Scientific Software Programmer - Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment

Scientific Software Programmer - Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment

The Agroecosystem Sustainability Center (ASC) is a new research center aiming to be a world leading innovation powerhouse in advanced monitoring and modeling of agroecosystems for improving sustainability under climate change. ASC is jointly funded by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment (iSEE), the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (OVCRI). ASC gathers leading researchers from across the UIUC campus in the subject areas of biophysical and biochemical research in agroecosystems, primarily focusing on whole-plant and landscape-level studies to regional and global applications. The research is driven by co-founding and affiliated faculty members, professional staff scientists, postdocs and graduate students to advance science goals and technological innovations, with clear motivation to generate real-world solutions and impacts. ASC also has plans to work closely with industry partners and bring truly interdisciplinary educational pportunities for aspiring students at UIUC.

Job Summary

Responsible for the software development and computational implementation of a range of ecosystem modeling and remote sensing activities sponsored by several federal grants at the Agroecosystem Sustainability Center (ASC) hosted at Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE). Work collaboratively with ASC scientists developing, testing, optimizing and maintaining process-based ecosystem models and remote sensing algorithms for large-scale production. Modularization, efficiency, robustness and high-performance computing will be critical software goals addressed in this position. Provide hands-on software development and application support to the project team, including collaborators inside and outside of ASC.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Modularization, testing, and benchmark of advanced ecosystem models, which includes a comprehensive representation of ecosystem biophysical and biogeochemical processes.
• Improvement or optimization of numerical schemes in the ecosystem model for enhanced robustness across different application cases.
• Development of a set of model testing and benchmarking tools, in which the ecosystem model will be driven by a group of sites with standardized forcing, model configuration, and reference simulation results.
• Development of efficient pipelines to scale up the computational tasks across multiple computational platforms for large-scale production.
• Maintenance, upgrade, and version control of the developed models, algorithms, and pipelines and troubleshooting for more complex systems and data analysis problems.

Additional Physical Demands

Work is mostly performed on a computer. Occasional meetings with PIs or collaborators may be required.

Minimum Qualifications

B.S. in Computer Science, Electronic Engineering, Astronomy, Mathematics, Physics, Earth Science, or a relevant scientific discipline with experience on developing numerical models. Extensive experience with modern practice of open, collaborative code development using github, including code review, github pull request, etc. Extensive experience with releasing stable, well-tested, robust software systems of substantial complexity. Extensive experience with the following: Jupyter Notebook, Docker FORTRAN and C/C Unix and Python, or julia scripting. Parallel computing. High performance computing systems and cloud computing platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

B.S. with 3 years of experience or an M.S. with 2 years of experience, or equivalent experience, in Computer Science of Computer Engineering or a relevant
scientific discipline with experience developing numerical models. Demonstrated experience in providing support for scientific software solutions. Experience working with scientific users.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Deep knowledge about numerical methods for complex mathematical analysis problems. Knowledge of visualization and analysis software packages to facilitate software development. Ability to work at a higher level of independence and responsibilities in carrying out complex assignments. Ability to work in an integrated team environment. Ability to multi-task to meet stringent deadlines while producing accurate work. Ability to work productively and efficiently with a diverse community of scientists.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after closing date. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on June 30, 2023. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. Qualified candidates must upload a letter of which details qualifications noted above, resume and the names and contact information of three professional references. All requested information must be submitted for your application to be considered. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. For further information, please contact Erica Hanson, OVCRI Human Resources, elhanson@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.

Requisition ID: 1018091
Job Category: Research
Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu