A research engineer position is opened at the Laboratoire d’Océanographie et du Climat – Expérimentation et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN)/ Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL), PARIS, starting as soon as possible. The position is for one year, likely renewable for 2 years. Context :The SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) mission is the first satellite mission carrying an L-band radiometer interferometer. Since its launch, end of 2009, it acquired over 5 years of data that demonstrate the feasibility of the sea surface salinity measurement by L-band radiometry, the capability of the interferometry technique, and it opens new research topics. The LOCEAN team has been involved since 1999 in the definition of direct and inverse models applicable to SMOS. It is one of the ESA Expert Support Laboratory in charge of the definition of the algorithms used for retrieving salinity from SMOS brightness temperatures in the ESA operational chain. The selected candidate will be in charge of the improvement of existing algorithms, dealing in particular with data selection, configuration of the baysian retrieval, radiative transfer model, in close collaboration with researchers and engineers of the laboratory.The selected candidate will join the LOCEAN IPSO (Interactions et Processus au sein de la couche de Surface Océanique) team involved in the physics of the L-band radiometry, in the satellite salinity validation and in understanding the processes responsible for the differences observed between satellite and in situ measurements, in particular those linked to air-sea interaction, vertical stratification and small-scale variability (www.locean-ipsl.upmc.fr/smos/ and siss.locean-ipsl.upmc.fr). Work details :– Developpement of new algorithms for improving the retrieval of the salinity from SMOS mission ; collaboration with the industrial for their implementation in the processor chain– Relationship with other ESA expert support laboratory and with the company in charge of the evolutions and the maintenance of the processor: participation to weekly teleconference of the SMOS ESA level 2 ocean team and attending the progress meetings (3 per year). Writing of technical papers and participation to scientific papers is possible, depending on the algorithms improvements. Required Skills:– Physics of satellite measurement – Data processing and statistics– Knowledge of LINUX and C – Matlab and/or Python– Autonomy and team collaborative working Welcome Skills:– Optimization for huge data processing – Interest for environmental science Level: Research Engineer (PhD thesis or equivalent)Address : LOCEAN, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Tour 45-55, 5E, 4, place Jussieu, 75005 PARIS, FRANCE.Salary : about € 1900 net, commensurable with qualification and experience of the candidate (CNRS salary grid) Candidates should send a statement of interest, CV and coordinates of 2 referees to Jacqueline Boutin (jb@locean-ipsl.upmc.fr) and Nicolas Martin (martin@locean-ipsl.upmc.fr).
