Research Software Engineer - I/O-Server for Earth System Models

at  ECMWF

THE TEAM

The role sits in the Model Data Services Team, within the Development Section in the Forecast and Services Department. The team’s primary focus is the set of services that directly interact with Earth-system models. These include efficient model output, on-the-fly data processing and diagnostics, interfaces to machine learned models, and output control. This effort is dedicated to the integration of these services into Earth-system models in DestinE and the Copernicus Programme, primarily the Integrated Forecasting System (IFS). It supports ECMWF’s strategy of producing cuttingedge science and world-leading weather predictions and monitoring of the Earth system.
This position supports the Destination Earth initiative and the Copernicus Programme. It will involve close collaboration with other activities at ECMWF Member States and with our partners at ESA and EUMETSAT.

EDUCATION

• Advanced university degree (EQ7 level or above) or equivalent professional experience in computer science or engineering, computational science, physics or natural sciences, mathematics, or a related discipline

EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrated experience developing software in C/C++
• Demonstrated experience with developing in UNIX/Linux systems and shell scripting is highly desirable
• Experience with high-performance computing (HPC) and networking is an advantage
• Experience developing scientific software on distributed systems is an advantage

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Demonstrated ability of programming in UNIX/Linux systems
• Experience with Build Systems (e.g. CMake)
• Familiarity with software lifecycle maintenance is highly desirable
• Ability to write software for scientific-computing application on distributed high-performance computing (HPC) architectures would be advantageous

THE ROLE

We are in search of a highly motivated Research Software Engineer (A2) to work on the development of an I/O-server with on-the-fly post-processing, executing data-processing tasks in memory directly on model output. This role is an integral part of a dynamic team, consisting of scientists and software engineers contributing to the key activities at ECMWF.
At ECMWF, you will find a passionate community, collectively aiming to bring novel technology and science to the cutting-edge of numerical weather prediction and high-resolution climate modelling. In this role, you will explore and innovate solutions to develop our services on streaming model output and on-the-fly post-processing, as well as to integrate them into Earth-system models. This is an integral part of serving weather and climate data to a growing number of downstream users our member states, commercial customers, and impact modellers who are highly reliant on the timely delivery of weather and climate data. It is a significant element in both our core mission and our obligations in key European Union (EU) initiatives. You will be expected to bring creative insights into the development of on-the-fly data-processing systems and to execute them on different high-performance computing (HPC) architectures.
ECMWF has developed a strong partnership with the EU. It has been entrusted with the implementation and operation of the Climate Change and Atmosphere Monitoring Services of theEU Copernicus Programme, and contribute to the Copernicus Emergency Management Service. ECMWF is also one of three organisations entrusted to deliver Destination Earth (DestinE), a flagship initiative of the European Commission to develop highly accurate digital replicas, Digital Twins (DTs), of the Earth on a global scale. In the framework of ECMWF’s contribution to the DestinE initiative and the Copernicus Programme, you will work on a set of interoperable software components and services that support end-to-end execution of both the DTs and the production runs in Copernicus services. You will work most closely on the development of MultIO, the software component that facilitates efficient data output via an I/O-server with on-the-fly processing of model data, as well as on its integration into distributed Earth-system models.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and support the use of the software component MultIO
• Integrate MultIO into multiple Digital Twins of the Destination Earth initiative
• Work closely with colleagues from the Research Department, Production Services, Atmospheric Composition and Evaluation Sections to achieve assigned objectives
• Collaborate with external partners and subcontractors in the Copernicus Programme and the Destination Earth initiative
• Support internal and external users with executing production-like runs in both the Copernicus Programme and the Destination Earth initiative
• Document the user-facing elements of MultIO (API, configuration, and examples)