward your resume, cover letter and list of three references to:

CIWRO Careers University of Oklahoma CIWRO 120 David L. Boren Blvd., Suite 2100 Norman, OK 73072-7304

ciwro-careers@ou.edu

JOB REFERENCE: CUBIC Postdoc

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

The University of Oklahoma has a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine requirement, with exceptions only for approved medical or religious accommodations. As a condition of employment, newly hired employees must provide proof of vaccination or initiate the accommodations process before their first day of employment.

Back to list

Research Associate – Boundary-Layer Data Manager and Analyst

The duties of this position are:

Maintain, contribute to, or implement boundary-layer dataset storage and archives in accordance with relevant data management policies (e.g., NOAA, grant-dictated, etc.)
Collaborate with researchers to design value-added products to meet scientific research needs,
Collaborate with instrument mentors and researchers to design, implement, or maintain data flow between operating instruments and data storage architecture solutions (which may include data ingest, quality control, analysis, storage-to-archival processes, real-time processing, etc.)
Support field programs by maintaining workflows (data ingest, quality control, analysis, and storage-to-archival processes) as well as any real-time processing and data visualization tools, which may include deployment to the field.
Participate in a collaborative working environment made up of scientists, staff, and students from multiple groups and institutions while maintaining the ability to execute tasks independently.

The minimum qualification for the position are any of the following:

MS in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, or related area and at least one year experience (including during the Master’s research) related to these job duties;
BS in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, or related area and at least three years’ experience related to these job duties;
MS in Computer Science, Data Science, or related area, with interest in earth-system and/or atmospheric datasets
BS in Computer Science, Data Science, or related area and at least three years of relevant full-time experience, with interest in earth-system and/or atmospheric datasets

Emphasis will be placed on applicants with technical skills and experience in areas relating to programming; data structures and algorithms; source/version control; networking and network management; and atmospheric or earth-system data quality, control, and visualization.

Applicants should identify expertise within any of the following areas: programming skills in any language with focus on Python, Fortran, Javascript, SQL, Bash/Shell; THREDDS data servers or other data server management; Github; meteorological dataset interrogation; cloud computing

Normal working hours will be routinely observed with some occasional irregular hours during active field deployments either when deployed with the team, or when technical support is needed to maintain data systems. Incumbents will receive training and gain expertise with the latest observation platforms available to the CIWRO and NSSL team. As an affiliate of NSSL, training will also be available on federal information technology practices and protocols via frequent web-based seminars and workshops, etc.

Supervision will be provided by CIWRO staff. Technical oversight will be provided by CIWRO and NSSL scientists. The incumbent will work under general supervision but is expected to complete work independently. The incumbent in this position is not expected to supervise other employees but may serve as lead of technical teams and work with students.

The beginning salary will be based on qualifications and experience with University benefits. Information on benefits may be found at http://www.hr.ou.edu. The position will be located in Norman, OK with a negotiable start date (Fall/Winter 2021 ideal).

To apply for the position, please forward your resume, cover letter and list of three references to:

CIWRO Careers University of Oklahoma CIWRO 120 David L. Boren Blvd., Suite 2100 Norman, OK 73072-7304

ciwro-careers@ou.edu

JOB REFERENCE: BL Data Manager

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

Back to list

CIWRO Research Scientist – Boundary-Layer Networked Observation Development

The Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO, formerly CIMMS) at The University of Oklahoma is currently seeking a Research Scientist to collaborate with scientists at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, OK, on potential next-generation boundary-layer observation networks by analyzing networked, high-resolution boundary-layer observation datasets. The position is based at CIWRO in Norman, Oklahoma within the National Weather Center.

The duties of this position are:

Explore potential next-generation boundary-layer observation networks by developing and evaluating methods to combine networked boundary-layer observations to provide new and innovative products
Diagnose utility of various network configurations with both Observing System and System Simulation Experiments; OSEs and OSSEs (e.g., in collaboration with NSSL Warn on Forecast System team)
Conduct field deployments and data analysis in support of these goals and in support of colleagues when feasible
Present findings and results via publications and presentations at national/international conferences
Build an independent boundary-layer and observation research portfolio while contributing to a collaborative research environment

The minimum qualifications for the position are:

A PhD in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, or related area
Experience working with meteorological observation data (preferably boundary-layer observations)
Emphasis will be placed on applicants with technical skills and experience in areas relating to boundary-layer meteorology; operation of observation platforms; programming (Python is the dominant language in use)

Applicants should identify expertise within any of the following areas: mesoscale modeling; data assimilation; retrievals; objective analysis; analysis of boundary-layer observations (be specific about observation platform); profiler networks

Supervision will be provided by CIWRO staff. Technical oversight will be provided by CIWRO and NSSL scientists. The incumbent will work under general supervision but is expected to complete work independently and develop an independent research portfolio while still contributing to the group working environment.

To apply for the position, please forward your resume, cover letter and list of three references to:

CIWRO Careers University of Oklahoma CIWRO 120 David L. Boren Blvd., Suite 2100 Norman, OK 73072-7304

ciwro-careers@ou.edu

JOB REFERENCE: BL Networks

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

Back to list

CIWRO Research Scientist – Uncrewed Aircraft System Applications Research and Development for High-Impact Weather

The Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO, formerly CIMMS) at The University of Oklahoma is currently seeking a Research Associate to collaborate with scientists at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, OK, on developing methods and applications for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) for high impact weather. This position focuses on developing best practices and methods for creating, processing, and analyzing high-resolution imagery from UAS and other airborne platforms (e.g., satellites) for land-surface assessment for a variety of geophysical applications. The position is based at CIWRO in Norman, Oklahoma within the National Weather Center.

