Support Scientist for Earth System Model Physics and Hydrology Development

Lynker Corporation; College Park (MD); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

PTO

401(k) with company match

ESOP

Tuition assistance

Spot bonuses

Annual recognition awards

Learning Management System

Job summary

Lynker Corporation seeks a Support Scientist to develop land model physics and hydrology within the Unified Forecast System. You will implement parameterizations for lakes, river routing, surface inundation, and groundwater, interfacing with the CCPS framework and collaborating with external partners.

The role emphasizes ability to work in a hybrid schedule with in-office days in the DC/MD area and remote days, applying modern software practices and ML techniques to improve land surface

Qualifications

• General knowledge of earth system modeling with demonstrated experience in developing land model parameterizations.
• Experience with a broad range of hydrologic process models including 1-D/3-D lakes, river routing, surface inundation and groundwater.
• Experience with machine learning methods relevant to land surface modeling, including LSTM and Transformers.
• Experience in land/lake/hydrology model evaluation, data post-processing and statistical analysis including accuracy and uncertainty analysis.
• Familiarity with GitHub/Git version control and environment.
• Advanced skills in Fortran and Python.
• Experience in UNIX environment with shell scripting and running complex jobs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and enhance the lake model and hydrological components for the UFS within the CCPP framework.
• Support integration and implementation of lake and hydrological components into the UFS land model.
• Conduct testing and evaluation of UFS model performance across regional and global scales.
• Work independently and collaboratively, applying innovative methods for core work areas.
• Collaborate with forecast system teams and external partners to improve physics parameterizations.

Skills

Earth system modeling

Fortran

Python

LSTM/Transformers

UNIX shell scripting

Git/GitHub

HPC (MPI/OpenMP/Slurm)

Tools

CCPP

GitHub

Slurm

LSF

MPI

OpenMP

Job description

Overview

Lynker seeking a sharp Support Scientist for Earth System Model Physics and Hydrology Development to support NWS/OMD for the development of land model physics parameterizations, especially those related to hydrology, as part of the Unified Forecast System for regional and global predictions at all time scales. The candidate’s work will involve the development and implementation of land model physics parameterizations and inputs within the Common Community Physics Package (CCPP) for hydrologic processes relevant in the current modeling system, including lakes, river routing, surface inundation and groundwater. The ultimate goal of the work will be to improve representation of land-related physical processes, and their interactions with other model physics, in the Unified Forecast System. The Ideal Support Scientist for Earth System Model Physics and Hydrology Development, will be local to the DC Metro area, and be able to work a hybrid schedule, working 2 days per week in office out of the College Park, MD location, and working from home the remaining 3 days of the week.

Responsibilities

Duties of the Support Scientist for Earth System Model Physics and Hydrology Development will include the following:

• Develop and enhance the lake model and hydrological components for the Unified Forecast System (UFS) within the CCPP framework.
• Support the integration and implementation of lake and hydrological components into the UFS land model.
• Conduct testing and evaluation of UFS model performance with updates to the land model hydrological components across regional and global scales.
• The candidate will perform the job duties in an independent, collaborative and initiative way, applying innovative methods for the primary work areas.
• The candidate will work with others on the forecast system improvements for transition-to-operations, and will also work with external collaborators to develop and improve physics parameterizations for use within the Unified Forecast System framework.

Qualifications

The Support Scientist for Earth System Model Physics and Hydrology Development selected should have the following:

• General knowledge of earth system modeling with demonstrated experience in developing land model parameterizations
• Experience with a broad range of hydrologic process models, including 1-D/3-D lakes, river routing, surface inundation and groundwater
• Experience with machine learning methods relevant to land surface modeling, including but not limited to long short-term memory (LSTM) and Transformers
• Experience in land/lake/hydrology model evaluation, data post-processing and statistical analysis including accuracy and uncertainty analysis, especially at the land process level
• Familiarity with modern software development practices, particularly the GitHub/Git version control software and environment
• Advanced skills and knowledge of modern programming languages and object-oriented languages, such as Fortran and Python
• Experience working in a UNIX environment with advanced shell scripting languages and familiar with running complex jobs

The Ideal Support Scientist for Earth System Model Physics and Hydrology Development will have the following:

• Experience with large-scale datasets of land surface properties for use as model inputs and model evaluation
• Experience in running numerical models on High Performing Computer (HPC) platforms using MPI, OpenMP, Slurm, LSF, etc.

About Lynker

Lynker is a growing, employee owned business, specializing in professional, scientific and technical services. Our continually expanding team combines scientific expertise with mature, results-driven processes and tools to achieve technically sound, cost effective solutions in hydrology/water sciences, geospatial analysis, information technology, resource management, conservation, and management and business process improvement.

We focus on putting the right people in the right place to be effective. And having the right people is critical for success. Our streamlined organization enables and empowers our talented professionals to tackle our customers' scientific and technical priorities – creatively and effectively.

Lynker offers a team-oriented work environment, and the opportunity to work in a culture of exceptionally skilled professionals who embrace sound science and creative solutions. Lynker's benefits include the following:

• Comprehensive healthcare for the employee at no monthly cost
• Healthcare benefit covers medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision
• Personal Time Off (PTO) Policy plus paid holidays
• Highly competitive compensation plan regularly calibrated against industry and location benchmarks
• 401(k) retirement plan with company-matching
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – we're all company owners!
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Life and accident insurance
• Tuition assistance/Training/Workforce improvement reimbursement per year
• Spot bonuses for exceptional performance
• Annual Employee Recognition Awards with bonuses
• Employee Referral Program
• Free centralized, self-directed Learning Management System to learn at your own pace
• Personalized career growth plans for every employee

Lynker is an E-Verify employer.

Lynker is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other legally protected status under federal, state, or local laws.