CIWRO Research Associate -- AWIPS Training

CIWRO Research Associate -- AWIPS Training 

The Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO) at the University of Oklahoma seeks to fill a Research Associate position to support the Warning Decision Training Division of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Norman, OK. This position focuses on helping to train NWS forecasters in using cutting-edge improvements to the software they use to analyze data and issue warnings and forecasts. 

Primary Duties. The principal duties of this position are: 

● Development of technical expertise with AWIPS-2 (Advanced Weather Information Processing System) including content of new builds 

● Collaboration with WDTD instructors on creating training materials on AWIPS-2 with emphasis on tools related to warning decision making 

● Collaboration with the AWIPS user and development communities 

● Acquiring skills in Linux and Windows workstations, cloud-based computing environments, and training authoring software, including helping to develop warning-related case studies and simulations 

● Participate in WDTD training workshops 

Additional Duties: 

● Attend meetings and conferences to gain knowledge of new meteorological applications and methodologies and interact with the operations and applied research communities 

● Review publications to stay abreast of warning-related developments 

● Additional related duties as assigned 

Required Qualifications: 

● A Master’s degree or higher in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Computer Science, or related area 

● Excellent oral and written communication skills 

● Ability to work and communicate effectively in diverse team environments 

● Ability to pass a federal background check. U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency is required 

Desired Skills: 

● Strong web programming (e.g., HTML, XML) skills 

● Experience in teaching/training and/or developing training or technical documentation 

● Experience with Python and/or Bash shell scripting 

● Experience with Linux (or Unix) operating system 

● Operational experience related to severe weather forecasting and warning 

● Knowledge of warning-related inputs such as radar, satellite, lighting, storm-scale or convective-allowing models 

● Experience with graphic design 

● Knowledge of human factors and human performance technology 

● Experience with providing technical support to customers 

Impact. The employee in this position interacts directly with forecasters from over 100 NWS forecast offices across the United States. The work performed by this position informs forecasters about new technologies and methodologies and thus positively affects their efforts in issuing warnings and forecasts to protect the American public. The employee also potentially has the opportunity to shape AWIPS itself through community collaborations. 

Additional Information. 

● Normal working hours will be routinely observed with some occasional irregular hours around workshops and other potential activities. Incumbents will receive training and gain expertise in the latest training technology and warning decision-making methodologies used by the NWS. 

● Supervision will be provided by CIWRO staff. Technical oversight will be provided by CIWRO staff, NWS meteorologists, and WDTD management. The incumbent will work under general supervision but is expected to determine action to be taken in handling all but unusual situations. Incumbents in this position are not expected to supervise other employees, but may serve as leaders of technical teams. 

● The beginning salary will be based on qualifications and experience with a generous University benefits package. Information on insurance and retirement benefits may be found at https://hr.ou.edu. The position will be located at the National Weather Center (https://www.ou.edu/nwc) in Norman, OK (see https://visitnorman.com and https://www.normanok.gov/about-norman) with a negotiable start date and will remain open until filled. 

To apply for the position, please forward your resume, cover letter and list of three references to: 

CIWRO Careers 

University of Oklahoma CIWRO 

120 David L. Boren Blvd., Suite 2100 Norman, OK 73072-7304 

ciwro-careers@ou.edu 

JOB REFERENCE: WDTD – AWIPS 

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.