Job Description

Bidder Eligibility:

This postdoctoral position is a temporary position for up to one year, which may be renewed at Sandia\'s discretion up to five additional years. The PhD must have been conferred within five years prior to employment. Individuals in postdoctoral positions may bid on regular Sandia positions as internal candidates, and in some cases may be converted to regular career positions during their term if warranted by ongoing operational needs, continuing availability of funds, and satisfactory job performance.

Employees must remain in their current position for one year before applying for a new position, with the exception of student interns. Application of this requirement will not supersede collective bargaining agreements. See collective bargaining labor agreements for represented bidder eligibility requirements for represented employees.

About Sandia:

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

• Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
• Extraordinary co-workers
• Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
• Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
• Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
• Generous vacations, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*

World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov*These benefits vary by job classification.

What Your Job Will Be Like:

The Climate Systems Department is seeking a Postdoctoral Appointee with expertise and interest in simulation of cirrus clouds in high resolution large-scale atmospheric models to study the efficacy and impacts of cirrus cloud thinning as a climate intervention strategy. The successful candidate will work on an interdisciplinary team and be responsible for setting up, running, and analyzing novel model simulations to better understand cirrus cloud properties and their response to artificial seeding. As a climate scientist in Sandia’s Climate Systems department, your work will lie at the interface of climate sciences, computational modeling, and data analytics.

On any given day you may be called on to:

• Design, setup, and carry out experiments with E3SM’s storm resolving atmosphere model SCREAM
• Analyze and interpret model output to quantify impacts of cirrus cloud seeding on cirrus cloud properties, the radiative budget, and potential downstream impacts on the hydrologic cycle
• Publish your work in peer-reviewed journals
• Present your work at relevant conference venues
• Network with other scientists both within and outside Sandia
• Pursue follow-on research in support of broad-ranging mission areas

Due to the nature of the job, the selected candidate must be able to work onsite. The selected applicant can be a remote worker located in any U.S. State or District of Columbia. Regular or periodic travel to your assigned work location may be required.

Qualifications We Require:

• Recent PhD in Atmospheric or Climate Sciences, or in a related field
• Proven research experience, as evidenced by strong record of research publications and presentations
• Experience in atmospheric/climate modeling, analysis, and interpretation

At least one of the following:

• Running and interpreting simulations with Earth system models (e.g., E3SM/SCREAM, CESM, GFDL, GISS, etc.)
• Familiarity with cloud microphysics, especially cirrus clouds
• Familiarity with aerosol-cloud interactions
• Proficiency with computer languages used for modeling and analysis (e.g., C, C++, Fortran, Python, Julia, R, MATLAB, NCL)

Qualifications We Desire:

Expertise in the simulation and analysis of one or more of the following:

• Cirrus clouds
• Aerosol-cloud interactions
• High resolution (cloud or storm-resolving) atmospheric models

Other desirable skills:

• Development or implementation of components within climate models (e.g., new parameterizations, alternative computational schemes)
• Familiarity with high performance computing environments
• Proven ability to advance the state-of-the-art in climate science-related subject areas and/or related fields of study as is evidenced by original high-impact publications or a high h-index / other citation analysis
• Ability to conduct self-directed research
• Ability to work in multi-disciplinary research environments on problems comprising diverse application domains
• Proven research community leadership through activities such as participation in student or professional organizations, outreach activities, etc.
• Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills
• Desire to perform in a dynamic environment and demonstrated interest and/or experience in service to the nation
• Ability to travel for business and research purposes

About Our Team:

The Climate Systems Department applies and advances climate modeling and analysis tools to support Sandia’s climate and global security missions. Department staff have a wide range of expertise in modeling complex earth systems and analyzing climate variability and large-scale dynamics to provide insight and understanding of climate change and its impacts on human and natural systems. The department leads Sandia’s climate attribution research program, elucidating the spatial-temporal chain of cascading processes that connect climate dynamics to climate impacts. Department staff leverage research expertise to understand and model interactions between the Earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere. Technical activities cover the spectrum of analytical climate science including computer simulation, data inversion, optimization, uncertainty quantification, algorithm development, downscaling, and impact analysis.

Posting Duration:

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, including the ‘posting date’. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Security Clearance:

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

EEO:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs:

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.

Job ID: 693837

Job Family: 92

Regular/Temporary Position: T

Full/Part-Time Status: F

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.