Job Reference
112_25_ES_AC_R2
Position
Postdoctoral Researcher in Global High-Resolution Mineral Dust Modeling (R2)
Closing Date
Thursday, 06 March, 2025
Reference: 112_25_ES_AC_R2
Job title: Postdoctoral Researcher in Global High-Resolution Mineral Dust Modeling (R2)
About BSC
The Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is the leading supercomputing center in Spain. It houses MareNostrum, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe, was a founding and hosting member of the former European HPC infrastructure PRACE (Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe), and is now hosting entity for EuroHPC JU, the Joint Undertaking that leads large-scale investments and HPC provision in Europe. The mission of BSC is to research, develop and manage information technologies in order to facilitate scientific progress. BSC combines HPC service provision and R&D into both computer and computational science (life, earth and engineering sciences) under one roof, and currently has over 1000 staff from 60 countries.
Look at the BSC experience:
BSC-CNS YouTube Channel
Let's stay connected with BSC Folks!
We are particularly interested for this role in the strengths and lived experiences of women and underrepresented groups to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights in science and IT research. In instances of equal merit, the incorporation of the under-represented sex will be favoured.
We promote Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, fostering an environment where each and every one of us is appreciated for who we are, regardless of our differences.
If you consider that you do not meet all the requirements, we encourage you to continue applying for the job offer. We value diversity of experiences and skills, and you could bring unique perspectives to our team.
Look at the BSC experience:
BSC-CNS YouTube Channel
Let's stay connected with BSC Folks!
We are particularly interested for this role in the strengths and lived experiences of women and underrepresented groups to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights in science and IT research. In instances of equal merit, the incorporation of the under-represented sex will be favoured.
We promote Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, fostering an environment where each and every one of us is appreciated for who we are, regardless of our differences.
If you consider that you do not meet all the requirements, we encourage you to continue applying for the job offer. We value diversity of experiences and skills, and you could bring unique perspectives to our team.
Context And Mission
The climate effect of dust produced by wind erosion of arid and semi-arid surfaces, introduces uncertainties that impede accurate projections of future climate change. Current models struggle with coarse resolutions, hindering accurate simulations of dust emission and dynamics. In this context, we are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to contribute to cutting-edge research in high-resolution dust modeling as part of the EU TerraDT project. The successful candidate will develop and implement an advanced dust emission scheme in a high-resolution Digital Twin climate model based on ECMWF’s Integrated Forecasting System (IFS). The role involves:
- Improving dust emission and transport simulations in climate models.
- Evaluating model performance using observational datasets.
- Collaborating on high-impact research initiatives, including the NASA EMIT mission, ERC FRAGMENT project, and the Dust-DN MSCA doctoral network.
- Engaging with leading dust and climate research institutions to drive scientific advancements.
This position offers access to state-of-the-art computing resources and a collaborative environment, fostering interdisciplinary research and professional development.
About the Center and the Research group: The Barcelona Supercomputing Center – Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is Spain’s leading supercomputing facility, dedicated to advancing information technologies for scientific progress. Within BSC, the Atmospheric Composition Group co-led by Dr. Carlos Perez García-Pando has currently 50 researchers and engineers and is a global leader in dust modeling and forecasting, hosting the WMO Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS) for North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. The group also hosts an AXA Chair on Sand and Dust Storms and actively participates in European Commission (EC) research programs and collaborations.
- Improving dust emission and transport simulations in climate models.
- Evaluating model performance using observational datasets.
- Collaborating on high-impact research initiatives, including the NASA EMIT mission, ERC FRAGMENT project, and the Dust-DN MSCA doctoral network.
- Engaging with leading dust and climate research institutions to drive scientific advancements.
This position offers access to state-of-the-art computing resources and a collaborative environment, fostering interdisciplinary research and professional development.
About the Center and the Research group: The Barcelona Supercomputing Center – Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is Spain’s leading supercomputing facility, dedicated to advancing information technologies for scientific progress. Within BSC, the Atmospheric Composition Group co-led by Dr. Carlos Perez García-Pando has currently 50 researchers and engineers and is a global leader in dust modeling and forecasting, hosting the WMO Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS) for North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. The group also hosts an AXA Chair on Sand and Dust Storms and actively participates in European Commission (EC) research programs and collaborations.
