Lead Physical Scientist

Overview

Lynker is looking for a Lead Physical Scientist to support the Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). The candidate will lead a team of engineers and scientists in the development, execution, testing, implementation, and evaluation of the Unified Forecast System (UFS) and its associated programs, workflows and libraries. The work location is at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP) in College Park, MD. Full time remote work will be allowed for a qualified candidate.

The Lead Physical Scientist will work closely with Federal Oversight Managers at EMC to ensure the development, improvement, and implementation of the UFS meets project timelines and quality metrics. The candidate will work both independently and collaborate with EMC scientists and external partners to develop and apply innovative methods to solve challenging geophysical problems within their work areas.

Responsibilities

Duties of the Lead Physical Scientist will include the following:

 

• Define, assign and coordinate project tasks, ensuring alignment with project goals.
• Review and monitor Lynker contractor and sub-contractor technical work for overall quality, efficiency, and timeliness, both in technical and administrative areas. Identify project risks or concerns. Provide regular updates to the Lynker Contract Program Manager and Federal Oversight Manager.
• Lead and support continuous development of the UFS, including ocean, atmosphere, land, waves, air quality, particulates, and post-processing components, with the goal to improve EMC operational products. 
• Assist in preparing for project reviews and other reporting requirements.
• Train and mentor new hires, and provide scientific guidance to team members.
• Assist with writing contract proposals.
• Provide feedback to team members on job performance through formal annual reviews and when needed.
• Interview job candidates and select high-quality team members.

Qualifications

The Ideal Lead Physical Scientist will have the following:

 

• Education: Master's Degree or higher in Atmospheric Science, Oceanography, Geophysical Sciences, Engineering, Computer Sciences, or Mathematics. At least 10 years of experience in related areas, and 3 years experience in project management.
• Experience and Skills:
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Proficient in project management and coordination. Experience with project management tools and software.
• Expert knowledge of geophysical science.
• Advanced programming skills and knowledge of modern programming languages and object-oriented languages, such as Fortran and Python.
• Experience running complex software in a UNIX environment. Advanced knowledge of shell scripting languages.
• Experience with High-Performance Computing (HPC) platforms. Advanced knowledge of MPI, OpenMP, Slurm, LSF. 
• Expert knowledge of modern software development practices and version control software, particularly Git/GitHub.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and attention to detail.

 

 

 

About Lynker

 

Lynker is a growing, employee owned, small business, specializing in professional, scientific and technical services. Our continually expanding team combines scientific expertise with mature, results-driven processes and tools to achieve technically sound, cost effective solutions in hydrology/water sciences, geospatial analysis, information technology, resource management, conservation, and management and business process improvement.

 

We focus on putting the right people in the right place to be effective. And having the right people is critical for success. Our streamlined organization enables and empowers our talented professionals to tackle our customers' scientific and technical priorities – creatively and effectively.

 

Lynker offers a team-oriented work environment, and the opportunity to work in a culture of exceptionally skilled professionals who embrace sound science and creative solutions. Lynker's benefits include the following:

• Comprehensive healthcare for the employee at no monthly cost
• Healthcare benefit covers medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision
• Personal Time Off (PTO) Policy plus paid holidays
• Highly competitive compensation plan regularly calibrated against industry and location benchmarks
• 401(k) retirement plan with company-matching
• Employee Stock Owner