Job Description

Description of Unit

The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University (CSU) seeks to fill a full-time Research Scientist position designed to conduct collaborative research with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) located at the Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) in Boulder, CO. The individual in this position will work in the NOAA/OAR/GSL Earth Prediction Advancement Division’s (EPAD) Fire Weather and Atmospheric Composition Branch (FWACB).

CIRA at Colorado State University is a multi-million-dollar research organization located on CSU's Foothills Campus in Fort Collins, Colorado. CIRA is a cooperative institute that is also a research department within CSU's College of Engineering, in partnership with the Department of Atmospheric Science. Its vision is to conduct interdisciplinary research in the atmospheric sciences by entraining skills beyond the meteorological disciplines, exploiting advances in engineering and computer science, facilitating transitional activity between pure and applied research, leveraging both national and international resources and partnerships, and assisting NOAA, CSU, the State of Colorado, and the Nation through the application of our research to areas of societal benefit.

NOAA's Global Systems Laboratory is a federal science and research laboratory under NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. GSL provides the National Weather Service (NWS) and the nation with environmental observation, prediction, computer, visualization, and information systems. These systems deliver data, forecasts, and predictions of weather, including severe weather events, within the next few minutes to weeks away.  GSL is a leader in the applied research, directed development, and technology transfer of environmental data, models, products, and services that enhance environmental understanding with the outcome of supporting commerce, protecting life and property, and promoting a scientifically literate public.

EPAD’s FWACB has been leading the development of regional and global aerosol and air quality forecast models in collaboration with other laboratories and universities over many years. One of these models is the meteorology-chemistry model Weather Research and Forecast coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem), which has been widely used in a wide range of atmospheric composition modeling applications around the world. The High-Resolution Rapid Refresh coupled with Smoke (HRRR-Smoke), which is based on the WRF-Chem framework, is currently NOAA’s flagship operational model for smoke prediction. This model forecasts smoke from wildland fires and its impact on radiation [rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/hrrr/HRRRsmoke/]. 

The coupled meteorology-chemistry models developed at GSL allow simulating complex gas/aerosol chemistry and aerosol-meteorology interactions on regional and global scales. Currently GSL/EPAD in collaboration with other groups is leading the development and testing of new aerosol and fire weather forecasting models coupled to the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS). This new model (cheMPAS-Fire) is being tested in real time at 3-km resolution over the contiguous US [https://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/cheMPAS-Fire/]. 

Position Summary

This is a full time position, funded for two years, with an option to renew contingent upon satisfactory performance and available funding. The individual in this position will be part of a team responsible for the design and development of fire weather and atmospheric composition capabilities for convection-allowing coupled meteorology-chemistry models.  The individual in this position will work in collaboration with other scientists and software developers to design, develop, test and refine the fire spread, fire-weather interactions and atmospheric composition representation in the coupled chemistry-meteorology models. In particular, the modeler will contribute to the transition of the new fire weather and atmospheric composition modeling capabilities to the Unified Forecast System (UFS), NOAA’s code base for operational prediction. Most importantly, the modeler will contribute to the connection of the MPAS-based UFS with the Community Fire Behavior Model (CFBM) to advance the prediction of fire spread toward future operational implementations. This will involve improvement to the representation of fuel loading  and moisture datasets into the model, conducting sensitivity simulations of the new model and its evaluation against aircraft and satellite observations, and its refinement based on evaluation results.  This position will report to the CIRA Associate Director.

Full consideration date: Monday, August 17, 2026, 11:59pm (MT).

Essential Job Duties

●    Contribute to the connection of the CFBM to the MPAS-based UFS 
●    Conduct fire spread simulations with the cheMPAS-Fire model with CFBM for different wildfire cases
●    Implement and test new parameterizations for gas/aerosol chemistry in the MPAS-based RRFS-Smoke and cheMPAS-Fire models
●    Conduct fire emission inversions using ground-based and satellite observations of atmospheric constituents  
●    Evaluate the model simulations using atmospheric data from NOAA’s field campaigns, in-situ and remote sensing monitoring networks and satellites (e.g. TEMPO, PACE)  
●    Participate in developer meetings, contribute to project reports, and assist stakeholders  
●    Present research findings in peer-reviewed publications and conferences 

Conditions of Employment

●    This position requires onsite presence three (3) days/week with the option to telework two (2) days/week (contingent upon satisfactory performance), because it requires significant collaboration with on-site teams.
●    This full-time position in Boulder, CO, requires a National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI), tier 1 federal background check and a NOAA Common Access Card (CAC) ID badge for systems access. Therefore, only US citizens and lawful permanent residents with a physical USCIS “Green Card” are eligible. 
●    The expected start date for this position is January 4, 2027. 

Supervision

●    The individual in this position will not supervise employees.

Required Qualifications

NOTE: In the body of your resume, please specifically address all required qualifications when describing your work experience.  A resume that fails to specifically address the qualifications of this position may not be further considered after initial review by the search committee. 
●    Ph.D. in atmospheric science or related physical or environmental science discipline. Applicants must successfully complete their Ph.D. defense before the starting date.
●    At least 3 years of experience with air quality models (e.g. WRF-Chem)
●    Experience in modeling wildfires and smoke transport
●    Experience in computer programming for model output and observational data analysis (especially Python or other language)
●    Experience working with satellite data 
●    Excellent communication skills in English, as evidenced by a clear, concise cover letter.

Preferred Qualifications

NOTE: In the body of your resume, please specifically address preferred qualifications when describing your work experience.  A resume that fails to specifically address the qualifications of this position may not be further considered after initial review by the search committee. 
●    Ability to work both independently and in a team environment
●    At least two first author publications in atmospheric sciences 

Application Instructions

Applications must be submitted via online portal. We will not accept materials sent via email or other mode. NOTE: In the body of your resume, please specifically address all required qualifications and applicable preferred qualifications when describing your work experience.  A resume that fails to address the qualifications of this position may not be further considered after initial review by the search committee. Likewise, an online application with a generic cover letter or missing a cover letter may not be further considered after review by the search committee.  References will be requested for finalists and will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates.  The full consideration date is Monday, August 17, 2026, 11:59pm (MT).
 

Salary Range

$85,000 - $90,000 Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Required Application Documents

To apply, please upload the following applicant documents. Ensure your materials fully address the required and preferred job qualifications of the position. Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Cover Letter, Resume/CV

Employee Benefits

Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service. With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact.

• Review our detailed benefits information here.

• Explore the additional perks of working at CSU here.

• For the total value of CSU benefits in addition to wages, use our compensation calculator.

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Background Check Policy Statement

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.

EEO

Colorado State University (CSU) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.