CIRES/ NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, Extreme Precipitation Research Scientist

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 900 environmental science professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people’s relationship with the planet. CIRES has partnered with NOAA since 1967, 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.

The NOAA-Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL) mission is to conduct scientific research to observe, understand, model, predict, and forecast weather, water, and climate extremes and their impacts. Our vision is an informed society that uses science-based environmental intelligence to effectively anticipate and respond to threats and opportunities related to weather, water, and climate extremes. Our research goals are as follows:

• Rigorously characterize and predict weather, water, and climate extremes and their uncertainties to support NOAA's mission.
• Develop new process-understanding, observing, and modeling capabilities to predict conditions associated with too much or too little water for early warning, preparedness, resource management, and adaptation.
• Improve monitoring and prediction of weather, climate, and water conditions impacting marine resources.

• Performs and initiates research exploring model-based representation of extreme precipitation (30%)
• Develops potential applications for extreme precipitation risk assessment, including probable maximum precipitation (20%)
• Efficiently analyzes large datasets and effectively understands and incorporates stakeholder needs into research strategies and prototypes (20%)
• Raise financial and institutional support (15%)
• Presents at national and/or international conferences, publishes in peer-reviewed journals, and supervises and mentors junior team members (10%)
• Other duties as assigned, including those related to outreach and service to the community (5%)

• Visa sponsorship is not offered for this position. Candidates working in the United States through a visa or a work permit or needing sponsorship now or in the future are not eligible for hire in this role.
• This position will be rostered in CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder, but will be physically situated in the NOAA laboratory facility at the David Skaggs Research Center, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305.
• If you are selected for this position, you will be required to pass a federal laboratory background clearance for site access.
• Given project deliverables, candidates must be able to start work by November 1, 2025.

• CIRES can offer a generous compensation package.
• The annual hiring salary range for this position is $89,500 - $114,000. Salary is commensurate with education and experience and determined based on our CIRES internal career track classification.
• This position can accommodate a hybrid work modality.
• This position does not offer relocation.
• An opportunity to work on the modernization of extreme precipitation guidance for infrastructure planning and risk assessment, as well as to contribute to the scientific community focused on improving the representation of extreme precipitation in observational, reanalysis, and model-generated datasets.
• CIRES and the University of Colorado Boulder offer a robust training curriculum, opportunities for professional development, and a Mentorship Program.
• Boulder is a vibrant community with access to mountain parks, dog parks, miles of trails, rivers, lakes, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, theaters, museums, and sports venues.
• As an employee at CU Boulder, you will have free access to the regional public transit system, an outstanding network of buses, and light rail systems that service Boulder and connect to Denver, the Denver airport, and surrounding communities.

• A PhD in atmospheric, hydrologic, statistics, or other Physical Sciences, or a related discipline.
• Expertise in meteorology, hydrometeorology, or data science
• At least seven years of experience performing research in atmospheric science or a related field.
• Experience in communicating complex results/research findings to a diverse audience of interdisciplinary scientists, collaborators, and stakeholders through technical reports, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and presenting results at scientific/professional conferences.
• Experience using Linux and developing structured code in Python, R, and/or shell scripting.
• Experience with handling grib and/or netCDF files.
• Experience with downscaling, interpolation and/or regridding methods.
• Experience characterizing skill in NWP or observational datasets using advanced statistical methods.

• Thorough understanding of the ingredients/atmospheric conditions that lead to extreme precipitation and/or flash-flood producing rain events.
• Ability to work with state-of-the-art observational datasets and numerical weather and climate models.
• Ability to independently conceive, plan, and direct research targeting stakeholder interests related to extreme precipitation.
• Ability to publish peer-reviewed research and present work at national and international meetings.
• Ability to work and communicate effectively within a team environment and to facilitate communications across multiple teams and multiple organizational units.
• Ability to independently manage time and prioritize tasks.

Please note that while the position details both required and preferred skills and experience, we invite applicants to apply even if they do not have the preferred skills and experience outlined in this 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.

• Experience with forecast calibration and verification.
• Experience with scientific analysis and visualization tools.
• Experience working with NOAA operational and/or experimental datasets (e.g., HRRR, HREF, GEFS, MPAS, MRMS).
• Experience with ensemble forecast model systems, including understanding of how probabilistic forecasts are generated and evaluated.
• Experience running mesoscale models (e.g., WRF) or similar NWP models in an HPC environment.

To apply, please submit the following materials:

• Resume or CV;
• Cover letter addressed to the Search Committee, briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position;
• Although not required at the time of application, please be ready to submit contact information for professional references (name, title, professional relationship, email) who may be contacted on your behalf. If you are selected as a finalist for this role, the search committee will request a letter of recommendation at a later time.

This position will close on October 17, 2025.

Posting Contact Name: Michael Hobbins

Posting Contact Email: mike.hobbins@colorado.edu

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