CIRES​/NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Research Scientist in Greenhouse Gas and Ammonia Air

Job Summary

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at CU Boulder encourages applications for a research scientist position within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL) in Boulder, Colorado. This role will contribute to the Tropospheric Chemistry Program, working alongside federal and university employees engaged in research investigating trace gases and aerosol particles and their impacts on atmospheric composition and weather.

Our group develops and deploys world-class instrumentation to measure these species in the field on stationary and mobile research platforms, including research aircraft.

The successful candidate will become a key member of the Farm Flux Science Team, CIRES, and NOAA CSL's Tropospheric Chemistry Program. This position involves investigating the emissions and atmospheric chemistry of greenhouse gases and other reactive nitrogen species, including ammonia and nitrous oxide, during the NASA Farm Flux Earth Venture Suborbital program (EVS-4) in 2027.

This role offers a unique opportunity to conduct airborne atmospheric composition and chemistry research using state-of-the-art instrumentation to study the nitrogen cycle between agricultural systems and the atmosphere. The candidate will participate in field research, collecting in-situ atmospheric observations aboard a NASA heavy-lift research aircraft during the Farm Flux mission. These data will then be used in airborne eddy covariance flux calculations, emissions source identification and source apportionment analyses, and thermodynamic models.

Results will be used for comparisons to emissions inventories and assessments of the air quality and climate impacts of the related emissions and atmospheric processes. Airborne sampling will concentrate on agricultural regions in the Midwestern U.S. and California. This position requires domestic travel for field work and scientific meetings totaling up to 3 months per year.

CSL has a collaborative lab culture, and we are looking for a candidate who actively subscribes to this philosophy. Successful candidates will demonstrate competence and sensitivity in working in a collaborative community.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

CIRES is an internationally recognized leader in innovative environmental science and research and is located at the University of Colorado Boulder. At CIRES, more than 900 environmental science professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people's relationship with the planet. CIRES has partnered with NOAA since 1967, and our areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at Earth's poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and more.

Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable future environment by advancing scientific and societal understanding of the Earth system.

In the Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL) of NOAA , researchers develop and use instruments to make scientifically valuable atmospheric measurements, conduct laboratory experiments, design and execute field missions, analyze observations, and use sophisticated computer models to better understand how our changing atmosphere is influencing climate - and therefore people.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• Independently operate, calibrate, and maintain a suite of commercial and custom-built analyzers (e.g., infrared laser spectrometers) within the Tropospheric Chemistry Program instrument suite for measuring greenhouse gases and reactive nitrogen species, including CO, CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, ethane, and ammonia. Assist in maintaining associated calibration systems and other instruments in both laboratory and field environments. (30%)
• Support the deployment and operation of these trace gas…