Climate Services Team Leader (R3/R4)

Reference: 239_25_ES_ESS_R3
Job title: Climate Services Team Leader (R3/R4)

About BSC

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center – Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is the leading supercomputing center in Spain. It houses MareNostrum, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe, was a founding and hosting member of the former European HPC infrastructure PRACE (Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe), and is now hosting entity for EuroHPC JU, the Joint Undertaking that leads large-scale investments and HPC provision in Europe. The mission of BSC is to research, develop and manage information technologies in order to facilitate scientific progress. BSC combines HPC service provision and R&D into both computer and computational science (life, earth and engineering sciences) under one roof, and currently has over 1000 staff from 60 countries.

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We are particularly interested for this role in the strengths and lived experiences of women and underrepresented groups to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights in science and IT research. In instances of equal merit, the incorporation of the under-represented sex will be favoured.

We promote Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, fostering an environment where each and every one of us is appreciated for who we are, regardless of our differences.

If you consider that you do not meet all the requirements, we encourage you to continue applying for the job offer. We value diversity of experiences and skills, and you could bring unique perspectives to our team.

Context And Mission

The Earth System Services (ESS, https://ess.bsc.es/) Group within the Earth Sciences Department at BSC focuses on researching the impact of weather, atmospheric chemistry, and climate on key socio-economic sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, water management, forest fires, and urban development. The group aims to demonstrate the ongoing value of Earth system services for both society and the economy.

Within this context, we are seeking a Climate Services Team Manager to lead and strategically develop climate prediction and projection-based services for sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, and water management. The role requires a strong balance between scientific leadership, strategic planning, and collaboration.

The selected candidate will manage a team of approximately 18 researchers (December 2024) working on the development of climate services across different time scales, from sub-seasonal to multi-decadal, within the context of various EU and national-funded projects. His/her activity will be positioned within the context of WMO’s Global Framework for Climate Services, whose aim is to advance climate predictions to provide actionable sub-seasonal to decadal climate information to key sectors of society. This position, therefore, presents the opportunity to work alongside a wide range of leading international climate scientists delivering cutting-edge climate science and climate services across Europe. The position holder will enjoy joining one of the leading and most dynamic European groups in the field of climate services.

Successful candidates will benefit from expert training and BSC-CNS staff benefits: an international multidisciplinary scientific environment and advanced applied research training. We encourage applications from highly motivated candidates with demonstrated experience in climate science and interest in applied research projects within the context of climate services.

Key Duties

Leadership: Lead the Climate Services team of the Earth Sciences Department. Oversee and coordinate the work of the Climate Services team, ensuring scientific excellence and fostering a collaborative and innovative research environment.
Strategic Development: Define and refine the research lines of the Climate Services team, aligning them with feasibility, budget constraints, ongoing project commitments, and emerging research opportunities.
Research: Perform research in collaboration with the Climate Services team members to develop context-based solutions for the generation of climate information for decision making.
Project and Research Management: Ensure the successful execution of national and EU-funded projects, balancing current deliverables with a long-term research vision.
Collaboration & Network Building: Establish and strengthen alliances within BSC, as well as at the Spanish and international levels, to foster collaborations and enhance project opportunities.
Apply for competitive grants and projects and participate in the management of work packages in EU projects (participate in teleconferences workshops, meetings and deliverables).
Disseminate the results in peer-reviewed scientific papers and international conferences.

Requirements

EducationHaving a Degree in Physics, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics (or equivalent)
Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences, applied statistics or related field
Essential Knowledge and Professional ExperienceStrong background in climate data analysis and climate services.
Significant scientific publication record in the domain.
Ability to align research objectives with funding opportunities and project deliverables.
Proven track record in securing and managing national and/or international research projects.
Experience in writing research proposals and developing project ideas.
Understanding of project budgeting and resource allocation.
Ability to establish and maintain partnerships at institutional, national, and international levels.
Leadership and mentoring skills to guide a team of researchers (postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, MSc students, research engineers, etc.)
Additional Knowledge and Professional ExperienceExperience in working with sub-seasonal, seasonal or decadal climate predictions and climate change projections.
Experience in working with climate extreme indices or bioclimatic indicators.
Experience in developing tailored indicators for specific sectors, such as energy, agriculture, water management or forest fires.
Experience in managing multi-disciplinary teams in an international research environment.
Experience in interacting with energy/agriculture/water management companies, NGOs and public administrations
Understanding of climate impacts on socio-economic sectors such as energy, agriculture and food security, water management, disaster response, and infrastructure.
CompetencesProblem-solving, proactive, result-oriented work attitude
Capability to work in an international and fast-paced work
Good communication skills

Conditions

The position will be located at BSC within the Earth Sciences Department
We offer a full-time contract (37.5h/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: 23 paid vacation days plus 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: ASAP

Applications procedure and process

All applications must be submitted via the BSC website and contain:

A full CV in English including contact details
A cover/motivation letter with a statement of interest in English, clearly specifying for which specific area and topics the applicant wishes to be considered. Additionally, two references for further contacts must be included. Applications without this document will not be considered.

Development of the recruitment process

The selection will be carried out through a competitive examination system (“Concurso-Oposición”). The recruitment process consists of two phases:

Curriculum Analysis: Evaluation of previous experience and/or scientific history, degree, training, and other professional information relevant to the position. – 40 points
Interview phase: The highest-rated candidates at the curriculum level will be invited to the interview phase, conducted by the corresponding department and Human Resources. In this phase, technical competencies, knowledge, skills, and professional experience related to the position, as well as the required personal competencies, will be evaluated. – 60 points. A minimum of 30 points out of 60 must be obtained to be eligible for the position.

The recruitment panel will be composed of at least three people, ensuring at least 25% representation of women.

In accordance with OTM-R principles, a gender-balanced recruitment panel is formed for each vacancy at the beginning of the process. After reviewing the content of the applications, the panel will begin the interviews, with at least one technical and one administrative interview. At a minimum, a personality questionnaire as well as a technical exercise will be conducted during the process.

The panel will make a final decision, and all individuals who participated in the interview phase will receive feedback with details on the acceptance or rejection of their profile.

At BSC, we seek continuous improvement in our recruitment processes. For any suggestions or comments/complaints about our recruitment processes, please contact recruitment@bsc.es.
For more information, please follow this link.

Deadline

The vacancy will remain open until a suitable candidate has been hired. Applications will be regularly reviewed and potential candidates will be contacted.

OTM-R principles for selection processes

BSC-CNS is committed to the principles of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers of the European Commission and the Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment principles (OTM-R). This is applied for any potential candidate in all our processes, for example by creating gender-balanced recruitment panels and recognizing career breaks etc.
BSC-CNS is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We are pleased to consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by applicable state or local law.
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