Associate Hydrological Data Analyst (2 positions)

Your role 

We are looking to fill 2 positions as Associate Hydrological Data Analyst (A1) that are part of a dynamic and diverse group of experts developing and running the CEMS Hydrological Forecast Computational Centre. Joining us as in this role you will work at the forefront of delivering the world-leading European and global hydrological forecast service, contributing to and running hydrological models to generate and made widely available reference and forecast datasets. You will also work with other data analysts to summarise the hydrological status and forecasts information and to explore how to integrate advanced methods and technologies (e.g. Machine Learning) into the processing chain for the delivery of computationally effective, high impact forecast products. 

You will have an opportunity to work at the core of the EFAS and GloFAS Early Warning Systems (EWS) delivery of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service. You will develop tools and conduct critical analyses associated with the EWS cycle releases (generally every one to two years) to ensure that the resulting hydrological forecast products retain their world-leading edge and continue to respond to the needs of users. 

You will be part of the group responsible for developing and running hydrological forecasting systems at ECMWF. our Evaluation Section's Environmental Forecast team. This is an outstanding opportunity to gain hands-on experience with hydro-climate data and forecast production while working closely with scientists and experts in a science driven, world-leading and innovative international organisation. In your role you will actively contribute to delivering the next generation of Early Warnings Systems, helping to mitigate against some of the most devastating impacts of the climate crisis. 

Your responsibilities 

• Help develop tools for hydrological data analysis and visualisation
• Contribute to EWS cycle upgrade activities and benchmarking against previous cycles
• Run hydrological forecast experiments and analyse results
• Contribute to CEMS-Flood activities such as generation of maps and graphs for outreach activities, data preparation and station mapping for the modelling
• Contribute to the archiving and dissemination of CEMS-Flood data through the Climate Data Store (CDS)
• Investigate the use of Machine Learning, propose and implement actions to improve the quality and robustness of global hydrological forecasting
• Contribute to CEMS-Flood shared operational duties
• Write scientific documentation and extract visual outputs
• Contribute to reporting activities and projects meetings

About ECMWF 

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is a world-leader in weather and environmental forecasting. As an international organisation we serve our members and the wider community with global weather predictions and data that is critical for understanding and solving the climate crisis. We function as a 24/7 research and operational centre with a focus on medium and long-range predictions, holding one of the largest meteorological data archives in the world. The success of our activities builds on the talent of our scientists and experts, strong partnerships with 35 Member and Co-operating States and the international community, some of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, and the use of innovative technologies and machine learning across our operations. 

ECMWF is a multi-site organisation, with a main office in Reading, UK, a data centre/supercomputer in Bologna, Italy, and a large presence in Bonn, Germany. We appreciate the need for flexibility in the way our staff work. We adopted a hybrid work model that is widely used by staff across ECMWF - allowing everyone to work in the office working as well as remotely up to 10 days/month, including away from the duty station.
 
ECMWF has also developed a strong partnership with the European Union and has been entrusted with the implementation and operation of the Climate Change and Atmosphere Monitoring Services of the EU Copernicus Programme. We also contribute to the Copernicus Emergency Management Service. Other areas of work include High Performance Computing and the development of digital tools that enable ECMWF to extend provision of data and products covering weather, climate, air quality, fire and flood prediction and monitoring.

During COP 27 in November 2022, the UN Secretariat General launched the ‘Early Warning for All’ initiative, with the ambition that anyone in the world is covered by an early warning system or climate service by 2027, so that they are informed on upcoming climate-related disaster and lives can be saved. ECMWF is one of the world-leading centres for global hydro-meteorological forecasting and climate services, operating the Hydrological Forecast Computational Centre of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service since 2011. Every day, we generate hydro-meteorological forecast data for thousands of points and make the information available to registered users through dedicated web applications such as the CEMS European and Global Flood Awareness Systems, or data services such as the Climate Data Store. In a process of continuous evolution and improvement, ECMWF also conducts research on how to improve its Early Warning Systems and Climate Services especially on hydrological-related hazards such as floods and droughts. This large-scale hydrological modeller position is at the forefront of the next-generation of climate services and of using simulations to inform emergency response. 

