GESTAR II Consortium at NASA Goddard

The GESTAR II Consortium supports over 140 researchers based primarily at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. GESTAR II researchers work to create extensive opportunities for breakthroughs in earth and atmospheric science research, carrying out observational, experimental and theoretical research in support of NASA strategic Earth Science mission objectives.
Goddard’s Earth Science Division is home to about 200 civil servants and over 1200 collaborating researchers and support personnel, dedicated to studying the Earth as an integrated system that includes the atmosphere, oceans, biosphere, cryosphere, and geosphere. The Division operates as a component of the Sciences and Exploration Directorate that collaborate on interdisciplinary research with the Astrophysics Science, Heliophysics Science, and Solar System Exploration Divisions.

Homepage: https://gestar2.umbc.edu/

Research Scientist Position: Improving Projections of Sea-Level Change

The Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research II (GESTAR II) consortium at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) invites applications for an early to mid-career research position to develop improved projections of sea-level change by advancing existing frameworks used to integrate sea-level contributions across Earth system processes. Ultimately, this work seeks to produce improved estimates and uncertainties of future sea-level change across a range of timescales from seasonal to centennial, by integrating projected changes in glaciers and ice sheets, ocean circulation, vertical land motion, and extreme sea levels (caused by, e.g., tides, wave setup, and storm surge). This work will use historical observations to reduce uncertainties in projections through, e.g., model weighting methods. The integrated projections that result from this task will support the basic science foundation that enables national- and global-scale sea-level and coastline resilience decision making.

The researcher will collaborate closely with the NASA Sea-Level Change Team (N-SLCT) by incorporating new knowledge being produced by the team on the processes contributing to sea-level change. N-SLCT is comprised of individual interdisciplinary investigations selected through a competitive proposal process. The team is focused on improving the understanding of regional relative sea-level change on a range of timescales. The formation of this team was driven by the recognition that sea-level change results from a diverse set of physical processes that interact and combine in potentially complicated ways across a range of timescales. The interdisciplinary team of scientists that work in a collaborative environment using NASA satellite observations, reanalysis, and modeling efforts to advance our understanding of sea level change in the past, present and future.

Required Qualifications:
Ph.D. in a related field
Expert level knowledge of projections of one or more components of sea-level change (glaciers and ice sheets, ocean circulation, or vertical land motion)
Experience with programming and data analysis in Python
Demonstrated strong oral and written communication skills
Experience publishing scientific results in peer-reviewed literature

Preferred Qualifications:
Experience working with sea-level projection frameworks such as the Sea-Level Projection System (SLPS) or Framework for Assessing Changes To Sea-level (FACTS)
Knowledge of extreme sea level processes (e.g., tides, wave setup, and storm surge)
Experience with high-performance computing (HPC) or cloud computing environments
Database construction and management
Knowledge in geospatial statistical techniques
Experience and success working in multi-disciplinary teams
Experience with programming in Matlab, Fortran, or C/C++

The successful candidate will join the GESTAR II Consortium which supports over 140 researchers based primarily at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. GESTAR II researchers work to create extensive opportunities for breakthroughs in earth and atmospheric science research, carrying out observational, experimental and theoretical research in support of NASA strategic Earth Science mission objectives.
Goddard’s Earth Science Division is home to about 200 civil servants and over 1200 collaborating researchers and support personnel, dedicated to studying the Earth as an integrated system that includes the atmosphere, oceans, biosphere, cryosphere, and geosphere. The Division operates as a component of the Sciences and Exploration Directorate that collaborate on interdisciplinary research with the Astrophysics Science, Heliophysics Science, and Solar System Exploration Divisions.

The nominal starting date is early Fall, 2024, but alternate dates are possible depending on availability.

Candidates should provide a cover letter, CV (including publication list), and a 3-page statement of research interests. Short-listed candidates will be asked to supply three letters of reference at a later date. All materials and inquiries should be sent by email Subject line: Task 202: Researcher Position to: Halley Thompson (halleyt@umbc.edu)

Completed applications received by June 7, 2024 will receive full consideration, however the posting will remain open until the position is filled.

Salary and benefits are competitive, commensurate with experience and qualifications. The GESTAR II consortium and NASA/GSFC are committed to building a diverse research community and encourages applications from women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans. All GESTAR II institutions are Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employers.

Candidates should provide a cover letter, CV (including publication list), and a 3-page statement of research interests. Short-listed candidates will be asked to supply three letters of reference at a later date. All materials and inquiries should be sent by email Subject line: Task 202: Researcher Position to: Halley Thompson (halleyt@umbc.edu)
Completed applications received by June 7, 2024 will receive full consideration, however the posting will remain open until the position is filled.