Ocean Modeler

Orchard is seeking an Ocean Modeler for a hybrid role in Greenbelt, MD. The position involves developing and validating ocean circulation models, collaborating with researchers, and utilizing high-performance computing techniques. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in Oceanography or related fields, strong programming skills, and experience with ocean modeling software. The role requires US citizenship and involves maintaining model code and publishing research findings.
Ocean Modeler

Hybrid Role in Greenbelt, MD

Must be a US Citizen

@Orchard is a growing Woman-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) with an 8(a) designation from the SBA, actively engaged in multiple Federal programs within the areas of technology, science, and research. @Orchard is actively seeking an experienced Ocean Modeler to join a team supporting the Goddard Earth Observing System Earth system model. The ideal candidate will integrate scientific and engineering updates from lead developers into valid engineering and release tags, execute and maintain a suite of standard testing and evaluation runs for the ocean and coupled model, and publish results from a standard model validation package for all candidate system releases. The selected candidate will also maintain and modernize the existing suite and coupled model in support of the scientific needs of lead model developers

The Ocean Modeler will work closely with an interdisciplinary team of researchers, scientists, and engineers to advance the understanding of ocean dynamics, atmosphere/ocean coupling, global atmosphere/ocean prediction and data assimilation on daily to seasonal timescales.

As the Ocean Modeler, you will;
• Develop, implement, calibrate, and validate numerical models of ocean circulation, waves, and other marine processes
• Simulate oceanic phenomena such as ocean currents, temperature, salinity, sea level rise, and interactions with the atmosphere
• Collaborate with researchers, scientists, and engineers to design and implement modeling experiments
• Implement high-performance computing techniques to optimize large-scale ocean models for efficiency and accuracy
• Analyze observational data (e.g., satellite, in-situ) and integrate it with models to improve forecasting and hindcasting
• Maintain and update model code, ensuring best practices in version control and software documentation
• Stay up to date with advancements in ocean modeling and incorporate new techniques and methods into our models
• Communicate complex modeling concepts and results to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences.

Your background will include;
• Ph.D. or equivalent in Oceanography, Physical Oceanography, or related field, with 2 years of relevant experience
• Experience with ocean modeling software (e.g. MOM6, ROMS, MITgcm, HYCOM)
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, Fortran, or C++
• Experience with high-performance computing environments (HPC) and parallel processing (MPI, OpenMP)
• Knowledge of oceanographic observational datasets (e.g., ARGO floats, satellite altimetry, etc.)
• Proficiency with Linux shell scripting, and collaborative version control software such as Git
• Experience with data analysis and visualization tools (e.g. Python libraries)
• Ability to work with large datasets, including satellite and in-situ observations, to validate and improve model performance
• Ability to work independently and within interdisciplinary teams
• Strong written and oral communication skills

Preferred Skills:
• Experience with data assimilation techniques and machine learning applied to oceanographic modeling.
• Familiarity with climate models and coupled ocean-atmosphere modeling systems
• Experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, Google Cloud) for large-scale simulations

If you believe you have the experience, motivation, and drive to positively impact this role, we need to hear from you. Please apply.

Established in 2010, @Orchard has an exceptional reputation, providing staffing solutions to time-sensitive, talent scarcity issues to deliver better talent management ROI. Our specialty lies in the critical area of program talent acquisition and resource management, not in one narrow skillset, but across many areas of technical and functional delivery. To learn more about our other exciting opportunities, visit our Jobs Page at www.atorchard.com.