Support Scientist for Operational Wave Modeling Development

Overview Lynker is seeking a sharp Support Scientist for Operational Wave Modeling Development to accelerate and enhance operational marine modeling capabilities within the National Weather Service (NWS) Regional Wave Prediction System (RWPS)—the next-generation framework built to align with NWS transformation goals. With roughly 40% of the U.S. population residing in coastal counties and rip currents remaining a leading cause of weather-related fatalities, this role advances foundational guidance for Impact-Based Decision Support Services (IDSS) to protect life and property. Working alongside a team, the specialist will support the development, testing, and implementation of physics-based and machine learning wave frameworks, integrate coastal processes, and assist in transitioning cutting-edge capabilities into high-reliability NWS operations. The Ideal Support Scientist for Operational Wave Modeling Development, will be local to the DC Metro area, and be able to work a hybrid schedule, working 2 days per week in office out of the College Park, MD location, and working from home the remaining 3 days of the week. Responsibilities The candidate will perform the job duties in an independent, collaborative, and initiative-driven way, assisting in developing and applying innovative methods for the primary work areas described below. Duties of the Support Scientist for Operational Wave Modeling Development will include the following:

Operational Modeling & System Integration:

Work with the team to support the development, optimization, maintenance, and integration of wave modeling capabilities within the RWPS architecture, ensuring alignment with NWS operational standards.

Coastal Processes & Hazard Prediction:

Contribute to advancing numerical and statistical formulations for key coastal phenomena, including wave runup, coastal impact prediction, total water level, and rip current forecasting.

AI & Next-Gen Techniques:

Collaborate on exploring, evaluating, and integrating artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) techniques to improve wave modeling efficiency, parameterizations, or forecast accuracy.

Interagency & Sector Collaboration:

Partner across multidisciplinary federal and private sectors (e.g., USGS, NOS, academic institutions, and private industry) to evaluate external models and accelerate the transition of research to operations (R2O).

Model Experimentation & Validation:

Assist in designing and executing numerical model experiments, applying advanced verification, validation, and observational data-fusion techniques across regional and nearshore domains.

System Support & Web Services:

Help maintain, visualize, and disseminate marine modeling output and related web-based products for internal operational and public use.

Qualifications

The Support Scientist for Operational Wave Modeling Development selected should have the following:

• An M.S. (or equivalent experience) in meteorology, physical oceanography, coastal engineering or a related field, with 7+ years in weather forecasting, physical oceanography, or coastal ocean science.
  
• Knowledge of spectral wave models (like

WAVEWATCH III

), in particular for real-time applications.

• Experience in running numerical models on High Performing Computer (HPC) platforms using MPI, OpenMP, Slurm, LSF, etc.
  
• Is familiar with modern software development practices, particularly version control software.
  
• Advanced skills and knowledge of modern programming languages and object-oriented languages, such as FORTRAN90, Python, and C++.
  
• Experience working in a UNIX environment with advanced shell scripting languages and familiar with running complex jobs.
  
• Demonstrated proficiency using GitHub to manage software repositories, code versions, and projects.
  
• Ability to maintain, visualize, and disseminate marine modeling output and web-based products.
  The Ideal Support Scientist for Operational Wave Modeling Development will have the following:
  
• Demonstrated experience in operational system integration, and software development for real-time applications within regional and nearshore domains.
  
• Direct experience advancing formulations for coastal processes, including wave runup, total water level, coastal impact prediction, and rip current forecasting.
  
• Familiarity with applying artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) techniques to enhance wave parameterizations, model efficiency, or forecast accuracy.
  
• Strong team-player mindset with a proven ability to collaborate across interagency and private sectors.

...Visit the Employer site for more details