Researcher V

Job Summary:

The USGS - Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) conducts a wide range of interdisciplinary research activities in marine, estuarine, lacustrine, and terrestrial regions of the United States, including the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Great Lakes, and Alaskan North Slope, as well as international locations (e.g., South America and Europe). The research addresses geological issues of local, regional, national, and global concern, such as energy resources, natural hazards, climate change, environmental quality and health, and information management. The research is carried out under the USGS Natural Hazards Mission Area, with links other USGS Mission Areas and Programs, as well as cooperative agreements with other agencies, organizations, and institutions. The fundamental goal is to develop a scientific understanding of Earth processes that contributes to decision making in coastal and marine environments.

Akima Systems Engineering is looking for a Researcher V that can assist with activities addressing issues in natural hazards, environmental quality, natural, resources, and information, and are principally carried out as part of the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program within the Natural Hazards Mission Area, but also through other disciplines such as the Water Resources Mission Area, USGS programs, and through cooperatives and. agreements with other agencies and institutions. Experience in participating in a broad multidisciplinary research program to address key issues in coastal and marine environments.

Job Responsibilities:

• Performing numerical simulations of nearshore physics to simulate wave shoaling, breaking, runup, surge, inundation, barrier island overtopping, breaching, and coastal geomorphic change.

• Acquiring, organizing and formatting required input observational datasets (e.g., from online data repositories, project collaborators).

• Applying computer code (e.g. Matlab Python) to create model forcing and boundary data such as for tides, currents, and wave directional spectra.

• Preparing model grids with bathymetric datasets.

• Compiling and running model code on HPC and prepare input files for idealized and realistic applications. These will be at selected sites such as Madeira Beach, FL, Sanibel Island, FL, or Duck NC, or others, where accurate observational data is available focusing on Hurricane Ian (2022), and possible other time periods of storm impacts.

• Performing simulations will be performed in both 1D cross shore profiles (as applicable) and 2D spatial simulations using InWave, XBeach, SWASH, CROCO, or similar nearshore coupled wave-circulation-morphological modeling system.

• Planning, coordinate, and assist in numerical experiments for regional applications to provide downscaling information for the nearshore experiments.

• Testing new algorithms implementations using idealized test cases. Document the code.

• Performing data analysis on model output (e.g. compare model output with field observations, time series analysis).

• Evaluating model performance using quantitative skill assessments. Aiding in the scientific interpretation of model results, including isolating physical processes to improve understanding of coastal dynamics.

• Preparing documentation for presentation of results for public and scientific meetings, peer- reviewed journal publications, and public distribution through government web portals.

• Loading data and metadata into databases following standard protocols.

• Assisting staff with formal publication of data and analyses as USGS reports or outside (peer-reviewed journal) articles.

• Field Program Operations:

  • If required, support scientific staff for planning, designing, and performing field studies to collect data in support of coastal change processes. These data will be used to test and validate numerical applications for coastal studies.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in civil, environmental, coastal, aerospace, ocean, or computer engineering is required.

• Ability to extend and modify existing techniques to solve a variety of technical problems.

• Skill and experience in high performance computing and numerical code development using FORTRAN, Matlab or python.

• Basic understanding of working in Unix/Linux systems, github or other code repositories.

• Understanding numerical methods, parallel processing methods, and analytical techniques for visualizing and statistically analyzing large data sets.

• Skill in development of numerical algorithms and incorporation into model systems.

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledge and experience in oceanographic data, sediment transport processes, physical oceanography, and ocean engineering.

• Knowledge of scientific concepts pertaining to nearshore processes, wave breaking, coastal geomorphology, flooding, inundation, hydrology, fluid dynamics, physical oceanography, and marine geology.

• Experience in applying numerical models of hydrodynamics, waves, and/or sediment transport in estuaries, coastal, and/or nearshore environments.

• Skill and experience to maintain, program, and run numerical oceanographic models, such as COAWST, Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS), Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN), WAVEWATCH III, InWave, XBeach, SWASH, CROCO, or similar.

• Skill in oral and written communication; Ability to communicate in writing in a professional manner. Experience and skill in technical writing.

• Ability to work independently on assigned tasks with minimal supervision.