Postdoctoral Research Associate - S2S Predictability

Requisition Id 13311 

Overview:

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.

We are seeking Postdoctoral Research Associates who will support the Computational Earth Sciences (CES) Group in the Computational Sciences and Engineering Division (CSED), Computing and Computational Sciences (CCSD) Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). 

The postdoctoral researcher will conduct research on sub-seasonal to seasonal scale (S2S) predictability and translate the information into useful products for stakeholders to enable decision-support services. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of approaches to establishing a predictive understanding of climate variability and change, particularly in global monsoon regions. The candidate should also have experience using global seasonal forecasting systems and developing models for predicting S2S climate through conventional and artificial intelligence approaches. An understanding of the requirements to establish stakeholder-relevant S2S products is also desirable.  

The CES group is comprised of a multi-disciplinary team of scientists carrying out research to

improve process understanding of the global Earth system by developing and applying models, machine learning, and computational tools at scale; integrating observational data; and quantifying Earth system predictability and uncertainty associated with interactions between water, energy, biogeochemical cycles, and aerosols. 

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Participate in research to establish predictive understanding in global monsoon regions at the S2S scale.
• Develop analytical frameworks for transforming research into stakeholder-relevant products.
• Design and conduct model experiments and analyses.
• Engage with the appropriate stakeholders to understand the constraints on effective decision-making regarding S2S predictability.
• Collaborate with CES, CSED researchers, and internal and external sponsors to broaden our research portfolio.
• Maintain and improve your scientific publication credentials.
• Interpret, report, and present research findings to audiences of all levels clearly and effectively.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace.

Basic Qualifications:

• A Ph.D. in atmospheric science, environmental science, or related interdisciplinary background within the last five years.
• Candidate must have a strong research profile and be able to conduct independent research.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in running climate models and their analyses.
• Experience in utilizing seasonal forecasting systems to examine predictability at various scales.
• Knowledge about the characteristics of global monsoons and factors that drive their variability. 
• Knowledge of conventional and artificial intelligence approaches in developing data-driven models. 
• Experience analyzing big data, ensemble simulations, and remotely sensed data products. 
• Efficiency in the use of high-performance computing resources.
• Advanced level expertise in a programming language such as Python.
• Strong publication records in the areas of expertise.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Special Requirements:

Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment. The appointment length will be up to 24 months with the potential for extension of up to 12 months. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and availability of funding.

Please submit three letters of reference when applying to this position. You may upload these directly to your application or have them sent to postdocrecruitment@ornl.gov with the position title and number referenced in the subject line.

Instructions to upload documents to your candidate profile:

• Login to your account via jobs.ornl.gov
• View Profile
• Under the My Documents section, select Add a Document

Benefits at ORNL:  

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain dedicated people! The laboratory offers many employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to help you and your family live happy and healthy. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also provided for convenience.

Other benefits include the following: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

If you have difficulty using the online application system or need an accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email: ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.