Senior Hydrological Model Calibration Specialist

Fund for SME - Southeast Asia; Abu Dhabi; Remote; AED 300,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Fund for SME - Southeast Asia is seeking a Senior Hydrological Model Calibration Specialist for a fully remote role headquartered outside the UAE. The position focuses on calibration, validation, uncertainty analysis, and performance optimization across flood forecasting and water resource planning.

The candidate will work with hydrology datasets, and GIS data, using platforms like HEC-HMS, SWAT, MIKE SHE, MODFLOW, and scripting in Python or R to automate workflows and reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Hydrology or related field.
• Significant professional experience in hydrological modelling and calibration.
• Proficiency with HEC-HMS, SWAT, MIKE SHE, MODFLOW.
• Strong Python, R, or MATLAB skills for modelling automation.
• Ability to communicate complex results to stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead calibration and validation of hydrological models.
• Develop and refine model parameters for catchment processes.
• Evaluate performance with NSE, KGE, R^2, RMSE.
• Conduct sensitivity and uncertainty analyses.
• Calibrate models across dry, seasonal, flood conditions.
• Review data quality and prepare datasets.
• Develop modelling workflows and documentation.
• Collaborate with GIS, meteorology, and engineers.
• Automate data processing and reporting using Python or R.
• Provide guidance to junior staff.

Skills

Hydrology

Model calibration

Data analysis

Python

GIS

Remote collaboration

Statistics

Documentation

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

HEC-HMS

SWAT

MIKE SHE

MODFLOW

MATLAB

Job description

Job Title: Senior Hydrological Model Calibration Specialist

Location: United Arab Emirates (Remote)

Employment Type: Full-Time

Work Arrangement: 100% Remote - Work From Home

Level: Senior

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Hydrological Model Calibration Specialist to lead hydrological model calibration, validation, uncertainty analysis, and performance optimization for water resource management, flood forecasting, watershed assessment, and environmental planning projects. The successful candidate will use hydrological datasets, numerical modelling techniques, and statistical methods to improve model accuracy and reliability under varying climatic, geographic, and hydrological conditions.

This fully remote role focuses on computational modelling, geospatial data analysis, model performance evaluation, technical reporting, and engineering coordination. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in hydrology, rainfall-runoff modelling, watershed processes, and calibration methodologies, with the ability to collaborate remotely with water resource engineers, hydrologists, environmental specialists, and project stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the calibration and validation of hydrological models using observed rainfall, streamflow, evapotranspiration, groundwater, soil moisture, and other relevant datasets.
• Develop and refine model parameters to improve the representation of catchment processes, runoff generation, infiltration, groundwater recharge, and streamflow behavior.
• Evaluate hydrological model performance using appropriate statistical indicators, including Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE), Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE), coefficient of determination, and root mean square error.
• Conduct sensitivity analyses to identify influential parameters and assess their effects on model outputs and predictive reliability.
• Perform uncertainty assessments to quantify the effects of data limitations, parameter variability, model structure, and input assumptions.
• Calibrate and validate models across different hydrological conditions, including dry periods, seasonal variations, extreme rainfall events, and flood scenarios.
• Review and process meteorological, hydrometric, topographic, land-use, soil, and watershed datasets to ensure consistency and suitability for modelling.
• Develop and maintain modelling workflows for data preparation, parameter estimation, simulation, validation, and performance reporting.
• Use hydrological modelling platforms such as HEC-HMS, SWAT, MIKE SHE, MODFLOW, or equivalent tools, depending on project requirements.
• Integrate geospatial information and digital elevation models into watershed delineation, drainage analysis, and catchment characterization.
• Analyze discrepancies between observed and simulated results and recommend evidence-based adjustments to model structures and parameter configurations.
• Support flood risk assessments, water availability studies, drought analysis, reservoir inflow forecasting, and catchment management projects.
• Assess model performance under historical and projected climate scenarios to support climate resilience and water resource planning.
• Review modelling assumptions, data quality, calibration procedures, and validation methods to ensure technical transparency and reproducibility.
• Prepare technical reports, calibration summaries, model performance assessments, uncertainty analyses, and recommendations for project stakeholders.
• Maintain clear documentation of model configurations, datasets, parameter values, assumptions, and calibration decisions.
• Collaborate with GIS specialists, meteorologists, civil engineers, environmental scientists, and water resource planning teams.
• Identify opportunities to automate data processing, model calibration, statistical evaluation, and reporting using Python, R, or other suitable analytical tools.
• Provide technical guidance to junior hydrologists and modelling specialists on calibration techniques, data quality, and model interpretation.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Hydrology, Water Resources Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Earth Sciences, or a related discipline.
• Significant professional experience in hydrological modelling, model calibration, water resource analysis, or environmental simulation.
• Strong understanding of hydrological processes, including precipitation-runoff relationships, infiltration, evapotranspiration, groundwater interactions, and catchment response.
• Demonstrated experience calibrating and validating hydrological models using observed environmental and hydrometeorological data.
• Proficiency with hydrological modelling software such as HEC-HMS, SWAT, MIKE SHE, MODFLOW, or comparable platforms.
• Experience using statistical performance metrics, parameter estimation methods, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty quantification techniques.
• Knowledge of GIS applications, digital elevation models, watershed delineation, spatial data processing, and catchment characterization.
• Familiarity with time-series analysis, data quality assessment, missing-data treatment, and hydrometeorological data interpretation.
• Experience supporting flood modelling, drought assessment, water resource planning, or climate impact studies is advantageous.
• Proficiency in Python, R, MATLAB, or similar tools for scientific computing, data analysis, and modelling automation.
• Understanding of numerical modelling limitations, calibration overfitting, independent validation, and model transferability.
• Ability to interpret complex model outputs and communicate technical findings to both specialist and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, quantitative, problem-solving, and technical writing skills.
• Excellent communication and project coordination abilities in a distributed working environment.
• Relevant postgraduate qualifications or professional certifications in hydrology, water resources, or environmental modelling are advantageous.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple modelling assignments, and maintain detailed technical documentation in a fully remote environment.

What We Offer

• A 100% remote, work-from-home arrangement.
• A full-time senior-level opportunity in hydrological modelling and water resource analysis.
• Opportunities to contribute to flood risk assessment, watershed modelling, and sustainable water management projects.
• Professional development in advanced calibration methods, uncertainty analysis, geospatial technologies, and environmental data science.
• A collaborative remote working environment focused on scientific rigor, model reliability, and continuous improvement.