Consultant (Scientist) to work on EU-FP7 project “QWeCI” (Quantifying Weather and Climate Impacts on Health in Developing Countries)

Reference no.: AP10-06

Location:

ECMWF Headquarters at Shinfield Park, near Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom

Environment:

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is an international organisation supported by 31 States*. Its prime objectives are the operational production of analyses, medium-range forecasts of weather and ocean waves and seasonal forecasts, as well as scientific and technical research directed to the improvement of these forecasts. ECMWF operates a large computing facility including supercomputers, data archiving systems and networks. For details see:

Main duties:

ECMWF contributes to the QWeCI project by providing medium- and extended-range forecasts for Africa from its EPS-monthly and seasonal forecasting systems. Specifically, ECMWF will deliver seamless, calibrated rainfall predictions for the whole African continent by post-processing the numerical output of its forecasting systems. Decadal simulations performed in the context of other EU-FP7 projects will also be analysed to detect possible predictable signals over Africa.

The work of the consultant will cover the following tasks:

• To verify in detail the ECMWF forecasts over Africa at lead times ranging from ten days to one season, with emphasis on rainfall and other weather parameters relevant to disease prevention, and to document model biases from different forecasting systems.
• To develop and implement a calibration package, using both local and non-local (e.g. EOF analysis) estimators, to provide a seamless rainfall forecast over Africa on pentad to seasonal scale.
• To analyse experimental decadal simulations performed at ECMWF for the THOR and COMBINE projects, in order to detect predictable signals over Africa and the surrounding oceans.

Qualifications:

A university degree to PhD level or equivalent, and possibly some post-graduate experience in model validation, hydro-meteorology, statistical post-processing and calibration.

Remuneration:

Typically within the range of £3,795.00 to £5,255.00 per month net of tax, depending upon qualifications, experience, personal situation and eligibility for expatriation allowance. A deduction of either £33.62 per beneficiary or 4.38% of the monthly remuneration will be made for the supplementary health insurance scheme.

Starting date: Between 1 June 2010 and 1 September 2010 (or as soon as possible thereafter).

Length of contract: One year initially, with a possible extension of one further year.

Applications: Application forms in word format can be downloaded from here (162kb) and completed on-line. If you download, you may (if near to the closing date) e-mail the completed form only back to ECMWF at jobs@ecmwf.int. Please note, however, that you must still send your full application form together with all the attachments to ECMWF by post. Under no circumstances should you e-mail your attachments.

Closing date: Completed applications for this post must reach the Personnel Section of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts not later than 26 March 2010.

[Version française] [Deutsche Fassung]

* The ECMWF Member States are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

The ECMWF Co-operating States are Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Morocco, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.