Postdoctoral Research Associate - Physical Oceanography

The University of Southern Mississippi is currently accepting applications for the position of Postdoctoral Research Associate - Physical Oceanography.

Position Details LocationJohn C. Stennis Space Center

1020 Balch Blvd
Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, 39529
United States DivisionMarine Science Position TypeStaff Employment StatusFull Time Grant FundedYes Posting Close DateOpen Until Filled

Special Instructions to Applicants
Theinitial appointment will be for one year with the possibility of an extension depending ondemonstrated progress and continued funding. Interviewing will commence on November 1, 2019, candidates will be accepted until the position is filled. Pleaseinclude a CV, a statement of research interests, a relevant publication by theapplicant, and names and addresses (with e-mail addresses) of at leastthree references.The Department of Marine Science is located at the StennisSpace Center, MS, which is a NASA rocket testing facility. The Center has alarge concentration of marine science related institutions: NRL, NAVOCEANO,NOAA, USGS, and NDBC. To be eligible to work on Stennis the candidate must beable to pass a NASA background investigation. Please contact Dr. Maarten Buijsman for further questions about this position at maarten.buijsman@usm.edu.

Job Summary
A postdoctoral positionin physical oceanography is available in the Department of Marine Science atThe University of Southern Mississippi. The successful candidate will work onthe Task Force Ocean (TFO) project “Modeling, characterizing, and predictingeffects of internal gravity waves on acoustic propagation on basin to globalscales”, which is supported by a grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR).This three-year project is a cross-disciplinary effort between physicaloceanographers, ocean-acoustic and sonar-performance-prediction modelers, andspecialists in machine learning to model, characterize, and predict theacoustic effects of internal gravity waves. The main goal of this sub-project is to advanceour understanding of internal gravity waves in global HYbrid Coordinate OceanModel (HYCOM) simulations: i.e., their generation, dissipation, and theirinteractions with the mean flow. Ultimately, a better understanding ofinternal gravity waves may aid the development of mixing parameterizations usedin climate model simulations.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities
1. Diagnose and analyze global ocean HYCOM simulations; perform energy calculations to better understand the effects of increased horizontal and vertical model resolutions on (tidal) internal gravity wave generation, propagation and nonlinear dispersion, and dissipation and mixing processes.

2. Validate the HYCOM simulations with existing observations.

3. Assist in performing HYCOM simulations (if needed).

4. Collaborate with project scientists and students.

5. Write first-author manuscripts for peer-review publications (~1/year) related to the ONR-TFO project and participate as co-author on other manuscripts.

6. Disseminate scientific results at national/international conferences and ONR meetings.

7. Contribute to annual report preparation, as required by the funding agency; perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications Thesuccessful candidate must have a doctoral degree in physical oceanography or arelated field. A qualified applicant is anticipated to have experience incoding and numerical modeling, time series analysis, and knowledge of internalwave processes and ocean mixing. The candidate should have a track record ofpublications in peer-reviewed journals.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Should have a background in math and (ocean) physics.
• Should have coding and numerical modeling skills.
• Should be able to write scientific publications.
• Should have good communication and oral presentation skills
• Should be able to work in a team or independently.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications It is preferred that the candidate can code inMatlab and Fortran, has analyzed HYCOM simulations, diagnosed internal waveenergy equations, performed vertical mode decomposition, and has experience inperforming multi-processor simulations on super computers.

About The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is a comprehensive public research institution delivering transformative programs on campuses in Hattiesburg and Long Beach, at teaching and research sites in central and southern Mississippi, as well as online. Founded in 1910, USM is one of only 130 universities in the nation to earn the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education's "R1: Doctoral Universities - Very high research activity" designation, and its robust research enterprise includes experts in ocean science and engineering, polymer science and engineering, and sport venue safety and security, among others. USM is also one of only 40 institutions in the nation accredited in theatre, art and design, dance and music. As an economic driver, USM generates an annual economic impact of more than $600 million across the state. USM welcomes a diverse student body of approximately 15,000, representing 71 countries, all 50 states, and every county in Mississippi. USM students have collected four Truman Scholarships and 36 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, while also leading Mississippi with 24 Goldwater Scholarships, an honor that recognizes the next generation of great research scientists. Home to the Golden Eagles, USM competes in 17 Division I sports sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). For more information, visit www.usm.edu.

As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer/Americans with Disabilities Act institution, The University of Southern Mississippi encourages minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities to apply.