CIRES/ NOAA GML Field Technician/Engineer Associate Scientist

Job Summary

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) has an opening for a mid-career field technician/engineer with experience in atmospheric observation systems, preferably high accuracy radiation, aerosol, and meteorological measurements for research in wildfire-weather and climate monitoring. Experience with other scientific instruments will be considered. The position will be in the Radiation, Aerosol, and Cloud Division (GRAD) in the Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML) of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratories in Boulder, Colorado. The successful candidate will work at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado at Boulder alongside federal and university employees engaged in research examining the radiation budget, aerosol properties, climate forcing properties of aerosols and clouds at long-term U.S. and international sites as part of a GML monitoring network and in field campaign activities.

The successful candidate will provide system design engineering, pre-deployment station testing, and field installation for our long-term and short-term field observations. This position will also be part of the team tasked to expand our network with 4 locations in the Western U.S. as well as assist with the build of portable radiation systems. This position includes building the infrastructure for the instruments, managing data acquisition, programming of data-loggers and instrument firmware, building electronic data acquisition and process control boxes, optimizing instrumentation setups to function in extreme conditions from tropical coastal sites to the South Pole, and assisting in field logistics and related technician activities. The successful candidate will also be required to repair and maintain existing instrumentation and infrastructure used at GRAD field campaigns and long-term sites.
The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) is an internationally recognized leader in innovative environmental science and research and is located at the University of Colorado Boulder. At CIRES, more than 800 environmental science professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people’s relationship with the planet. CIRES is a partnership of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Colorado Boulder, and our areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at Earth’s poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and more. Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable future environment by advancing scientific and societal understanding of the Earth system.

Global Monitoring Laboratory:

Our mission in GML is to conduct research that addresses three major challenges: greenhouse gas and carbon cycle feedbacks, fundamental understanding between surface radiation, clouds, and aerosols (GRAD), and recovery of stratospheric ozone.

https://www.gml.noaa.gov/grad

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• Assist with the building and installation of instrumentation at several new aerosol and radiation permanent sites in the Western U.S. for Wildfire-Weather studies.
• Build and assist with design of portable stations for upwelling and downwelling shortwave and longwave radiation with input from the scientific staff and assistance from technicians for Wildfire-weather and climate research.
• Building of data acquisition, electronics circuitry for new and existing instrumentation.
• Developing and designing new instrumentation interfaces.
• Firmware, instrument, datalogger programming for existing or new data collection systems.
• Troubleshooting and repairing existing instrumentation.
• Field work which can require significant physical labor.
• Supporting data monitoring operations at these new sites and field campaign activities, requiring, at times, local and international travel.

Other job activities could include:

• Assisting with collection, processing, and managing of meteorological and atmospheric data from ground-based observations.
• Deploying the AQ Trailer to sites determined for future studies.
• Helping coordinating travel and field logistics and installation of instrumentation and related equipment at field campaigns.

What You Should Know

• This position will be rostered in CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder, but will be physically situated in the David Skaggs Research Center, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305.
• Selected finalists will be required to pass a federal background check for site access.
• This position supports data monitoring operations and requires local and international travel.
• All University of Colorado Boulder employees are required to comply with the campus COVID-19 vaccine requirement . New employees must provide proof of vaccination or receive a medical or religious exemption within 30 days of employment.

What We Can Offer

• CIRES can offer a generous compensation package. Salary is commensurate with education and experience and determined based on our CIRES internal career track classification.
• The annual hiring salary range for this position is $60,000 - $100,000.
• Relocation funds are available for this position following CIRES and the University of Colorado’s relocation processes and procedures.
• The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits , including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder .

Be Statements
Be ambitious. Be pioneering. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Education:

• B.S. preferably in an engineering or science related field.

Experience:

• Two or more years working with scientific instrumentation, instrument repair, diagnosing instrument issues.

What You Will Need

• Ability to contribute to an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to accurately document work that is performed.
• Excellent time management, ability to multitask, and organizational/logistical skills.
• Willingness to work outdoors as necessary, including in inclement weather.
• Technical lab skills, e.g., soldering and electronics troubleshooting and repair.
• Basic machining and mechanical assembly experience.

What We Would Like You To Have

• Please note that you don’t need to have all the skills and experience listed in this “What We Would Like You To Have” section. If you meet the requirements and have passion for the work, you are encouraged to apply. We encourage on-the-job training for any additional skills or knowledge that become relevant to the position.
• Master’s degree in an engineering or science related field.
• Five years plus relevant work experience post degree.
• Experience operating radiometers and related instrumentation for climate and atmospheric science applications.
• Experience programming data-logging systems (e.g. Campbell Scientific dataloggers).
• Experience with long-term atmospheric observations.
• Experience participating in scientific field programs and experiments.
• Familiarity with calibration methodology and requirements.
• Proficiency in Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, e.g SolidWorks.
• Proficiency in electronic circuit design and troubleshooting.
• Proficiency in instrument firmware programming, hardware/software.
• Programming experience, preferably in one or more of these languages: Basic, Python, C/C++, Java, Matlab.
• Experience working with Linux/Unix and shell scripting.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. Resume or CV.
2. Cover letter addressed to the Search Committee briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position.
3. Although not required at the time of application, be prepared to submit contact information for 3 professional references, 1 of whom must be/must have been a supervisor or professor. If you are selected as a finalist, we will ask you to contact your references so that they can complete a SkillSurvey questionnaire on your behalf. SkillSurvey is an online automated reference check solution. This information will be kept confidential and viewable only by the search committee.

If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources department using an approved online vendor. If your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit a translated version (if applicable) as an optional attachment.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Posting will remain active until the position is filled.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Gary Hodges

Posting Contact Email: Gary.Hodges@noaa.gov