Software Engineer II - WRF

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR); Boulder (CO); Hybrid; USD 83,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

20 days PTO (minimum)

10 paid holidays

Parental leave 12 weeks

Tuition assistance

PSLF eligible employer

Job summary

UCAR’s Environmental Resilience Applications Program (ERAP) at NCAR's RAL seeks a software engineer to maintain and modernize a complex code base supporting meteorological decision support workflows. You will drive Python migrations, refactor legacy scripts, and enhance post-processing on an HPC cluster for both research and operational use.

The role emphasizes development, debugging, and performance optimization across WRF-based pipelines, with emphasis on collaboration and clear documentation

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a computer-related field or equivalent experience.
• 4–8 years of progressive relevant experience as a baseline.
• Strong Python and scripting proficiency required.

Responsibilities

• Modernize and refactor existing codebase for meteorological workflows.
• Upgrade WRF model initialization data and benchmark on HPC systems.
• Provide memory, compute, and workflow bottleneck insights for future hardware.

Skills

Python

Shell scripting

Git

Real-time systems

High-Performance Computing

Linux/Unix

Time management

Collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer-related field

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

Git

Linux/Unix

NCL

Perl

Job description

Position Type: Term - 6 months or more (Fixed Term)

Visa Sponsored Job: No

Relocation Assistance Eligible: No

Hiring Range: 83,299.00 USD - 104,127.00 USD

*Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role.

Application Closes at 12:00am MST on: 2026-09-24

About the Role

As a member of the Environmental Resilience Applications Program (ERAP) within NCAR's Research Applications Laboratory (RAL), the incumbent will be primarily responsible for maintaining, updating, and modernizing an existing code base to support multiple meteorological decision support workflows for operational and research-based use. Specifically, this system drives the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model using differing initialization data to produce forecasts and NCAR Command Language (NCL) and Python driven postprocessing to aid end users with accurate information to make informed decisions. This workflow is deployed across a High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster, running both nearly constantly in forecast operations and in an offline research mode. This requires that the incumbent is comfortable in various broad categories of engineering, from hardening code made by scientists to designing/implementing/troubleshooting system architecture on HPC's.

Job Description

Application Deadline: September 24, 2026 at 11.59 pm MT

Job Location: Boulder, CO

Position Requirement: Hybrid (minimum of 3 days a week is required to be on-site)

Position Type & Term: Full-time, 1-Term. (Possibility of extension depending on funding availability)

Required application materials:

• Resume
• Application Questionnaire: Please complete the required questionnaire as part of your application. Thorough and complete answers are essential. Incomplete questionnaires will result in the disqualification of the application.

Background Checks: Conducted for candidates selected for hire. Learn more.

What You Will Do

System Modernization & Code Refactoring

• Python Migration: Replace legacy plotting scripts with optimized, modern alternatives to support research-based and operational forecasting tools.
• Initialization Upgrades: Participate in transitioning initialization data for the WRF model, benchmarking performance and integrating workflow changes onto high-performance cluster environments.
• Code Optimization: Evaluate performance impacts across data post-processing workflows.

Model Workflows & Upgrades

• Periodically upgrade the WRF model used in both research and operations
• Troubleshoot model issues as they arise
• Establish systematic versioning on GitHub to organize the different software versions
• Provide insights on memory, compute, and workflow bottlenecks to inform future HPC hardware specifications.

System Monitoring & Reliability Tools

• Maintain and update an automated notification system to alert sysadmins and forecasters to operational model delays or failures.
• Maintain and update intuitive, web-based status dashboards enabling real-time product tracking for forecasters.
• Monitor real-time systems, ensure continuous pipeline reliability, and interface with university and private sector partners.

Technical Documentation

• Maintain/update clear, high-level architecture documentation for the WRF ensemble and custom post-processing pipelines as they are modernized.

Who We'd Love To Join Our Team

Successful candidates will ensure their application materials speak to the following criteria:

Education and Experience (Required)

• Bachelor's degree in computer-related field and progressive relevant experience, which is typically gained by four to eight years of experience;
• or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Required)

• Demonstrated skill in Python and/or other scripting languages.
• Demonstrated skill in Shell scripting languages.
• Demonstrated skill in GIT and/or other code management practices and software.
• Skill in real-time operational systems and software development.
• Skill in High-Performance Computing systems.
• Working knowledge of LINUX/UNIX-based operating systems.
• Demonstrated ability to manage time effectively, working across multiple tasks and projects
• Demonstrated ability to overcome problems by applying new knowledge, creativity, and determination.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a member of a diverse team.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate well, orally and in writing.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities ( Desired, but not required)

• Exposure to NCL and Perl
• Familiarity with Fortran
• Knowledge of Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) concepts, GRIB and netCDF files, or running/compiling WRF and WRF Preprocessing System (WPS).
• Web development basics for simple status dashboards.

Preferred Qualifications

Annual Salary Range: $83,299 - $104,127

*Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role.

Application Requirements

Questionnaire, Resume/CV

For full consideration, all application materials must be submitted by 12am (MST) at the start of the application deadline. These should highlight how your skills and experiences align with the responsibilities of this position. We recognize that no candidate will meet 100% of the listed qualifications. If you believe your background has prepared you for success in this role, we encourage you to apply.

Supplemental questionnaires are often requested in lieu of a cover letter, where you address critical skills needed for the position. Your answers will be read and weighed equally to your resume and should provide specific, detailed, and informative responses based on your direct and previous work experiences.

Background checks and/or federal screenings are conducted for candidates selected for hire.

Benefits Overview

UCAR offers a comprehensive benefits package: health insurance, dental, retirement plan, leave plans, tuition assistance, and employee assistance programs:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Short & Long Term Disability Insurance
• Generous retirement plan - UCAR contributes of 10% of base salary
• Time Off Plans
  • Minimum 20 days of annual PTO
  • 10 paid holidays
  • 12 weeks of paid parental leave
  • FAMLI Leave
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer

UCAR is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from all individuals. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, sex, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants are not required to provide age-related information (like date of birth or graduation dates) in initial submissions.

For sponsored positions: UCAR can sponsor individuals for H-1B status only if they are already in the U.S. in H-1B status or another visa status that allows them to change to H-1B status within the U.S. UCAR is unable to sponsor new H-1B visas for individuals who are outside the U.S. and need to obtain H-1B status through Consular Processing.

All roles require compliance with U.S. export control regulations and work location requirements. All hybrid staff are expected to work on-site approximately 3 days per week.