Full-time
Fort Collins, CO
Job description
Overview
The Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine) is one of ten inaugural
awardees under the National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) initiative, which aims to 1) Boost innovation capacity; 2) Create sustainable innovation ecosystems; and 3) Demonstrate economic growth. The CO-WY Engine aims to scale a regional, technology-driven innovation ecosystem across the two-state region of Colorado and Wyoming. The Engine is building resilience by harnessing the advanced sensing and computational assets of our region for the development of decision support capabilities to address pressing challenges such as wildfire and drought. The Engine will align use-inspired research and development, translation of innovation to practice, and workforce development to build a nationally and globally significant ecosystem. This ecosystem includes partners across multiple sectors and organizational types, including small businesses, industry leaders, institutions of higher education, federal research laboratories, community groups, and public sector agencies. More information can be found on the CO-WY Engine website.
The CO-WY Engine, supported by NSF and the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), is funding a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve regional resilience to wildfire events. Through this partnership, the Engine seeks to hire a postdoctoral or post-master’s fellow. The fellow will be based at the CO-WY Engine and will work under the supervision of a collaborative team of senior research scientists based at the Engine, NREL’s Strategic Energy Analysis and Decision Sciences Directorate, and NOAA’s Global Systems Laboratory.
Specifically, the wildfire/meteorology data scientist will support a cutting-edge project to improve fire weather prediction and inform public safety power shutoff (PSPS) decision making. The successful candidate will work with large historical datasets to develop intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves that will inform power sector operational posture in response to a changing climate and increased climate threats. This role is ideal for a driven and technically adept individual interested in applying data science and meteorological insights to address wildfire risk and energy resilience.
Location
Term
Responsibilities
Responsibilities will include conducting a literature review on fire weather risk metrics, analyzing high-resolution weather datasets from NREL’s Wind Toolkit and NOAA’s HRRR model, developing IDF curves for risky fire weather conditions, and preparing reports or manuscripts. This position provides a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of climate science, data analytics, and public safety.
The specific activities that the researcher will work on include, but are not limited to:
Required Qualifications
· Master’s degree in physical science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, or data science (or related field)
· Domain experience in meteorology or similar physical science
· Basic statistics
· Working familiarity with one or more programming languages
Desired Qualifications
· Doctoral degree with relevant specialization
· Software development experience (Python preferred) and experience working on Linux servers
· Significant experience in data science, meteorology, or a related field and be motivated to contribute to research that enhances resilience, public safety, and risk management.
· The ideal candidate should have experience working with large meteorological or environmental datasets and high-performance computing environments, along with skills in data processing and statistical analysis. Proficiency in programming languages and strong written and oral communication skills are also important for documenting methods and reporting findings effectively to technical and non-technical audiences.
About NREL
At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), we are committed to innovative solutions that address today’s pressing energy and environmental challenges. Our work spans fundamental research to the deployment of clean energy technologies, transforming how we power our communities. Through collaboration with federal, state, local and tribal agencies, industry, and academic partners, NREL advances science and technology to enhance public safety, energy system resilience, and sustainability.
About NOAA’s Global Systems Laboratory
The Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) is one of ten NOAA Research Laboratories and is located in Boulder, Colorado. Our research improves environmental prediction models, develops state-of-the-science decision support tools, visualization systems, and uses high-performance computing technology to support a Weather-Ready Nation. The research we do improves weather data, forecasts, and computing techniques used by industry, decision-makers, and stakeholders. Our work makes the nation's operations safer and more efficient, helps protect lives and property, and promotes economic prosperity.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Fort Collins, CO 80524
