New

CIRES / NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, Postdoctoral Associate in Carbon Cycle Modeling

University of Colorado
$65000.00-$70000.00
paid time off, tuition assistance, remote work
United States, Colorado, Boulder
Oct 14, 2026
Requisition Number: 75367 Location: Boulder, Colorado City Boulder State Colorado Employment Type: Research Faculty Schedule: Full-Time Posting Close Date: 04-Nov-2026 Date Posted: 14-Oct-2026 Close All Job Summary The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder and the NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML) in Boulder, Colorado invite applications for a Postdoctoral Associate position focused on atmospheric data quality control, analysis, and inverse modeling of the carbon budget of the Congo Basin-the second-largest tropical forest in the world. Funding for this position is provided through the Schmidt Sciences Virtual Institute for the Carbon Cycle (VICC) project Congo Basin Carbon Flux Experiment (Congo-FLEX), which aims to quantify the carbon budget of the Congo Basin tropical forest using top-down and bottom-up methods. The successful candidate will quantify and interpret carbon fluxes constrained by new aircraft vertical profile observations already being collected as part of the project, primarily using a regional inverse modeling framework. The individual hired in this role will adapt existing in-house regional inverse modeling tools to the Congo Basin domain, with a particular focus on evaluation of models' ability to accurately represent transport processes in tropical Africa and the subsequent impact on resulting carbon-dioxide flux estimates. They will also compare their top-down results with detailed bottom-up inventories being developed for the project to investigate potential top-down/bottom-up discrepancies and attribute flux patterns and trends to specific sectors and processes. CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Who We Are CIRES is an internationally recognized leader in innovative environmental science and research and is located at the University of Colorado Boulder. At CIRES, more than 900 environmental science professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people's relationship with the planet. CIRES has partnered with NOAA since 1967, and our areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at Earth's poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and more. Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable future environment by advancing scientific and societal understanding of the Earth system. The Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducts research that addresses three major climate challenges: greenhouse gas emissions and carbon cycle feedbacks; changes in clouds, aerosols, and surface radiation; and recovery of stratospheric ozone. NOAA GML operates the Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network, an international effort to measure the global abundances, distributions, and trends of atmospheric trace gases from fixed sites and mobile platforms, including aircraft, ships, and balloons. GML also develops global and regional modeling systems to track sources and sinks of multiple greenhouse gases. The Post-Doctoral Associate will become part of a highly engaged, international research team with diverse climate science and carbon-cycle expertise working on Congo-FLEX and will participate in annual science team meetings and regular working group meetings. This Postdoctoral Associate will be a member of the Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases (CCGG) division within NOAA GML. The CCGG division consists of observational and modeling scientists, data scientists, and scientific programmers who aim to improve understanding of the global carbon cycle and the trends and distributions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to better inform climate policy. What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be Use data analysis techniques including regional inverse modeling to estimate and interpret observationally-constrained net carbon flux estimates, and their uncertainties, for the Congo Basin (65%). This will involve: Analyze atmospheric vertical profile and horizontal transect data of CO2, CO, and H2O, including data quality control. Adapt the existing CarbonTracker-Lagrange regional inverse modeling framework to the Congo basin domain. Conduct sensitivity tests of model parameter selection and atmospheric transport products as model inputs. Compare flux results to bottom-up estimates including those from terrestrial biosphere models and inventories. Implement and operate models on high performance computing systems (HPCs). Lead and contribute to the publication of research results in the peer-reviewed literature (25%) Present research findings at internal meetings and national and international conferences (10%) What You Should Know This is a 2-year appointment with the possibility of extension based on the availability of funding. A hybrid work modality with a mix of in-person and remote work may be possible after an initial full-time in-person training period. This position will be rostered in CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder, but will be located at NOAA's David Skaggs Research Center, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO. If you are the selected finalist, you will be required to pass a federal laboratory background clearance for site access. Non-US citizens without green cards may have limited building access and require an escort in the building. Given project deliverables, candidates must be eligible for full-time work and successfully complete a federal background clearance process by the targeted start date of January 1, 2027. What We Can Offer CIRES offers a generous compensation package. The annual hiring salary range for this position is $65,000-$70,000. Salary is commensurate with education and experience and determined based on our CIRES internal career track classification. Some relocation funds are available to help offset expenses, following CIRES and the University of Colorado's relocation processes and procedures. CIRES and the University of Colorado Boulder offer a robust training curriculum, opportunities for professional development and a Mentorship Program. Boulder is a vibrant community with access to mountain parks, dog parks, miles of trails, rivers, lakes, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, theaters, museums, and sports venues. As an employee at CU Boulder, you will have free access to the regional public transit system, an outstanding network of buses, and light rail systems that service Boulder and connect to Denver, the Denver airport, and surrounding communities. Benefits At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes' America's Best Large Employers, ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program. Be Statements Be driven. Be unique. Be Boulder. What We Require A Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, Earth System Science, Data Science, Applied Mathematics or a related field. Candidates must have successfully defended their doctoral dissertations and have finalized all manuscript revisions by the targeted start date of January 1, 2027. Demonstrated experience analyzing and visualizing large datasets using scientific programming languages such as MATLAB, Python or R. What You Will Need Strong skills with analysis and visualization of large and complex observational and model datasets. Ability to critically interpret and diagnose model output. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Demonstrated ability to clearly communicate results to the scientific community via peer-reviewed publications and presentations at scientific meetings. Ability to collaborate productively in a team as well as the ability to formulate independent ideas. What We Would Like You to Have Please note that while the position details both required and preferred skills and experience, we invite applicants to apply even if they do not have the preferred skills and experience outlined in this section. If you meet the requirements and have a passion for the work, you are encouraged to apply. We encourage on-the-job training for any additional skills or knowledge that become relevant to the position. Experience with numerical modeling, preferably on high-performance computing systems (HPCs). Familiarity with the carbon-cycle and land biosphere models. Knowledge of Bayesian inverse modeling approaches. Special Instructions To apply, please submit the following materials: Resume or CV; Cover letter addressed to the Search Committee briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position; Although not needed at the time of application, please be ready to submit contact information for 5 professional references. If you are identified as a finalist for this position, you will be asked to invite your references to complete a Crosschq questionnaire on your behalf. Crosschq is an online reference check solution. All information is kept confidential and shared only with the members of the search committee. Top candidates will be asked to virtually present a science seminar that will be open to all staff at NOAA GML. We may request references at a later time. Please apply by November 4, 2026 for consideration. Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs. In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.