Operational Hydrological Forecaster - Earth Sciences

AgResearch; Christchurch; Hybrid; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration

Flexible working arrangements

Regional and Pacific region impact

Job summary

Earth Sciences New Zealand is seeking an Operational Hydrological Forecaster to strengthen hydrometeorological modelling and real-time flood forecasting for emergency response across New Zealand. The role involves interfacing with regional councils and stakeholders to deliver probabilistic river-flow guidance and to transition research models into operations.

The successful candidate will contribute to end-to-end forecasting systems, participate in duty rosters, and support multi-hazard

Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree in hydrology, forecasting or related field.
• Operational hydrology experience or equivalent in forecasting.
• Experience with numerical weather/hydrological modelling and verification.

Responsibilities

• Translate rainfall forecasts into hydrological response for real-time guidance.
• Implement, test and verify forecasting systems at basin and national scales.
• Lead or contribute to research projects and deliver reports for stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical skills

Operational forecasting

Communication of hydrological risk

Education

MSc/MEng/PhD in hydrology or related field

Tools

Python

R

MATLAB

Job description

Operational Hydrological Forecaster - Earth Sciences

Located in Christchurch, Wellington or Auckland

Permanent Position

Earth Sciences New Zealand is a dynamic research organisation and New Zealand's leading science agency for research on earth system observations and processes, natural hazards, freshwater and ocean environments, climate, and energy systems.

What we're looking for:

This is an exciting opportunity for an early- to mid-career scientist to work at the interface between research and operations. The role will strengthen our hydrometeorological modelling and operational flood inundation forecasting capability, working with regional councils and other key stakeholders to produce real-time guidance that supports emergency response decision-

You will help deliver probabilistic river-flow and real-time flood inundation forecasting guidance to support regional and national decision making across New Zealand, while leading the testing and implementation needed to move new hydrological models, tools and methods into operational use. The role may also contribute to relevant work in the Pacific Islands region.

About the role:

The position will help shape Earth Sciences New Zealand's hydrology and flood forecasting strategy and contribute to the design of future end-to-end, multi-hazard forecasting systems

• Contribute to operational hydrological forecasting duties, including participation in a duty roster and potential out-of-hours and on-call response during major weather and flood events.
• Translate rainfall forecasts into hydrological response and likely impacts, providing real-time interpretation and advice to meteorologists, flood duty officers, emergency managers and other stakeholders.
• Implement, test and verify hydrological and hydraulic forecasting systems at basin and national scales, including ensemble, data-assimilation and rapid flood inundation approaches.
• Work across meteorology, hydrology, hazards and GIS to transition new models, tools and workflows from research into reliable operational use.
• Contribute to seasonal and subseasonal hydrological forecasting, including drought monitoring, outlooks and early-warning information.
• Develop and lead research and applied projects, prepare proposals and reports, publish scientific outputs, and build strong relationships with councils, emergency management agencies, iwi and research partners.

What you will bring:

• A postgraduate degree, such as an MSc, MEng or PhD, in hydrology, forecasting, operational forecasting or a related field such as physics, mathematics, numerical modelling or software engineering.
• Demonstrated operational hydrology experience, such as duty forecasting, flood warning or real-time hydrological advice, or equivalent experience in an operational forecasting environment.
• Experience in numerical weather prediction, hydrological modelling or forecasting, hydrodynamic modelling, ensemble forecasting, statistical post-processing and/or forecast verification.
• Programming skills in Python, R or Matlab sufficient to run, adapt and automate operational model workflows and work effectively with large datasets.
• Experience working in a High Performance Computing (HPC) environment would be advantageous. We welcome applicants with a willingness to learn, as HPC platforms form the foundation of our modelling activities.
• The ability to translate hydrological forecasts into clear written guidance and accessible products for operational, stakeholder and client audiences.
• Experience applying science to client or partner decision-making, and leading or managing projects for external clients.
• The ability to communicate hydrological risk clearly and consistently across agencies and audiences during hazard events.
• A willingness and ability to participate in an operational duty roster, including potential out-of-hours and on-call work during major weather and flood events.

What we offer:

At Earth Sciences New Zealand, you will join a collaborative, multidisciplinary team working at the interface of research, operational forecasting and emergency response.We offer:

• Competitive remuneration and benefits
• Flexible working arrangements, including flexible start and finish times
• Opportunities to strengthen nationally significant flood forecasting and hazard preparednessin Aotearoa and the Pacific region
• A supportive and inclusive workplace culture

We are looking for an enthusiastic and collaborative team player who can translate complex hydrological information into clear, practical advice during significant weather and flood events that will help improve flood preparedness, emergency response and climate resilience across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Earth Sciences New Zealand promotes the importance and value of an inclusive and diverse workforce, and we pride ourselves on being a family-friendly and supportive workplace.

Reference # 61602

Posted on 30 Oct 2026

Closes on 29 Nov 2026 23:55

Location(s) Christchurch

Expertise Biosecurity, Atmospheric Science, Marine & Freshwater Science