Reference: 586_24_ES_AC_R3
Job title: Researcher - Effects of changes in natural aerosols on climate, ocean biogeochemistry, air quality and health (R3) - AI4S

About BSC

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is the leading supercomputing center in Spain. It houses MareNostrum, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe, was a founding and hosting member of the former European HPC infrastructure PRACE (Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe), and is now hosting entity for EuroHPC JU, the Joint Undertaking that leads large-scale investments and HPC provision in Europe. The mission of BSC is to research, develop and manage information technologies in order to facilitate scientific progress. BSC combines HPC service provision and R&D into both computer and computational science (life, earth and engineering sciences) under one roof, and currently has over 1000 staff from 60 countries.

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We are particularly interested for this role in the strengths and lived experiences of women and underrepresented groups to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights in science and IT research. In instances of equal merit, the incorporation of the under-represented sex will be favoured.

We promote Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, fostering an environment where each and every one of us is appreciated for who we are, regardless of our differences.

If you consider that you do not meet all the requirements, we encourage you to continue applying for the job offer. We value diversity of experiences and skills, and you could bring unique perspectives to our team.

Context And Mission

The Atmospheric Composition (AC) group within the Earth Sciences department at BSC-CNS aims to better understand and predict the spatiotemporal variations of atmospheric pollutants and their effects on air quality, weather, climate, and health. This mission is achieved through the continuous development and application of numerical models across multiple scales, from weather to climate and from global to urban environments. The AC group is an international team of approximately 45 members, including researchers, engineers, and students from diverse backgrounds.

We are seeking a dedicated researcher to enhance our understanding of how changes in natural aerosols impact climate, ocean biogeochemistry, and/or air quality and health. A primary focus will be on understanding the effects of changes in fire emissions within the Earth System. However, candidates with interests in desert dust and other climate-sensitive aerosol precursors such as DMS and BVOCs will also be considered.

The researcher will work in a highly collaborative environment, maintaining close connections with other researchers in the Atmospheric Composition group and other members of the department or collaborating institutions, including climate modelers, ocean biogeochemistry modelers, and health scientists.

The successful applicant will contribute to several funded projects related to their work, including the Spanish ministry grant BIOTA (Ocean BIOgeochemistry response To refined Atmospheric iron inputs in present and future climate), the Horizon Europe project CERTAINTY (Cloud-aERosol inTeractions & their impActs IN The earth sYstem), the AXA Chair on Sand and Dust Storms, the ERC Consolidator Grant FRAGMENT (FRontiers in dust minerAloGical coMposition and its Effects upoN climaTe), and the NASA EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Investigation) project.

If you are passionate about advancing our understanding of atmospheric processes and their impacts, and you have a strong background in this field, we encourage you to apply.

The funding for these actions/fellowships and contracts comes from the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility - Next Generation, within the framework of the General Invitation by the public business entity Red.es to participate in the talent attraction and retention programs within Investment 4 of Component 19 of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan.
For more information, please check: https://www.bsc.es/join-us/excellence-career-opportunities/ai4s

Key Duties

Further developing and refining Earth System model components.
Developing or utilizing new observational datasets to improve model inputs, model evaluation, or to complement modeling results.
Acquiring and applying ML/AI skills.
Participate in collaborative projects with partner institutions
Provide scientific support for the preparation of competitive applications for research and/or innovation projects
Conduct original research and dissemination in high impact peer reviewed publications, internal and external meetings and conferences.

Requirements

Education
PhD in the field of atmospheric sciences, environmental sciences, applied mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, or related disciplines.
Essential Knowledge and Professional Experience
Past postdoctoral experience in related subject (2 year minimum)
Experience in atmospheric chemistry modeling, preferentially related to fire aerosols, DMS, and/or BVOCs (4 years minimum)
Experience in Earth System modeling analysis or development (2 years minimum)
Track record of high impact publications, including multiple first authorships
Additional Knowledge and Professional Experience
Fluency in English is essential. Proficiency in Spanish and other European languages would be advantageous.
Excellent computing skills in high-level computer languages (FORTRAN is required) (3-5 years).
Experience in machine learning / AI will be valued
Competences
Ability to work in a team and in a multi-cultural environment.
Very good interpersonal skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to take initiative, prioritize and work under set deadlines
Ability to work both independently and within a team
Capacity to work in multidisciplinary environments

Conditions

The position will be located at BSC within the Earth Sciences Department
We offer a full-time contract (37.5h/week), a good working environment, a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructure, flexible working hours, extensive training plan, restaurant tickets, private health insurance
Duration: 4 years
Holidays: 23 paid vacation days plus 24th and 31st of December per our collective agreement
Salary: 55.000,00 €
Additional Expenses Grant: Each fellowship will be associated with a grant for additional expenses, such as IT equipment, travel, training, stays, etc.
Starting date: asap - the incorporation for this vacancy must be before the 16th of December 2024

Applications procedure and process

All applications must be submitted via the BSC website and contain:

A full CV in English, including contact details.
A cover/motivation letter with a statement of interest in English, clearly specifying for which specific area and topics the applicant wishes to be considered. Additionally, two references for further contacts must be included. Applications without this document will not be considered.


Development of the recruitment process

The selection will be carried out through a competitive examination system ("Concurso-Oposición"). The recruitment process consists of two phases:

Curriculum Analysis: Evaluation of previous experience and/or scientific history, degree, training, and other professional information relevant to the position. - 40 points
Interview phase: The highest-rated candidates at the curriculum level will be invited to the interview phase, conducted by the corresponding department and Human Resources. In this phase, technical competencies, knowledge, skills, and professional experience related to the position, as well as the required personal competencies, will be evaluated. - 60 points. A minimum of 30 points out of 60 must be obtained to be eligible for the position.
The recruitment panel will be composed of at least three people, ensuring at least 25% representation of women.

In accordance with OTM-R principles, a gender-balanced recruitment panel is formed for each vacancy at the beginning of the process. After reviewing the content of the applications, the panel will begin the interviews, with at least one technical and one administrative interview. At a minimum, a personality questionnaire as well as a technical exercise will be conducted during the process.

The panel will make a final decision, and all individuals who participated in the interview phase will receive feedback with details on the acceptance or rejection of their profile.



At BSC, we seek continuous improvement in our recruitment processes. For any suggestions or comments/complaints about our recruitment processes, please contact recruitment@bsc.es.

For more information, please follow this link.


Deadline

The vacancy will remain open until a suitable candidate has been hired. Applications will be regularly reviewed and potential candidates will be contacted.

OTM-R principles for selection processes

BSC-CNS is committed to the principles of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers of the European Commission and the Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment principles (OTM-R). This is applied for any potential candidate in all our processes, for example by creating gender-balanced recruitment panels and recognizing career breaks etc.
BSC-CNS is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We are pleased to consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by applicable state or local law.
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