Key Duties
- Model Development: Integrate and improve advanced dust emission schemes into a high-resolution climate model.
- Scientific Research: Investigate dust emissions, transport, and their climatic impacts.
- Data Analysis: Utilize observational datasets for model evaluation and validation.
- Collaboration: Work with an interdisciplinary team of scientists, modelers, and computational researchers.
- Publication & Dissemination: Publish findings in high-impact journals and present at international conferences.
Requirements
-
Education
- PhD in Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
-
Essential Knowledge and Professional Experience
- Proven experience in dust or aerosol modeling developments
- Proficiency in FORTRAN and experience working with supercomputing platforms
- Familiarity with atmospheric data formats (e.g., NetCDF) and scientific tools (CDO, NCO, Python, or R).
-
Additional Knowledge and Professional Experience
- Experience in dust emission, boundary layer/turbulence or land/atmosphere interaction modeling (not mandatory, but valued)
- Knowledge of IFS or EC-Earth models (not mandatory, but valued)
- Familiarity with Digital Twin technologies in atmospheric sciences (not mandatory, but valued)
-
Competences
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Attention to detail, particularly in scientific coding and model development
- Good communication skills (written and verbal)
- Ability to work both independently and within a collaborative research environment
Conditions
- The position will be located at BSC within the Earth Sciences Department
- We offer a full-time contract (37.5h/week), a good working environment, a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructure, flexible working hours, extensive training plan, restaurant tickets, private health insurance, support to the relocation procedures
- Duration: Open-ended contract due to technical and scientific activities linked to the project and budget duration
- Holidays: 23 paid vacation days plus 24th and 31st of December per our collective agreement
- Salary: we offer a competitive salary commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate and according to the cost of living in Barcelona
- Starting date: asap
Applications procedure and process
All applications must be submitted via the BSC website and contain:
The selection will be carried out through a competitive examination system ("Concurso-Oposición"). The recruitment process consists of two phases:
- A full CV in English including contact details
- A cover/motivation letter with a statement of interest in English, clearly specifying for which specific area and topics the applicant wishes to be considered. Additionally, two references for further contacts must be included. Applications without this document will not be considered.
Development of the recruitment process
The selection will be carried out through a competitive examination system ("Concurso-Oposición"). The recruitment process consists of two phases:
- Curriculum Analysis: Evaluation of previous experience and/or scientific history, degree, training, and other professional information relevant to the position. - 40 points
- Interview phase: The highest-rated candidates at the curriculum level will be invited to the interview phase, conducted by the corresponding department and Human Resources. In this phase, technical competencies, knowledge, skills, and professional experience related to the position, as well as the required personal competencies, will be evaluated. - 60 points. A minimum of 30 points out of 60 must be obtained to be eligible for the position.
The recruitment panel will be composed of at least three people, ensuring at least 25% representation of women.
In accordance with OTM-R principles, a gender-balanced recruitment panel is formed for each vacancy at the beginning of the process. After reviewing the content of the applications, the panel will begin the interviews, with at least one technical and one administrative interview. At a minimum, a personality questionnaire as well as a technical exercise will be conducted during the process.
The panel will make a final decision, and all individuals who participated in the interview phase will receive feedback with details on the acceptance or rejection of their profile.
At BSC, we seek continuous improvement in our recruitment processes. For any suggestions or comments/complaints about our recruitment processes, please contact recruitment [at] bsc [dot] es.
For more information, please follow this link.
Deadline
The vacancy will remain open until a suitable candidate has been hired. Applications will be regularly reviewed and potential candidates will be contacted.
OTM-R principles for selection processes
BSC-CNS is committed to the principles of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers of the European Commission and the Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment principles (OTM-R). This is applied for any potential candidate in all our processes, for example by creating gender-balanced recruitment panels and recognizing career breaks etc.
BSC-CNS is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We are pleased to consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by applicable state or local law.
For more information follow this link
BSC-CNS is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We are pleased to consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by applicable state or local law.
For more information follow this link