CLC Space is currently recruiting a Multi-Sensor Aerosol Product Development Support Engineer to provide consultancy support at their client’s headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany.
JOB DESCRIPTION
You shall provide engineering support to the aerosol product development activities of the Atmospheric Composition Competence Area (RSP-AC CA) in the Remote Sensing and Product (RSP) division. The support to be provided comprises establishing a generic aerosol product development platform, the development of a multi-mission aerosol product monitoring capability streamlining aerosol product processor elements as far as possible across missions. Providing continuity between current and future mission aerosol product processors is a goal. The initial activities will focus on developing these elements, in particular the further adaptation of the aerosol product monitoring capability and the streamlining of aerosol product processor elements, for the existing operational Metop Polar Multi-sensor Aerosol properties (PMAp) retrieval algorithm, a synergistic algorithm which uses data from the GOME-2, IASI, and AVHRR instruments. Aerosol product development support activities for Meteosat Second Generation and the aerosol product processors of future missions, in particular the 3MI mission on the EUMETSAT Polar System – Second Generation (EPS-SG) are also in scope. The tasks will be carried out in close co-operation with relevant members of the RSP-AC CA and other teams in RSP.
The tasks of the key person will be carried out mainly at our client’s facilities in Darmstadt, but travel within Europe may be required for certain activities.
TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Your tasks will include:
• establishing a generic development platform which in its full configuration would specifically address multi-angle, multi-spectral, polarimeter observations but would also be used to explore the applicability and relevance to other instrument classes (e.g. dual-view instruments, polar orbiting imagers, geostationary imagers). Note: the platform is expected to be based on pre-existing algorithms and tools such as the GRASP toolbox (http://www.grasp-open.com/) tailored to the EUMETSAT development environment and scientific needs;
• developing a multi-mission product monitoring capability based on the initial capability developed for the Metop PMAp product;
• deriving relevant data from internal and external sources to support product quality monitoring in the relevant operational monitoring system;
• evaluation of a pre-existing prototype processor for aerosol optical depth retrieval from MSG with the aim of maximising commonalities with other EUMETSAT aerosol algorithms where feasible and appropriate;
• supporting the development of 3MI retrieval algorithms, in particular in the frame of the generic aerosol development platform;
• streamlining algorithm product processor elements (e.g. aerosol models, radiative transfer etc) across missions where feasible and appropriate based on an evaluation of algorithm architecture in cooperation with the responsible aerosol retrieval scientist;
• performing off-line analysis of processor performance and product quality;
• supporting the validation of EUMETSAT aerosol products and the compilation of the relevant product validation reports.
YOUR PROFILE
In addition to having a University degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline, you shall have a minimum of 3 years’ experience of the development and implementation of software for operational processing of satellite or meteorological data.
You shall have a minimum of 3 years work experience in UNIX application development and testing in C and C++. Experience in scientific processing in general and the Fortran programming language would be a distinct advantage.
Specifically, you shall have experience in:
• Quality control of satellite data and products,
• Operational product processing environments
• Software build environments and tools (e.g. make, imake, eclipse, insure++);
• Source code control system, (e.g. Subversion or Git);
• Experience and skills in working in projects and environments characterised by a diversity of stakeholders. The following areas of expertise would be an advantage:
• Inverse modelling of atmospheric composition using (vector) radiative transfer models
• Aerosol optical properties retrieval from satellite data;
• Calibration and validation of satellite products;
• Knowledge of the EPS and MSG missions and instruments.
• Java programming;
• Usage of relational databases (sql programming)
• Experience with Scripting languages e.g. Python, Perl, Tcl/Tk, shell;
• Production monitoring and reporting
You shall be able to conduct all activities in an orderly and structured manner, shall be able to work calmly and correctly under stress and must be able to work with the minimum of supervision.
The official languages are English and French. The working language for the position is English and therefore you must be able to work effectively in this language.