Job Openings
Oil Spill Hydrodynamic Modeler
.
The Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) is seeking a hydrodynamic modeler to work with the physical modeling team at CIGLR and the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) to conduct research on Great Lakes oil spill transport and fate. The research will utilize a state-of-art oil spill transport model, which will be forced by high-resolution hydrodynamic-ice model outputs. The research will evaluate the applicability of the existing oil spill transport models to the Great Lakes freshwater environment.
Your appointment will be for 7 months from the start date, with the possibility of renewal dependent on the availability of funding and performance.
This position is open only to US Citizens or permanent residents due to federal security clearance required for access to NOAA GLERL facilities and resources.
.
Responsibilities*
-
- Verify lake surface current simulations from NOAA’s Great Lakes Operational Forecast System by comparing model outputs with available observation datasets (e.g., drifter buoys).
- Conduct oil spill transport model simulations for select scenarios based on the General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment (GNOME).
- Evaluate GNOME for application to the freshwater environment in the Great Lakes and identify gaps for predicting oil spill trajectories in different freshwater conditions (e.g., open water or ice-covered).
- Attend regular project meetings and present research progress. Contribute to reporting materials.
- Present research findings at scientific conferences, and contribute to manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals.
.
Required Qualifications*
-
- A bachelor’s degree in physical oceanography, coastal engineering, or a similar field.
- Familiarity with data analysis and visualization in a scripting environment using R, Python, or similar software.
- Experience with one or more common geophysical data formants, such as CSV, NetCDF, and Grib2.
- At least one year of experience with Linux or Unix-based computing environments.
.
Modes of Work
You will spend the majority of time at NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) in Ann Arbor. Our team offers flexible work styles, such as flexible hours and/or flexible workplace (with approved agreements in place), however this position is not eligible for fully remote work.
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.
Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period, 6/26/2026, and continue until the position is filled.
Student Fellowships
CIGLR offers two fellowship programs that support student research opportunities, in order to train the next generation of Great Lakes researchers. Click the button to learn more about current and upcoming student fellowship opportunities.
Careers at CIGLR: View Open Positions
CIGLR offers rewarding job opportunities for those passionate about Great Lakes research and impact. Click the button to learn more about current job opportunities.