Role overview
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is a world leader in Numerical Weather Predictions providing high-quality data for weather forecasts and environmental monitoring. As an intergovernmental organisation, we collaborate internationally to serve our members and the wider community with global weather predictions, data and training activities that are critical to contribute to safe and thriving societies.
The success of our activities depends on the funding and partnerships of the 35 Member and Co-operating States who provide the support and direction of our work. Our talented staff together with the international scientific community, and our powerful supercomputing capabilities, are the core of a 24/7 research and operational centre with a focus on medium and long-range predictions. We also hold one of the largest meteorological data archives in the world.
ECMWF has also developed a strong partnership with the European Union and has been entrusted with the implementation and operation of the Destination Earth Initiative and the Climate Change and Atmosphere Monitoring Services of the Copernicus Programme and the Strengthening Early Earning in Africa (SEWA) Programme. Other areas of work include High Performance Computing and the development of digital tools that enable ECMWF to extend provision of data and products covering weather, climate, air quality, fire and flood prediction and monitoring.
Our vision: The strength of a common goal
Our mission: Deliver global numerical weather predictions focusing on the medium-range and monitoring of the Earth system to and with our Member States
ECMWF is a multi-site organisation, with its headquarters in Reading, UK, a data centre in Bologna, Italy, and a large presence in Bonn, Germany, as a central location for our EU-related activities. ECMWF is internationally recognised as the voice of expertise in numerical weather predictions for forecasts and climate science. For more details, see www.ecmwf.int.
What you'll work on
- Lead research for improved AI/ML sub-seasonal predictions over Africa
- Coordinate and contribute to the development of improved machine learning based predictions over Africa two to four weeks ahead
- Act as an Anemoi expert for the project goals, including delivering Anemoi education and contributing to Anemoi developments
- Contribute to the evaluation of the AI sub-seasonal forecasts over Africa in coordination with scientists and operators at African regional climate Centres (RCCs)
- Steer, as a Technical Officer, a grant on the implementation of the AIFS within an African regional context, through e.g. downscaling and steer contractors working on two demonstration cases in which the use of ML in sub-seasonal to seasonal forecasts over Africa is investigated. Support interactions with JRC and WMO as key stakeholders in ArcX
- Provide support to innovation competitions under ArcX , including the AI Weather Quest for Africa.
- Provide inputs to peer-to-peer training activities, incl. drafting training material and attending training sessions in Africa as a topic specialist, in coordination with other topic specialists
- Support the drafting and publication of scientific articles on results obtained in ArcX
- Attend meetings of the different WMO Regional Climate Observation Forums (RCOFs) as topic specialist
What we're looking for
- Enthusiastic and excellent engagement and networking skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate to different and multi-cultural audiences
- Good team player with initiative and ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and multi-site environment with domain scientists, machine learning scientists and computing scientists, but also ability to work independently
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a proactive and constructive approach
- Flexibility, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities
- Highly organised with the capacity to work on a diverse range of tasks to tight deadlines