Postdoctoral researcher in modelling tropical variability (M/F)

Job Description

Missions

The recruited researcher will be responsible for evaluating the representation of the Pacific mean state, El Niño, and their future projections across the different versions of the IPSL climate model, as part of the OptimESM project.

Activity

· Development of diagnostics to assess the realism of IPSL climate models in the tropical Pacific (and the tropics more broadly).
· Application of these diagnostics to a set of numerical simulations to quantify improvements in tropical variability mechanisms in the new IPSL climate model: IPSLCM7.
· Dissemination of scientific results in journals and conferences.

Your Profil

Skills

· PhD in oceanography, climate modeling, or related fields.
· Experience in numerical modeling (ocean or climate).
· Proficiency in a scientific programming language (Fortran, Python, or equivalent).
· Experience with high-performance computing (HPC) environments.
· Understanding of tropical variability mechanisms, particularly ENSO.
· Skills in data analysis and visualization (Python, MATLAB, R, etc.).
· Fluency in spoken and written English (English is the project language).
· Scientific rigor, independence, and ability to work in a team.
· Motivation to contribute to the development of the next generation of climate models.

Your Work Environment

The representation of the Pacific mean state and the El Niño phenomenon play a key role in how climate models simulate climate variability and change. It is therefore essential to assess their representation in the new climate model versions developed for CMIP simulations. The IPSL climate model used for CMIP5 and CMIP6 exhibited persistent biases in the representation of the tropical mean climate and of El Niño—the dominant mode of Earth's climate variability. The work carried out in this project aims to evaluate the representation of the tropical climate in the various versions of the IPSL climate model developed for CMIP7.
This position is funded by the CNRS under the OptimESM project, which is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement ID: 101081193). The selected candidate will have the opportunity to work in close collaboration with the project partners and to attend general assemblies and project-specific meetings.
The work will take place at the IPSL Climate Modeling Center, which is responsible for developing a new model, IPSLCM7. This model will contribute to the CMIP7 model intercomparison project, which will produce—among other outputs—the climate projections featured in the next IPCC reports. The OptimESM project supports these preparations by comparing the parallel efforts of 4 climate modeling centers, including IPSL.
They will be based at LOCEAN, located on the Jussieu campus of Sorbonne University, Paris, with regular interactions with other IPSL laboratories involved in the IPSL Climate Modeling Center (notably LSCE).
Full-time position, with no specific eligibility restrictions.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

Between €3,131.32 and €4,789.83 (gross)

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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