Research Associate in Regional Climate Modelling
Space and Atmospheric Group, Department of Physics
Salary range: £31,300 - £39,920 per annum (Maximum salary on appointment will be £35,810 per annum)
South Kensington Campus
Fixed term appointment for 3 years
Preferred Start: January 2012
Applications are invited for a Research Associate position within the Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, to start as soon as possible. The successful applicant will work with Professor Ralf Toumi and will also contribute to the development of a regional climate model. The post holder will be expected to support the Department’s teaching activities.
You would join an active and growing group within the Space and Atmospheric Physics group. We are developing a new regional climate model based on coupling of the atmospheric model (WRF) and the regional ocean model system (ROMS). We are interested in a number of understudied regions around the world (e.g. the Caspian, West Africa and others) with a unique and exciting set of environmental science challenges.
In this project we are collaborating with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to develop the first coupled aerosol-atmosphere-ocean model of the region. The principle aim is to quantitatively explore the impact of desert dust on the Red Sea. There are only a handful of studies that suggest an influence of dust aerosol on the sea and hence the atmosphere. This project will develop a unique powerful tool to quantitatively explore these mechanisms in the Red Sea and elsewhere.
It is essential that you have been awarded or submitted a PhD or equivalent level of professional qualifications and have experience in atmosphere, ocean or coastal science. It is also essential Must have substantial proven experience with ROMS or other advanced ocean models. Experience processing very large datasets in a variety of formats (e.g., GRIB, netCDF3/4 and HDF4/5) is required. Demonstrated skill/proficiency in the following areas is desirable: running complex model codes on high-performance computers, advanced knowledge of numerical modelling, skill in analyzing numerical model output and verification statistics, skill in scientific programming (e.g., Fortran and/or C) and scripting languages such as Perl and/or Python, as well as some skills in graphical display programs such as NCL, Matlab and/or IDL.
You must have an enthusiastic approach to research with strong written communication skills and the ability to write scientifically, clearly and succinctly for publication. The successful candidate should also have strong verbal communication skills to deal with a wide range of people and to interact successfully with others to learn and teach new skills. A flexible attitude towards work and the willingness to cooperate as part of a team and be open-minded and cooperative is a must have, and the ability to develop and apply new concepts, techniques and methods, have a creative approach to problem solving and the ability to work independently and show initiative is also essential.
Please send CV and contact details of two referees to Prof Ralf Toumi, r.toumi@imperial.ac.uk by the 9th November 2012.