Conditions for use of the HIRLAM System or parts thereof, for scientific or technical non commercial research purposes by users outside the HIRLAM Members and co-operating Meteorological Institutes

Call for application for HIRLAM-C Management group positions

The HIRLAM-C programme (Jan. 2016 – Dec.2022) is a research collaboration between the national weather services of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden. The key deliverable of the programme is to provide a high-quality short- and very short range NWP system suitable for operational use in the HIRLAM member services.

Since January 2021, the HIRLAM consortium forms a subgroup within the larger ACCORD consortium (26 members). The focal point of research in HIRLAM-C is the continued development of a convection-permitting model and ensemble system (Harmonie-Arome and HarmonEPS), according to the ACCORD strategy 2021-2025 (link) and within the IFS-Arpege-ACCORD modelling environment.

The coordination of the HIRLAM-C Programme is carried out by the HIRLAM management group (HMG). The HMG consists of the programme manager, who has overall responsibility for the development of the Harmonie-Arome Canonical System Configuration (CSC) within the ACCORD common code, and a number of project leaders who cover various scientific and technical areas. The HMG as a whole coordinates the scientific and technical developments of the Harmonie-Arome CSC within the HIRLAM-C services, following the ACCORD Strategy 2021-2025 and functioning under the overall authority of the ACCORD management. The project leaders are responsible for the day-to-day management of the activities of the staff who are assigned to work in their respective areas. They participate in the formulation of work plans which are made jointly with ACCORD partners and which are negotiated with the participating HIRLAM institutes on a yearly basis.

The HIRLAM services are engaged in a gradually expanding operational NWP cooperation, which is called the United Weather Centres (UWC). The services involved in UWC all use the Harmonie-Arome CSC as their main short-range NWP tool, and rely on the HIRLAM and ACCORD research community for the scientific and technical development of their systems. A close communication between the HMG and the UWC community is therefore required, at various management levels, to ensure a smooth research-to-operations process and an effective operations-to-research feedback between HIRLAM and UWC.     

Due to staff departures related to the creation of the ACCORD and UWC-West management groups, the following HMG positions are now open for applications:

• Project leader for Data assimilation and use of observations (50% of full time), responsible for the development of data assimilation algorithms and for extending and optimizing the use of observations in the atmospheric data assimilation system.
• Project leader for the Atmospheric Physics parametrizations (50% of full time), responsible for the development of the atmospheric physics parametrizations in the Harmonie-Arome CSC.
• Project leader for Surface analysis and modelling (50% of full time), responsible for the development of the surface assimilation system and the surface model components.

For all three positions, candidates should have well-documented expertise in the relevant scientific area, as well as a good knowledge of the corresponding codes in the Harmonie-ACCORD LAM modelling system. The project leaders are expected to coordinate the activities of the scientists in their area, while actively participating in both science and code developments themselves. They should monitor and report developments in their area to the rest of the HMG and to the relevant ACCORD MG members, and interact closely with the HIRLAM project leader for System on the implementation and testing of newly developed components in the Harmonie-Arome Reference configuration. While the project leaders are primarily responsible for the evolution of the Harmonie-Arome CSC, they are all expected to support the overarching ACCORD management group in their activities to create a more effective collaboration between all ACCORD services and pursue convergence between CSC’s at code level. A close interaction with the ACCORD management group and with ACCORD staff working in their area outside the HIRLAM services will be mandatory to achieve fruitful research cooperation and a joint planning of activities. Additionally, in view of the increasingly shared interests with ECMWF, both on scientific developments and on the evolution of the IFS-Arpege-ACCORD modelling environment, the project leaders are expected to interact regularly with relevant ECMWF staff.

Candidates should be employed by or through one of the HIRLAM institutes, and their application should have the support of this host institute. The remuneration level of the successful candidates will correspond to that of a group leader or section head in the host institute as decided by its General Director. The duration of the position will be until 31 December 2022.

Applications can be sent to the HIRLAM-C programme manager, Jeanette Onvlee (onvlee@knmi.nl). Please enclose only a concise CV and a short motivational letter explaining your basic interests in the position and any special requirements that you may have (concerning e.g. starting time, share of full time etc, even though it is hoped that the selected candidates will be able to start on 1 July 2021, and at a 50% of full time level). For more information on this position, please contact the HIRLAM programme manager.

The applications should reach the HIRLAM programme manager latest on 15 May 2021. The evaluation of the candidates will be done by an selection board consisting of the HIRLAM Programme Manager, the HIRLAM Advisory Committee (HAC) chair and a HAC member or senior scientist. On the basis of the information contained in their applications, candidates may be selected for interviews in the weeks of 25-28 May and 31 May-4 June. The candidate recommended by the selection board will be formally appointed by the HIRLAM Council.

Yours Sincerely,

 Marianne Thyrring

Chairman of the HIRLAM Council

License to use for non-commercial research the computer codes of the shared ALADIN-HIRLAM numerical weather prediction system

License to use for non-commercial research the computer codes of the shared ALADIN-HIRLAM numerical weather prediction system

License to use for benchmarking or optimization activities the computer codes of the shared ALADIN-HIRLAM numerical weather prediction system