Date of issue: 12 March 2012
FUNCTION:
Consultant (Scientist) to work on the assimilation of satellite data
REFERENCE NO:
AP12-04
LOCATION:
ECMWF Headquarters at Shinfield Park, near Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom.
ENVIRONMENT:
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is an international
organisation supported by 34 States*.
ECMWF’s principal objectives are the development of numerical methods for mediumrange, monthly and seasonal weather forecasting; the preparation, on a regular basis, of these
weather forecasts for distribution to the meteorological services of the Member States;
scientific and technical research directed to the improvement of these forecasts; and the
collection and storage of appropriate meteorological data. Satellite and in situ observations
provide the information for up-to-date global analyses and reanalyses of the atmosphere,
ocean and surface. For details see:
www.ecmwf.int/research
ECMWF’s main computing facility includes supercomputers, archiving and data handling
systems. ECMWF is connected to the meteorological telecommunication system and to its
Member States via efficient networks linking 44 countries. A detailed description is available
at:
www.ecmwf.int/services/computing/overview
MAIN DUTIES:
The consultant will work in the Satellite Data Section of the Research Department. He or she
will work alongside other scientists of the team, taking an active part in research activities to
improve the utilisation of a wide variety of satellite data within the ECMWF assimilation
system. In addition, the consultant will be responsible for development within the framework
of the EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility for Numerical Weather Prediction
(SAF-NWP), which co-ordinates the efforts of a number of NWP centres in the operational
exploitation of satellite data.
Particular areas of interest are satellite data monitoring, the treatment of cloud- and rainaffected radiances, radiative transfer (including aerosols and surface modelling, training
datasets and principal component techniques) and the development of new approaches to
assimilate data from high spectral resolution sensors (e.g. AIRS/CrIS and IASI), microwave
imagers (e.g. SSM/I, SSMIS and AMSR-E), and microwave sounders (e.g. AMSU-A/B,
MHS and ATMS). The work will also involve evaluating and characterising new sounders
and imagers, for example from China.
The selected candidate will help to develop and improve the required tools (for example
observation operators, error definition, bias correction) and to implement them in the
operational ECMWF data assimilation system. He or she will also be expected to conduct
and validate research experiments (through monitoring and impact studies) and to support
reanalysis activities at ECMWF.
AP12-04
QUALIFICATIONS:
A university education to PhD level or equivalent and a good knowledge of the principles
behind data analysis and estimation theory are required, together with an understanding of
the physics underlying satellite remote sensing of the atmosphere. Some specific experience
of data assimilation within a numerical model would be an advantage, but is not a
requirement.
The working languages of ECMWF are English, French and German. Candidates must be
able to work effectively in English and a good knowledge of one of the other working
languages would also be desirable. Interviews will be conducted in English.
REMUNERATION:
Typically within the range of £4,202.00 to £5,485.00 per month net of tax, depending upon
qualifications, experience, personal situation and eligibility for expatriation allowance.
Full details are available at www.ecmwf.int/newsevents/employment/en/ on the ECMWF
website.
A deduction of either £28.75 per beneficiary or 3.72% of the monthly remuneration will be
made for the supplementary health insurance scheme.
STARTING DATE:
As soon as possible.
LENGTH OF
CONTRACT:
An initial contract of two years, with possibility of an extension of up to three years.
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 20 May 2012.
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.