Full Job Description
Support Scientist for Operational Wave Modeling Development and Support
Responsibilities
The candidate will perform job duties in an independent, collaborative, and initiative-driven way, applying innovative methods across the primary work areas:
• Operational Modeling & System Integration: Work with the team to support the development, optimization, maintenance, and integration of wave modeling capabilities within the RWPS architecture, ensuring alignment with NWS operational standards.
• Coastal Processes & Hazard Prediction: Contribute to advancing numerical and statistical formulations for key coastal phenomena, including wave runup, coastal impact prediction, total water level, and rip current forecasting.
• AI & Next-Gen Techniques: Collaborate on exploring, evaluating, and integrating artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) techniques to improve wave modeling efficiency, parameterizations, or forecast accuracy.
• Interagency & Sector Collaboration: Partner across multidisciplinary federal and private sectors (e.g., USGS, NOS, academic institutions, and
private industry) to evaluate external models and accelerate the transition of research to operations (R2O).
• Model Experimentation & Validation: Assist in designing and executing numerical model experiments, applying advanced verification, validation, and observational data-fusion techniques across regional and nearshore domains.
• System Support & Web Services: Help maintain, visualize, and disseminate marine modeling output and related web-based products for internal operational and public use.
Qualifications
The support scientist should have the following:
• An M.S. (or equivalent experience) in meteorology, physical oceanography, coastal engineering or a related field, with 7+ years in weather forecasting, physical oceanography, or coastal ocean science.
• Knowledge of spectral wave models (like WAVEWATCH III), in particular for real-time applications.
• Experience in running numerical models on High Performing Computer (HPC) platforms using MPI, OpenMP, Slurm, LSF, etc.
• Familiar with modern software development practices, particularly version control software
• Advanced skills and knowledge of modern programming languages and object-oriented languages, such as FORTRAN90 and Python.
• Experience working in a UNIX environment with advanced shell scripting languages and familiar with running complex jobs.
• Demonstrated proficiency using GitHub to manage software repositories, code versions, and projects.
• Ability to maintain, visualize, and disseminate marine modeling output and web-based products.
• Candidates must be U.S. Citizens or Green Card Holder (US Citizens must have lived in the US for 3-5 years prior to application)
Preferred Qualifications & Skills:
• Demonstrated experience in operational system integration, and software development for real-time applications within regional and nearshore domains.
• Direct experience advancing formulations for coastal processes, including wave runup, total water level, coastal impact prediction, and rip current forecasting.
• Familiarity with applying artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) techniques to enhance wave parameterizations, model efficiency, or forecast accuracy.
• Strong team-player mindset with a proven ability to collaborate across interagency and private sectors.
Axiom offers competitive compensation packages including comprehensive medical/dental/life insurance and matching 401(k) contribution.
