Senior Ocean Modeling Scientist – MOM6/COBALT Lead (Hybrid)

UCAR - The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research; Princeton (NJ); Hybrid; USD 112,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Retirement plan

Leave plans (PTO)

Tuition assistance

PSLF eligible employer

Job summary

UCAR - The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research seeks a CPAESS Scientist V to lead cross-disciplinary ocean and climate modeling initiatives with NOAA’s GFDL. The role emphasizes mentoring, strategic direction, and collaboration with national programs.

You will guide complex modeling efforts and engage with senior sponsors to advance ecosystem prediction capabilities. This position requires integrating multi-team contributions, developing novel tools and workflows, and representing

Qualifications

• Minimum of BS with 15 years related experience, or MS with 11 years, or PhD with 7 years, or equivalent.
• Has expert knowledge of scientific/technical theories, methods, and modeling within a field, with broad cross-domain understanding.
• Strong mentoring, collaboration, and leadership abilities; capable of guiding multi-project teams.
• Experience leading teams, proposal development, and program planning in a research setting.
• Proven track record of publications, presentations, and external outputs in the field.

Responsibilities

• Lead scientific and innovation initiatives, shaping strategic directions across domains.
• Develop and refine models, tools, instrumentation, and analytical approaches.
• Direct project teams; manage scope, risks, resources, and coordination with sponsors and partners.
• Apply judgment to define objectives, prioritize activities, and identify high-impact opportunities.
• Engage with senior leadership and sponsors to shape strategies and guide proposals.
• Mentor less experienced scientists and staff; foster collaboration and high performance.
• Contribute to papers, reports, data sets, and proposals; disseminate significant outcomes.
• Represent the organization in external engagements and national collaborations.
• Lead the development of complex products, tools, or technologies for projects.

Skills

Mentorship & team building

Communication with stakeholders

Leadership & mentoring

Analytical & strategic planning

Innovative hypothesis/tools/models

Publications/presentations

Emerging scientific leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree + 15 years of experience

Master’s degree + 11 years of experience

PhD in a scientific discipline + 7 years

Tools

GitHub

Job description

UCAR - The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research seeks a CPAESS Scientist V to lead cross-disciplinary ocean and climate modeling initiatives with NOAA’s GFDL. The role emphasizes mentoring, strategic direction, and collaboration with national programs.

You will guide complex modeling efforts and engage with senior sponsors to advance ecosystem prediction capabilities. This position requires integrating multi-team contributions, developing novel tools and workflows, and representing