The Center for Climate Systems Modeling (C2SM) at ETH Zurich is a joint, interdisciplinary center linking ETH Zurich with partner institutions. It provides a technology and networking platform to support the development and application of Earth system, weather, and climate modeling, data infrastructure, and impact research.
Project background There is an ever-increasing amount and diversity of Earth observations collected from satellites, airborne instruments, in-situ measurement networks, and high-resolution climate modeling data produced at C2SM. Harnessing these data effectively is essential for advancing our understanding of the Earth system. C2SM in collaboration with Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) is extending its data services and is building a petabyte-scale data lake consisting of highly diverse observational and model data.
To address this challenge, a robust data management framework is being developed to make rapidly growing Earth-system datasets accessible and usable for the scientific community. We are looking for an Earth Systems Data Manager to play a pivotal role in shaping this framework. This technical position focuses on identifying observational datasets relevant to Earth science research across disciplines, curating and documenting data collections to ensure quality and scientific value, and establishing metadata and access standards to support data discovery and reproducibility. Working closely with researchers and developers from C2SM, ETH, CSCS, as well as national and international institutions, the successful candidate will support operating and advancing the data platform, assist interdisciplinary projects that integrate multiple data sources, and use high-performance computing resources to manage and process large environmental datasets such that they are ready to be used for research.
Job description - Identify Earth system observations that are relevant to interdisciplinary research needs
- Curate data collections by assessing quality, completeness, and scientific value
- Create comprehensive metadata and documentation to support data discovery and use
- Begin developing a platform to provide users with an overview of the available data
- Coordinate with researchers in climate science, environmental monitoring, data science, and related fields
- Collaborate with a dynamic and international team of developers and researchers developers to operate and further advance the data platform
- Support interdisciplinary research projects that require multiple data sources
- Work with high-performance computing platforms for data storage and to provide analysis tools for researchers
Profile - Degree in data science, computer science, Earth or atmospheric sciences, or a related field
- Knowledge of satellite data and remote sensing
- Experience with very large datasets (petabyte-scale), data management and data quality control
- Very good skills with programming languages such as Python/R/Julia, use of scientific data libraries (e.g., xarray, netCDF4, HDF5, Zarr), and workflow automation on HPC systems
- At least 3 years of interdisciplinary work experience (PhD not included)
- Strong communication skills for working across different scientific disciplines
Beneficial:
- Experience working in an interdisciplinary environment
- PhD in remote sensing or a related field
- Experience in working with very large atmospheric observational or model data
- Experience in leading projects, ideally within multiple different domains
- Experience with user support, data documentation, FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)
We offer In this role, you will work at the cutting-edge intersection of Earth system modelling, high-performance computing and data-driven science. You will join the Center for Climate Systems Modeling (C2SM), a vibrant and interdisciplinary community that connects weather and climate researchers, computational scientists, and data experts across ETH Zürich and its partner institutions. We offer an intellectually stimulating environment where you will work closely with leading groups in Earth system science and with the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS). This technical position provides the opportunity to shape a modern data infrastructure for the Swiss climate and weather research community, and support impactful scientific projects and researchers working with rapidly growing environmental datasets. You will benefit from excellent technical resources, access to state-of-the-art HPC systems, strong mentorship, and opportunities for professional development in a collaborative, forward-looking research ecosystem.
The position is initially limited to two years, with the possibility of extension.
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