Context And Mission
The aim of the Earth System Services Group (ESS) within the Earth Sciences Department is to research the impact of weather, atmospheric chemistry and climate upon socio-economic sectors such as energy, agriculture, water resources, urban development and climate risk management and demonstrate the ongoing value of earth system services to society and the economy.
We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher or research engineer to join our team and contribute to the development of next-generation climate services, with a primary focus on state-of-the-art climate change information and generation of tailored indicators to different sectors.
The successful candidate will play a key role in the analysis, postprocessing and evaluation of decadal climate prediction and the co-development of climate services. The research will involve working with large datasets of simulations to develop sector-specific climate information products at both global and regional scales, supporting evidence-based decision-making across socio-economic sectors.
This position offers an outstanding opportunity to join one of Europe’s leading and most dynamic research groups in climate services, working at the interface between frontier climate science and societal applications. The successful candidate will benefit from expert mentoring, advanced training, an international and multidisciplinary research environment, and the wide range of professional development opportunities and staff benefits offered by BSC-CNS.
We welcome applications from highly motivated researchers with a strong background in climate science, experience in climate predictions or projections, and a keen interest in translating scientific advances into tailored climate information for specific sectors.
Key Duties
Develop and refine methodologies to produce user-oriented climate information from decadal predictions. Support the development of automated workflows that include data loading, post-processing, evaluation, and saving, aligned with coding standards and testing practices, and deployable on HPC systems. Statistical downscaling tailored to regional and sector-specific applications. Develop seamless prediction frameworks bridging seasonal-to-decadal and decadal-to-projection timescales. Explore and operationalise hybrid methods that combine dynamical modelling with statistical or machine-learning techniques. Conduct comprehensive forecast evaluation using deterministic and probabilistic metrics, as well as user-relevant indicators. Consider a number of observational references describing (and reconciling when possible) the discrepancies between them. Contribute to scientific publications, technical documentation, and project deliverables. Transition of research prototypes to operational environments.
Requirements
Education Having a minimum of a masters degree in Physics, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Computer Sciences or a related discipline. Essential Knowledge and Professional Experience Experience handling, analysing and validating datasets. Proficiency in scientific programming in a suitable language (e.g., Python) and familiarity with working in a Linux environment. Experience working with large geospatial or climate datasets, including gridded observational products and model outputs. Knowledge in statistical analysis. Good written and verbal communication skills in English. Additional Knowledge and Professional Experience Knowledge in climate prediction, with interest in annual to decadal timescales. Knowledge of some of the following topics: climate model validation, forecast quality assessment, multi-model approach, modes of variability, will be positively evaluated. Ability to design reproducible and scalable workflows within HPC environments. Familiarity with software development best practices such as version control, testing, documentation, and coding standards. Interest in user-driven climate services and the translation of technical developments into operational products. Competences Ability to work in a professional environment within a multidisciplinary and international team. Problem-solving, proactive, result-oriented approach to work. Capability to work independently and as a team in an international, very interactive and fast-paced environment. Organizational capacity for dealing with parallel tasks. Good communication skills.
Conditions
The position will be located at BSC within the Earth Sciences Department We offer a full-time contract (35h/week), a good working environment, a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructure, flexible working hours, extensive training plan, restaurant tickets, private health insurance, support to the relocation procedures Duration: Open-ended contract due to technical and scientific activities linked to the project and budget duration Holidays: 22 days of holidays + 6 personal days + 24th and 31st of December per our collective agreement Salary: we offer a competitive salary commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate and according to the cost of living in Barcelona Starting date: February 2027