To learn more see . 

CEMS Hydrological Forecast Computation Centre 

ECMWF has long recognised the value of high-quality forecasts in mitigating the effects of natural disasters. Recognising that floods are among the costliest natural disasters in Europe, the European Commission instigated the development of the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) at its Joint Research Centre (JRC). Development and testing were carried out in close collaboration with national hydrological and meteorological services, European civil protection agencies (through the Emergency Response and Coordination Centre, ERCC), and other research institutes. 
Since 2011, ECMWF has been part of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service - Early warning for floods (CEMS-Flood), becoming the Hydrological Computational Centre (COMP) responsible for the operational production and dissemination of EFAS forecasts data and services first, and from 2018, those of the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS). COMP also provides data for the CEMS-Drought EWS. 
CEMS-Flood helps to protect citizens, the environment, property and cultural heritage when major floods occur by providing:

• Added value early flood forecasting products for hydrological services
• Unique overviews of current and forecast floods in Europe (EFAS) and the world (GloFAS) more than three days in advance and
• A network of operational hydrological services

More than 140 hydrological services and civil protection services in Europe are part of the EFAS network, whilst there are over 12.000 registered GloFAS users. ECMWF is also part of the Aristotle-partnership delivering multi-hazard information to the Emergency Response Coordination Centre of the European Commission on possible upcoming floods in Europe and the world.

What we’re looking for

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a proactive and constructive approach.
• Flexibility, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities.
• Ability to work with limited supervision and as part of multidisciplinary and geographically distributed teams. 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Enthusiastic for engaging and collaborating with others.
• Self-organised with the capacity to work on a diverse range of tasks at the same time and to tight deadlines.
• Genuine interest in ECMWF, especially on hydro-meteorological climate services and Early Warning Services.

Education and experience

• University degree (EQF level 6) or recent advanced university degree (EQF Level 7 or above) or equivalent professional experience or professional qualification in Earth System Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, or another relevant discipline.
• Some knowledge of meteorology and hydrology is desirable.
• Experience in working with observations and modelled hydrological data    using computing programmes would be an advantage.
• Some experience in working with scientists of different backgrounds would be an advantage.
• Some experience with communicating scientific results to a general audience would be beneficial.

Knowledge and skills 

• Experience developing with Python is required
• Experience in shell-scripting in a UNIX environment is desirable
• Knowledge of software management practices is an advantage
• Experience in environmental geospatial data analysis with Python is an advantage

Candidates must be able to work effectively in English. A good knowledge of one of the Centre’s other working languages (French or German) is an advantage.

Other information 

Grade remuneration:  The successful candidate will be recruited at the A1 grade, according to the scales of the Co-ordinated Organisations. The annual basic salary will be GBP 53,512 NET of tax (ECMWF salaries are exempt of national income tax). ECMWF also offers a generous benefits package, including a flexible teleworking policy. The position is assigned to the employment category STF-PL as defined in the ECMWF Staff Regulations. Full details of salary scales and allowances available on the ECMWF website at , including the ECMWF Staff Regulations and the terms and conditions of employment. Successful applicants and members of their family forming part of their households will be exempt from immigration restrictions. 

Start date:              As soon as possible

Interviews by videoconference (MS Teams) are expected to take place shortly after the closing date, likely during the week of 8 January 2024..

Who can apply 

Applicants are invited to complete the online application form. 

At ECMWF, we consider an inclusive environment as key for our success. We are dedicated to ensuring a workplace that embraces diversity and provides equal opportunities for all, without distinction as to race, gender, age, marital status, social status, disability, sexual orientation, religion, personality, ethnicity and culture. We value the benefits derived from a diverse workforce and are committed to having staff that reflect the diversity of the countries that are part of our community, in an environment that nurtures equality and inclusion. 

Applications are invited from nationals from ECMWF Member States and Co-operating States, as well as from all EU Member States. 

ECMWF Member and Co-operating States are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. 

In these exceptional times, we also welcome applications from Ukrainian nationals for this vacancy.  

Applications from nationals from other countries may be considered in exceptional cases.