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CIRES/ NOAA Weather Prediction Center, Atmospheric River Experiment Facilitator

**Requisition Number:** 67590

**Location:** Boulder Colorado

**Employment Type:** Research Faculty

**Schedule:** Full Time

**Posting Close Date:** 22-Oct-2025

Date Posted:

Job Summary

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder is seeking a Professional Research Assistant (Associate Scientist) to provide scientific and meteorological expertise for the NOAA Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT), which is jointly organized by the NWS/Weather Prediction Center (WPC) and the OAR/Earth Systems Research Laboratory (ESRL).

The incumbent will serve as the primary HMT facilitator for WPC's Atmospheric River Experiment.

The position will be based at the WPC in College Park, MD, within the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP). The NCWCP is a highly collaborative environment containing several NOAA organizations, including the Environmental Modeling Center (EMC), Ocean Prediction Center (OPC), and Climate Prediction Center (CPC). The incumbent will interact with HMT staff, NOAA scientists and forecasters, CIRES employees working at WPC, and externally funded researchers to facilitate the transition of new science to NWS forecast operations for atmospheric river prediction. Areas of particular need and interest to be addressed include the forecasting of midlatitude storms and atmospheric rivers. Additional areas of focus include the use of experimental deterministic and ensemble model output, which includes verification of precipitation.

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

At CIRES (https://cires.colorado.edu/about) , more than 900 people work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people's relationship with the planet. An institute at the University of Colorado Boulder, we have partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) since 1967. Our areas of expertise include weather and climate, wildfire and water, changes at Earth's poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and more. Our researchers work in 10 CU Boulder departments and eight NOAA laboratories and centers.

The Weather Prediction Center (http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/) (WPC) is America's Go-To Center for high-impact precipitation events and forecast guidance out to 7 days for a Weather-Ready Nation.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

+ Serve as the primary HMT Facilitator for the Precipitation Experiment for Atmospheric Rivers (PEAR) at WPC. (70%)

+ Collaborate with Principal Investigators (PIs), HMT staff, WPC/NWS forecasters, NWS field offices, academia, and outside partners to ensure successful testing of experimental tools in testbeds.

+ Develop recommendations to assist in the transition of new tools and techniques into NWS operations.

+ Produce Operation Plans and final reports for experiments and provide input on reports for funded projects.

+ Represent the HMT effort by contributing to formal scientific publications, and/or attending off-site conferences, symposia and hazardous-weather-related outreach events.

+ Perform independent, operationally relevant research and/or development inspired by and consistent with the goals of the HMT and WPC. (10%)

+ Assist, as needed, in planning and/or execution of other HMT experiments involving heavy rainfall and winter weather. (15%)

+ Perform related duties as assigned. (5%)

What You Should Know

+ Based on current funding, this appointment will be approximately 1 year long and may be extended if additional funding is identified.

+ The targeted start date for this position is January 1, 2026.

+ Access to the NOAA Federal Center's computer facilities (regularly through VPN and infrequently in-person) is necessary to perform the work of this position. Access is not available for individuals working in the United States through a visa or a working permit and therefore we are unable to consider applications from individuals on a visa, working permit, or requiring visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future.

+ Normal working hours will be observed except for occasional irregular hours during data collection, warning/forecast experiments, or workshops conducted at remote sites. The incumbent will receive training and gain expertise in Facilitating forecast experiments and evaluations.

+ The new hire will be employed by CIRES with technical oversight provided by WPC management.

+ The incumbent will work under general supervision but is expected to work independently and determine action to be taken in handling all but unusual situations.

+ The incumbent is expected to serve as a leader of scientific or technical experiments, groups, or teams; therefore, strong teamwork and leadership skills are necessary.

+ This position is based at the WPC in College Park, MD, and fully remote work will be considered.

+ Selected finalists will be required to pass a federal background check for access to NOAA resources.

What We Can Offer

+ CIRES can offer a generous compensation package.

+ The annual hiring salary range for this position is $60,000-$97,000. Salary is commensurate with education and experience and determined based on our CIRES internal career track classification.

+ This position can accommodate a fully remote work modality.

+ CIRES and the University of Colorado boulder offer a robust training curriculum, opportunities for professional development and a Mentorship Program.

+ Boulder (https://bouldercolorado.gov/) is a vibrant community with access to mountain parks, dog parks, miles of trails, rivers, lakes, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, theaters, museums, and sports venues.

+ As an employee at CU Boulder, you will have free access to the regional public transit system, (https://www.rtd-denver.com/) an outstanding network of buses, and light rail systems that service Boulder and connect to Denver, the Denver airport, and surrounding communities.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits (https://www.colorado.edu/jobs/benefits) , including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder (https://www.colorado.edu/about) .

Be Statements

Be brilliant. Be ingenious. Be Boulder.

What We Require

A master's degree in meteorology, atmospheric science or related area and at least one year experience in operational meteorology or applied research; additional relevant post-graduate degrees or certifications may be substituted for experience.

What You Will Need

+ Strong oral and written communication skills, including abilities to produce concise final reports for testbed activities.

+ Strong ability to work in a collaborative team environment with individual and team goals.

+ Strong analytical skills for the analysis of NWP strengths and weaknesses.

+ Demonstrated programming skills for data analysis, web programming (e.g. shell scripting, Python, Javascript, React, php, html, etc.) or cloud computing.

+ Familiarity in working with and interrogating large meteorological data sets (e.g. GRIB, netCDF, geojson, csv, zarr, parquet, etc.).

+ Familiarity with working in a Linux environment.

+ Ability to plan, organize, and conduct small focus groups with varied audiences of meteorologists and hydrologists.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. Resume or CV.

2. Cover letter addressed to the Search Committee briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position.

3. List of contact information for 3 references (at least 1 must be from a professor or supervisor). If you are identified as a finalist for this role, we will later check references through Crosschq. Crosschq is an online reference check solution. This information will be kept confidential and viewable only by the search committee.

If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources department using an approved online vendor. If your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit a translated version as an optional attachment.

The position will close **October 27, 2025** . Applications will be reviewed as received.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs (https://jobs.colorado.edu/) .

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/CIRES-NOAA-Weather-Prediction-Center-Atmospheric-River-Experiment-Facilitator/67590 (https://apptrkr.com/6616164)

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The University of Colorado does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, pregnancy, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, political affiliation, or political philosophy. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.