How to Apply
Applications are welcomed and encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of background and identity. To apply, please complete the application on the U-M Careers site. A one page cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should:
- Address your specific interest in the position and outline your experience that is directly related to this position.
- Describe in detail your experience that pertains to each of the required qualifications listed below.
Who We Are
Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR), is part of the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. CIGLR is a collaboration between the University of Michigan and NOAA that brings together experts from academia and government research labs to address pressing problems facing the Great Lakes region.
Mission Statement
The School for Environment and Sustainability (https://seas.umich.edu/) is a collaborative and interdisciplinary school. Our mission includes contributing to the protection of environmental resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. We accomplish this by generating and sharing knowledge, contributing to policy and engaging managers and stakeholders. The University of Michigan is a top-ranked public university with excellence in research and teaching. Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, is a town known for arts, culture, parks and restaurants.
SEAS is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable environment that respects diverse experiences, promotes generous listening and communications, and discourages and restoratively responds to acts of discrimination, harassment, or injustice. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is deeply rooted in our values for a sustainable and just society.
Job Summary
The Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) is seeking a hydrodynamic modeler to work with the physical modeling team at CIGLR and the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) to conduct research on Great Lakes oil spill transport and fate. The research will utilize a state-of-art oil spill transport model, which will be forced by high-resolution hydrodynamic-ice model outputs. The research will evaluate the applicability of the existing oil spill transport models to the Great Lakes freshwater environment.
Your appointment will be for 7 months from the start date, with the possibility of renewal dependent on the availability of funding and performance.
This position is open only to US Citizens or permanent residents due to federal security clearance required for access to NOAA GLERL facilities and resources.
Responsibilities*
- Verify lake surface current simulations from NOAA's Great Lakes Operational Forecast System by comparing model outputs with available observation datasets (e.g., drifter buoys).
- Conduct oil spill transport model simulations for select scenarios based on the General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment (GNOME).
- Evaluate GNOME for application to the freshwater environment in the Great Lakes and identify gaps for predicting oil spill trajectories in different freshwater conditions (e.g., open water or ice-covered).
- Attend regular project meetings and present research progress. Contribute to reporting materials.
- Present research findings at scientific conferences, and contribute to manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals.
Required Qualifications*
- A bachelor's degree in physical oceanography, coastal engineering, or a similar field.
- Familiarity with data analysis and visualization in a scripting environment using R, Python, or similar software.
- Experience with one or more common geophysical data formants, such as CSV, NetCDF, and Grib2.
- At least one year of experience with Linux or Unix-based computing environments.
Modes of Work
You will spend the majority of time at NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) in Ann Arbor. Our team offers flexible work styles, such as flexible hours and/or flexible workplace (with approved agreements in place), however this position is not eligible for fully remote work.
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.
Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled.
U-M EEO Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.