Meteorologist - Drought

ERT is seeking a Meteorologist to support drought outlook tasks at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). The position is an integral part of CPC projects on developing probabilistic Subseasonal-to-Seasonal (S2S) drought outlooks for the United States (U.S.), with a focus on flash drought on subseasonal timescale.

Duties include:

• Post-processing S2S dynamical model forecasts by applying existing bias-correction and calibration methods
• Producing and evaluating S2S forecasts for various drought types (e.g., meteorological, agricultural, hydrological) as well as their integrated drought forecasts, with a focus on flash drought
• Performing research to investigate flash drought predictability and developing methods to improve flash drought prediction
• Developing objective flash drought blends and producing real-time probabilistic flash drought forecasts
• Working with a diverse group of drought scientists, operational drought forecasters, external social scientists, stakeholders, and users, and incorporating their feedback in the development of probabilistic flash drought forecasts
• Presenting research findings and drought products at scientific conferences and user/stakeholder meetings
• Writing technical reports and scientific papers relevant to the project

Required Skills

• Knowledge of S2S drought predictability, prediction, and underlying climate processes, including major modes of climate variability
• At least 5 years of experience analyzing atmospheric, land, and oceanic phenomena in large observational and dynamical model forecast datasets
• Experience running land surface models, analyzing model outputs and interpreting model results
• Ability to understand and apply existing statistical postprocessing methods to enhance the skill of S2S dynamical model forecasts
• Strong programming capabilities in Python, Fortran, MATLAB, and Unix scripting
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident and be able to pass a background investigation to obtain a security badge to enter the applicable government facility

Education
MS in atmospheric science, meteorology or hydrology; PhD preferred

Location
This position supports work at NOAA's College Park, MD facility with some telework permitted. 40% in-office presence is required.

Compensation
The salary range for this role is $46,000 - 221,000/year. This range is a good faith estimate based on similar roles across the organization. ERT considers several factors when extending an offer of employment, including the location, scope, and associated responsibilities of the specific position, as well as a candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills.

Benefits
All full-time employees are eligible to participate in our flexible benefits package, which includes:

• Medical, Rx, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with company-matching
• 11 Paid Federal Government Holidays
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Basic Life & Supplemental Life
• Health Savings Account, Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities
• Skills Development & Certifications
• Professional Membership Reimbursement
• Employee Referral Program
• Competitive compensation plan
• Discretionary variable incentive bonuses based on factors such as individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company's performance
• Publication and Conference Presentation Awards with bonuses

ERT is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and Equal Opportunity Employer - All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected Veteran status.