Background: CIWRO, NSSL, the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, and the broader research community at the National Weather Center (NWC) have long collaborated on pioneering research on mesoscale and boundary layer meteorology and severe storms and their impacts. The Boundary Layer Integrated Sensing and Simulation (BLISS) group at NWC is an example of this collaboration, and acts as an umbrella under which those with research interests in boundary layer meteorology can come together and collaborate. The CIWRO UAS research program is intricately involved in BLISS-related research activities at NWC. The incumbent in this position will be conducting land-assessments for applications including but not limited to, damage assessments following tornadoes and other hazardous weather events. The incumbent will also serve as a liaison between UAS research at NSSL & CIWRO and the NOAA Uncrewed Systems Research Transition Office (UxSRTO), the UAS division of the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) Uncrewed Systems Operations Center, and the FAA to ensure all NOAA policies and FAA regulations are met. The incumbent will be part of the collaborative and supportive BLISS team of researchers with diverse interests at NSSL and CIWRO, where this position adds to the breadth of ongoing research on UAS development and applications for high-impact severe weather.

The duties of this position are:

Obtain and maintain operator status on CIWRO and/or NOAA UAS platforms used for land-surface assessment and ensure the safe operation and maintenance of those aircraft
Lead and conduct field missions and data analysis focused on land-surface characterization datasets and support field missions of colleagues when feasible
Lead scientific proposals to correlate severe storm processes to UAS-based damage assessments and other data available at CIWRO/NSSL (e.g., radar, MRMS, etc)
Act as liaison for CIWRO and NSSL UAS operations in interactions with NOAA UxSRTO, OMAO Uncrewed Systems Operations Center, and FAA
Present findings and results via publications and presentations at national/international conferences
Build an independent UAS-based research portfolio while contributing to a collaborative research environment

The minimum qualifications for the position are:

A PhD in Meteorology, Geography, or related area
Experience obtaining and analyzing multispectral imagery
Proficiency in geospatial methods/technologies

Applicants should identify expertise within any of the following areas: storm damage assessment; vegetation mapping and analysis; operation of spatial-imaging UAS; GIS software/tools; FAA regulations and airspace management; big data management; UAS operations; programming skills; cloud computing; meteorological observation data interrogation.

Normal working hours will be routinely observed with some occasional irregular hours during active field deployments. The incumbent is expected to earn their Part 107 operators license; they will receive training and gain expertise with the latest UAS and observation platforms available to the CIWRO and NSSL team.

Supervision will be provided by CIWRO staff. Technical oversight will be provided by CIWRO and NSSL scientists. The incumbent will work under general supervision but is expected to complete work independently and develop an independent research portfolio while still contributing to the group working environment.

The beginning salary will be based on qualifications and experience with University benefits. Information on benefits may be found at http://www.hr.ou.edu. The position has a preferred start date of January 2022.

To apply for the position, please forward your resume, cover letter and list of three references to:

CIWRO Careers University of Oklahoma CIWRO 120 David L. Boren Blvd., Suite 2100 Norman, OK 73072-7304

ciwro-careers@ou.edu

JOB REFERENCE: BL UAS Science

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

Back to list

CIWRO Research Associate – Uncrewed Aircraft System Engineer

The Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO, formerly CIMMS) at The University of Oklahoma seeks to fill a Research Associate position for its uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) research program. The Research Associate will contribute to the development, maintenance, and deployment of the UAS fleet at CIWRO for primarily atmospheric science-related applications. This position is based at CIWRO in Norman, Oklahoma, within the National Weather Center.

Responsibilities:

Collaboratively work in a team of researchers to document, test, and troubleshoot UASs in support of CIWRO missions.
Obtain and maintain operator status on CIWRO UAS platforms and ensure the safe operation and maintenance of those UAS.
Acquire and apply knowledge of the existing and emerging applicable UAS software and hardware methodologies to improve system-level reliability and aircraft control and performance in all phases of flight.
Design components and sub-assemblies for existing and future UAS.
Develop and maintain training practices for licensed pilots of CIWRO UASs.
Develop and maintain techniques for real-time data collection of meteorological variables from UAS flights.

Required qualifications:

A Master’s degree in electrical or computer engineering, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated experience with UASs, with at least three (3) years of experience building and maintaining UASs.
Knowledge of flight control theory, estimation, and simulation necessary for developing algorithms and models.
Demonstrated experience installing and evaluating meteorological sensors on UASs.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
The ability to work both independently and cooperatively in an interdisciplinary team.

Preference will be given to candidates who have experience in one or more of the following: using CAD software (Solidworks is in use locally), managing field deployments of UASs, postprocessing and quality controlling meteorological data collected by UASs, testing new designs for UAS structural design and electronic components, and experience with quad-copter UASs.

Applicants should identify expertise within any of the following areas: Programming in C, C++, Matlab (Simulink); Github; Ardupilot or other open-source flight software stack; 3D printing; software-in-the-loop simulations.

The starting salary will be based on qualifications and experience, with benefits provided through the University of Oklahoma (https://hr.ou.edu/). The start date for the position is negotiable. The appointee will serve a customary probationary period during the first year.

To apply for the position, please forward your resume, cover letter and list ofPos 4 three references to:

CIWRO Careers University of Oklahoma CIWRO 120 David L. Boren Blvd., Suite 2100 Norman, OK 73072-7304

ciwro-careers@ou.edu

JOB REFERENCE: CIWRO UAS Engineer

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

Back to list

opportunity

Dr. Elizabeth N. Smith

Research Meteorologist

Elizabeth joined NSSL as a research meteorologist in January 2020, where she focuses on boundary-layer processes relevant to near- and pre-storm environments and convection initiation.