VN 23/21 Remote Sensing Scientist – Atmospheric Chemistry (GOME-2)
JOB DETAIL
VN 23/21 Remote Sensing Scientist – Atmospheric Chemistry (GOME-2)
This position is located within the Remote Sensing and Products (RSP) Division, which is tasked with providing the scientific expertise required to develop, implement, validate, maintain and evolve the operational observational products from all EUMETSAT satellites and agreed third party missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5, as well as establishing the user requirements for future EUMETSAT satellite programmes.
Within the Atmospheric Chemistry Competence Area (ACh CA) of the Remote Sensing and Products Division (RSP), the Remote Sensing Scientist – Atmospheric Chemistry (GOME-2) will lead the scientific activities for the evolution, development, prototyping, validation and monitoring of products from the EUMETSAT Metop GOME-2 mission. The post holder will provide support to related activities for the Copernicus Sentinel-4/Ultraviolet Visible Near-Infrared (UVN) and Sentinel-5/Ultraviolet Visible Near-Infrared Short-wave infrared (UVNS) missions to be embarked on the Meteosat Third Generation Sounding (MTG-S) platform and the EUMETSAT Polar System – Second Generation (EPS-SG A) platform respectively. Support to the Copernicus CO2M mission is also in scope.
Duties
The main duties will be as follows:
- Lead the scientific development of calibrated radiance, irradiance and derived atmospheric composition products from ultra-violet, visible, near and short-wave infrared satellite instruments, with a focus on the GOME-2 instrument, and support related activities for the MTG-S UVN, EPS-SG A UVNS and CO2M missions;
- Define and carry out calibration, validation, and long-term monitoring activities for the GOME-2 product suite in cooperation with the scientific and user community;
- Develop GOME-2 product enhancements including prototyping software and provision of associated documentation;
- Provide scientific support to the operational implementation and maintenance of data processing and products, including prototyping of software and provision of associated documentation for the GOME-2 instrument;
- Provide support to the Atmospheric Composition Monitoring – Satellite Application Facility (AC SAF) Project Team for the generation of atmospheric composition products from the various missions in scope.
- Liaise with and provide support to the operational user community to facilitate uptake of the products;
- Instigate and lead external scientific studies, including management of external contracts;
- Play an active role in the detailed formulation of requirements for future products and services, responding to the evolving needs of the users.
LOCATION
QUALIFICATIONS
Advanced university degree in remote sensing, physics, meteorology or equivalent.
LANGUAGES
The official languages of EUMETSAT are English and French. Candidates must be able to work effectively in English and have some knowledge of French.
DEADLINE
25 July 2023
Duties
The main duties will be as follows:
- Lead the scientific development of calibrated radiance, irradiance and derived atmospheric composition products from ultra-violet, visible, near and short-wave infrared satellite instruments, with a focus on the GOME-2 instrument, and support related activities for the MTG-S UVN, EPS-SG A UVNS and CO2M missions;
- Define and carry out calibration, validation, and long-term monitoring activities for the GOME-2 product suite in cooperation with the scientific and user community;
- Develop GOME-2 product enhancements including prototyping software and provision of associated documentation;
- Provide scientific support to the operational implementation and maintenance of data processing and products, including prototyping of software and provision of associated documentation for the GOME-2 instrument;
- Provide support to the Atmospheric Composition Monitoring – Satellite Application Facility (AC SAF) Project Team for the generation of atmospheric composition products from the various missions in scope.
- Liaise with and provide support to the operational user community to facilitate uptake of the products;
- Instigate and lead external scientific studies, including management of external contracts;
- Play an active role in the detailed formulation of requirements for future products and services, responding to the evolving needs of the users.
Skills and Experience
- Advanced knowledge of optical remote sensing techniques for trace gases and other atmospheric composition parameters and direct experience in retrieval of trace gases and other atmospheric composition products from ultra-violet, visible, near and short-wave infrared spectrometers;
- Demonstrated experience of ultra-violet, visible, near and short-wave infrared spectrometer instrument calibration and characterisation including long-term monitoring activities;
- Demonstrated experience in the use of radiative transfer models;
- Proven experience in developing scientific application software involving interactions with user communities;
- Experience with operational data processing systems and skills in a high-level programming language (e.g. Python, C++, Fortran);
- Organised and methodical with strengths in analysis, synthesis and presentation;
- Strong interpersonal skills and a proven ability to apply good communication skills to the interactions within a team and between teams.
Employment Conditions
The initial contract will be of 4 years’ duration, with subsequent 5 year contracts being awarded thereafter, subject to individual performance and organisation requirements. There is no limit to the amount of follow-up contracts a staff member can receive up to the EUMETSAT retirement age of 63 and there are certainly opportunities to establish a long career perspective at EUMETSAT.
This post is graded A2/A4 on the EUMETSAT salary scales. The minimum basic salary for this post is EURO 6903 per month (net of internal tax but excluding pension contribution and insurances) which may be negotiable on the basis of skills and experience. The salary scale provides for increments on the anniversary of taking up employment, and scales are reviewed by the EUMETSAT Council with effect from 1 January each year. In addition to basic salary, EUMETSAT offers attractive benefits. Further information, including salary details, is available on the EUMETSAT web site.
EUMETSAT is committed to providing an equal opportunities work environment for men and women.
Please note that only nationals of EUMETSAT Member States may apply. The EUMETSAT Convention requires that Staff shall be recruited on the basis of their qualifications, account being taken of the international character of EUMETSAT.
About EUMETSAT
EUMETSAT is Europe’s meteorological satellite agency. Its role is to establish and operate meteorological satellites to monitor the weather and climate from space – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This information is supplied to the National Meteorological Services of the organisation’s Member States in Europe, as well as other users worldwide.
EUMETSAT also operates several Copernicus missions on behalf of the European Union and provide data services to the Copernicus marine and atmospheric services and their users.
As an intergovernmental European Organisation, EUMETSAT has 30 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.)
