UCAR is excited to announce a job opening for a Student Assistant II/II (Software Engineer-DevOps). This is a great opportunity to contribute to the code development process of an Open Source application and gain practical experience with DevOps working with a well-known 3D data visualizations application in geosciences.

Where You Will Work:

At UCAR|NCAR|UCP, you will work alongside a dedicated team of professionals conducting critical research and community outreach to solve complex Earth system science problems including climate change, air pollution, extreme weather, floods, drought, wildfires, and space weather, all with the goal of improving human life and reducing economic loss. Each of us, from scientists to the professionals who support their work, serves the public and a collaborative community of scientists in our mission to understand the complex processes that make up the Earth system, from the ocean floor to the Sun’s core.

NCAR’s Computational and Information Systems Laboratory (CISL) is a leader in supercomputing and data services necessary for the advancement of atmospheric and geospace science. CISL’s mission is to remain a leader at the forefront of ensuring that research universities, NCAR, and the larger atmospheric, oceanographic, and related research communities have access to the computational resources they need for their research. To fulfill the need for a stronger workforce at the intersection of High Performance Computing (HPC) and geoscience problems, CISL engages in education and outreach activities to inspire and attract a diverse future workforce.

Job Location: Boulder, CO

Job Type: Options for either Fully Remote (must reside in the United States) or Hybrid (Combination Remote and Onsite presence)

Position Type & Term: Casual (up to 40 hours per week during the summer and 10-12 during the academic year) not to exceed 1,000 hours in a calendar year, term through 9/30/2023 with the possibility of extension.

Hiring Range :

Level II: $21.57/hour

Level III: $22.07

*Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.*

Application Notes:

Application Deadline:The position will be posted until filled with priority given to applications submitted by Thursday, May 11, 2023.

Required application materials (preferably in PDF Format):

Resume
Cover Letter - Refer to the Knowledge/Skills/Abilities in the posting below. Please also discuss your interest in DevOps and this specific role with VAPOR.

Work Authorization: US Residency is a Requirement. You must reside/be located in the U.S. for this position. UCAR/NCAR will not sponsor a work visa (e.g., J-1, H-1B, etc.) for this position. U.S. Citizenship, Permanent Residency, or another protected status under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) is required for this position. Please see “Final Considerations” for more information at the bottom. Student candidates must be enrolled at a U.S. institution.
International remote work is only available for 20 days per calendar year
Relocation Assistance:Relocation assistance is not available for this position.
Pre-employment screeningsare conducted for selected candidates; background checks are also conducted for risk-based positions. Learn more.

Benefits Overview: Casual employees are not benefit eligible for most UCAR benefits. They may receive a RTD bus pass, AD&D (Accidental Death and Dismemberment), and Worker's Compensation coverage.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Our organization is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment and fostering a culture where everyone feels welcome and supported. To learn more about these efforts, visit the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategic Plan and our Diversity & Inclusion: A Welcoming Workplace site.

Research shows that women and people of color are less likely to apply for a position if they do not meet almost 100% of the desired skills and experience . Please note this is not necessary! If you meet the minimum requirements and have a passion for the work, you are encouraged to apply. We can provide on-the-job training for the rest!

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT AT UCAR

Here is a brief outline of what one would expect to be responsible for in this role.

The Visualization Services and research group (ViSR) supports NCAR scientific staff and earth science research communities with their data visualization workflows through the development of exploratory and explanatory software tools. VAPOR is one the prominent software applications from ViSR designed to help meet the analysis and visualization needs of the geoscience research communities. It is an open-source, community-driven, interactive, 3D visualization tool which operates primarily on 3D arrays of time-varying, gridded data arising from numerical simulations and has been popular within the geosciences community for more than a decade. VAPOR can be employed in the analysis workflow either through a graphical user interface or the recently released Python API, which enable users to access all the major VAPOR functionalities from within their python based analysis workflow. New features and enhancements are added to VAPOR frequently and this student assistant position would assist the VAPOR development team with their ongoing DevOps activities.

While specific tasks and level of complexity will depend on the skillset of the incumbent, the primary focus areas are assisting the VAPOR team with DevOps workflows.

Under the supervision of ViSR staff identify tools and techniques to improve the code release and testing pipelines. Assisting the VAPOR team with Dev-Ops workflows. Write scripts and use automation to perform routine tasks.
Propose, research, design, and implement new tools, or process improvements to benefit the team and the environment such as expanding the existing automated test suite and writing test scripts.
May assist staff with pre-processing atmospheric and related datasets.

Decision Making & Problem-Solving

Recognizes and proposes solutions to moderately complex problems.

WHO WE’D LOVE TO JOIN OUR TEAM

Successful candidates will ensure their application materials speak to the following criteria:

Education & Experience

SA II Level:

Must be currently enrolled in a college, university, or professional school with a major in computer science, data science, engineering, or related discipline.

SA III Level:

Graduate student enrolled in a Masters or PhD program with a a major in computer science, data science, engineering, or related discipline.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Experience with Git and GitHub workflows
Experience programming in Python
Familiarity with debugging and code quality improvement work in C++
Familiarity with developing packages for the Python packaging and distribution ecosystem including pip and Anaconda
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Skill in organizing and prioritizing assignments
Ability to identify and learn new technologies to incorporate into regular workflow

Desired:

Experience working with atmospheric and geosciences datasets
Familiarity with continuous integration tools such as CircleCI, github actions, TravisCI, etc.
Familiarity with documentation tools such as Sphinx and Doxygen
Familiarity with Linux, MacOS, and Windows system administration

SOME FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

Flexible Work

At UCAR, we are committed to supporting our mission by giving staff the flexibility to find the schedule and location that works best to maintain their own work-life circumstances and reach their full potential as professionals. Many positions within our organization are eligible for fully on-site, hybrid, fully-remote and/or flexible work schedules.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UCAR is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy. Whatever your intersection of identities, you are welcome at UCAR.

Export Control

This position is subject to work location requirements for obtaining access to facilities and research systems. These requirements may include pre-employment background and national security checks. This position is open to U.S. Citizens, U.S. Green Card holders, and those eligible to obtain a U.S. Work Visa subject to U.S. export requirements.

Visa Wait Times

Please consider the length of visa procurement when applying for this posting, understanding that you will not be able to begin employment until you are able to get a visa and enter the U.S.

Work Location

Regardless of flexible work arrangements, UCAR requires all positions to be performed within the U.S.

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer that strives to develop and maintain a diverse workforce. UCAR is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy.

Whatever your intersection of identities, you are welcome at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). We are committed to inclusivity and promoting an equitable environment that values and respects the uniqueness of all members of our organization.

UCAR NCAR UCP

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