Scientist III

Job Details

Visa Sponsored Job: Yes

Relocation Assistance Eligible: Yes

Job Location: Boulder, Colorado

Position Type: Part time, Term - 6 months or more (Fixed Term)

Compensation Range: Salary Range: $84,

Description

Summary:

We seek a motivated scientist to support the development and testing of the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) coupled with GOCART-2G aerosol chemistry and interfaced with the Joint Effort for Data assimilation Integration (JEDI) system. This position will contribute to enhancing satellite data assimilation and conducting experiments using the end-to-end cycling workflow for our next‑generation, online‑coupled community analysis and forecasting system within the NSF NCAR’s Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology (MMM) laboratory.

The scientist will contribute to ongoing activities that support operational research needs and ensure robust, efficient, and reproducible data assimilation (DA) cycling capabilities. As part of team efforts, development and maintenance activities may include integrating numerical modeling, data processing, observation operators, advanced DA algorithms, post‑processing tools, and cycling infrastructure with workflow scripts, as needed. The scientist will work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment and will analyze results with sound scientific interpretation to improve the use of satellite information in atmospheric composition and weather forecasting applications, and publish findings in peer‑reviewed journals.

Job Type: Hybrid, approximately 50% schedule minimum requirement in Boulder office

Position Type & Term: 0.6 FTE (24 hours/week), Regular, Term (Duration: 1 year; Possibility of renewal based on performance and funding)

Final date to receive applications: 11:59 PM MT on Thursday, January 1, 2026.

• Resume/CV
• Cover Letter – Please address how your skills and experience meet the needs of this position (for more information, please refer to the Key Responsibilities and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities sections of this job posting).

Visa Sponsorship:
Available to eligible candidate

UCAR can sponsor individuals for H-1B status only if they are already in the U.S. in H-1B status or another visa status that allows them to change to H-1B status within the U.S. UCAR is unable to sponsor new H‑1B visas for individuals who are outside the U.S. and need to obtain H‑1B status through Consular Processing.

Background Checks:
Conducted for candidates selected for hire. Learn more.

Work Location:

Regardless of flexible work arrangements, UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

• Conduct independent and collaborative research on the assimilation of remote sensing products. This may include developing, evaluating, and refining algorithms for data processing, quality control, bias correction, and error characterization of all‑sky radiances and aerosol remote sensing datasets, contributing to enhancements of the MPAS‑GOCART2G‑JEDI system.
• Design and perform cycling experiments to assess the impact of satellite data assimilation and analyze the results with scientific interpretation.
• Prepare research findings for presentation at conferences and for publication in peer‑reviewed journals. Assist with the preparation of project reports or progress summaries as needed.
• Designs and executes scientific analyses; develops, and adapts, and/or tests hypotheses, models and/or tools.
• Contributes to papers, reports, technical documentation, data sets, findings, and/or proposals.
• Mentors less experienced colleagues, collaborates across disciplines, and supports proposal development to advance scientific goals through high‑quality, methodologically sound work.
• Engages in mission‑aligned activities both within the organization and throughout the broader scientific community.
• Contributes through a combination of scientific expertise, professional service, and education and outreach efforts.

• Designing and executing scientific investigations or analyses using established and/or emerging methods to address defined research,…