Posting Details

Posting Information

Vacancy TypeEHRA Non-FacultyIs Internal Transfer OnlyNoWorking TitleResearch Associate (Cloud Computing Data Analyst)Salary RangeAnticipated Hiring Range$60,000 - $75,000 (commensurate with education and experience)Position Number00107737Work ScheduleMonday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pmFull Time Equivalent (FTE)1.0Department063001 - NC Inst of Climate StudiesDepartmentNC Inst of Climate StudiesJob City & StateAsheville, NCPrimary Function of Organizational Unit

The North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies (NCICS) is a UNC inter-institutional research institute promoting the discovery of new knowledge about global, regional, and local climate variability and its impacts; and providing information that is critical for determining trends and validating climate forecasts at all these spatial scales. NCICS’ principal activity is the operation of the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies in North Carolina (CISESS NC). CISESS’ primary objective is to document the natural atmosphere-ocean-land-biosphere components of the Earth system and how they interact with human activities as a coupled system through collaborative and transformative research activities and to transition that research into operational applications that produce societal benefits.

Essential Job Duties

This position is located in Asheville, NC.

The Research Associate (Cloud Computing Data Analyst) will provide cloud-based software solutions expertise in performing environmental data analysis and generating environmental Earth science products. The incumbent will work closely with institute research scientists to transition relevant current and new research software applications and environmental data products to cloud environments.

Key responsibilities and duties will include, but not be limited to:

• Design, develop, and test research software applications to support scientific cloud computing and processing activities for data analysis and generation of high-quality Earth and environmental science products.
• Independently develop, design, support, and/or execute moderately complex research activities involving large scale environmental data sets using high performance computing (HPC) systems and scalable, parallel architectures.
• Perform cloud computing work with scientific analytical approaches utilizing Python, MATLAB, IDL, and/or Fortran to analyze and generate Earth and environmental science products.
• Coordinate transfer of large data sets from archival storage to high performance computing clusters and the cloud for data analysis and evaluation.
• Facilitate research to operation transitions between dataset development activities and the operational use of these datasets in activities such as monitoring and research.
• Work with institute scientists to assess project parameters and requirements; determine the most efficient and effective computing approach, whether with an in-house HPC, a commercial cloud platform, or a hybrid approach; and design and help implement efficient migration methodologies as needed.
  -* Work with commercial cloud platforms (e.g. Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure Cloud, etc.) as needed.
• Train institute personnel on cloud computing resources and techniques as relevant for project data analysis and/or Earth and environmental science product development.

Other Work/Responsibilities

Fully participate in unit (NCICS, NCEI, etc.) activities and meetings.

Other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Education/Experience

A M.S. degree in Earth or environmental sciences, computer science, computer engineering, information technology, or a related field with at least 2 years of experience in performing data analysis in cloud environments and/or developing cloud-based software solutions, ideally for environmental science applications, OR a B.S. degree in one of the above fields with at least 5 years of experience in performing data analysis in cloud environments and/or developing cloud-based software solutions, ideally for environmental science applications.

Departmental Required Skills

Strong understanding of analytical challenges and cloud-based solutions in Earth and/or environmental sciences.

Working knowledge of high performance computing (HPC) systems and scalable, parallel architectures.

Knowledge and experience with commercial cloud platforms (e.g. Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure Cloud, etc.).

Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.

Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines.

Must be able to work independently and creatively and have the aptitude and willingness to serve the requirements of all team functions.

Preferred Experience, Skills, Training/Education

Experience conducting Earth or environmental sciences research in a cloud environment.

Programming proficiency in Python, Java, Fortran, C, C++, Scala, or related language types.

Expertise with version control (e.g. git) and containerization tools (e.g. Docker, Kubernetes).

Working knowledge of Amazon Web Services platform.

Experience with big data and familiarity with distributed processing solutions such as Lambda, Spark, and Kafka.

Familiarity with cloud-oriented data stores such as Cassandra, BigTable, DynamoDB, and Object Store.

Experience in an academic research setting.

Required License or Certification

N/A

Special InstructionsJob Open Date08/19/2019Anticipated Closing Date08/30/2019Is this position partially or fully funded on ARRA stimulus monies?NoProposed Hire Date09/16/2019AA/EOE

NC State University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as an individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran.

If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodations in the application and interview process, please call 919-515-3148.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. If highest degree is from an institution outside of the U.S., final candidates are required to have their degree equivalency verified at www.wes.org or equivalent service. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.

NC State University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Supplemental Question

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * How did you learn of this opportunity?
   • NCSU Website
   • NCSU Executive Search Services
   • Monster.com
   • CareerBuilder.com
   • InsideHigherEd.com
   • Other Online Job Board
   • Carolina Job Finder / Employment Guide
   • Job / Career Fair
   • The Chronicle of Higher Education
   • Professional Journal
   • Print Advertisement (Newspaper / Periodical)
   • Professional Organization
   • Direct Contact from NCSU HR Representative / Recruiter
   • NCSU Employee Referral
   • Social Media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Other)
   • Other
2. If you selected "Other" for the previous question, please provide the source you learned about this opportunity from.

   (Open Ended Question)

3. * By answering "Yes" below, you acknowledge this position is located in Asheville, NC and still wish to be considered
   • Yes, I understand this position is located in Asheville, NC and still want to be considered
   • I no longer wish to be considered for this role.
4. * Briefly describe your experience performing environmental data analysis in a cloud environment.

   (Open Ended Question)

5. * Provide an example of your work with big data, especially as it relates to environmental information.

   (Open Ended Question)

6. * Describe your experience working with and/or supporting high performance computing (HPC) systems in a research environment.

   (Open Ended Question)

7. * Explain what you believe the technical merits/value of cloud computing are compared to an in-house high performance computing (HPC) system when working with environmental data?

   (Open Ended Question)

8. * Give an example of your experience working with commercial cloud platforms and infrastructure components for an end-to-end cloud architecture in a research environment.

   (Open Ended Question)

Application Materials RequiredRequired Documents

1. Cover Letter
2. Resume/CV
3. Contact Information for References

Optional Documents