About this job

Sapienza Consulting is recruiting an Earth Observation Application Support Engineer for Sapienza to work on our Customers Site (ESA- ECSAT).

Sapienza has been a partner of ESA for almost 30 years, and we pride ourselves in supporting a wide range of missions including Galileo, MTG, Copernicus and ExoMars. Our team is international with activities across the U.K., the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the Candidate are to expand the awareness, utilisation and scientific impact of EO data for climate research and applications. For this position we are looking for an oceanographer with a tracked record in working in this field for at least 3-4 years. The tasks include the management of scientific data exploitation activities and research studies to address gaps in knowledge as part of the contribution of European Earth Observation science to future IPCC assessments and reports. This will support the current activities focusing on addressing the reporting requirements under the UNFCCC Paris Agreement.

The applicant shall provide support to and advise on the detailed scientific goals of the various international   scientific and operational user communities concerned with international climate research, modelling, adaptation and mitigation activities.

The Candidate reports to the Head of the ESA Climate Office of the Science, Exploitation and Climate Department. The tasks will include:

• Establishing a dialogue with specialised user communities, with a particular focus on the ocean science community, analysing their needs for satellite-based observations of the climate system, and assessing their feedback on available EO-based information;
• Deriving technical specifications for Fundamental Climate Data Records and Essential Climate Variables, chiefly from ESA EO Missions but not exclusively, with specific regard to long-term stability, consistency, completeness, availability, error-characterisation, reducing uncertainties, and compatibility with climate observations from other (Space and none-space) sources;
• Setting up and managing industrial contracts (R&D projects and other EO exploitation activities) to respond to the needs for EO-based information of climate research and climate services, including for reanalysis, modelling, attribution, projection, prediction, trends assessment, and data assimilation;
• Ensuring the results of such developments are tested and verified with the corresponding climate user communities;
• Cooperating with internal and external partner organisations to transfer capabilities developed under a research and demonstration context into an operational framework;
• Maintaining links and ensuring coherence with relevant activities of Member States and international partner organisations;
• Contributing to the Agency’s public communications on EO

Profile

• PhD preferably in oceanography, physics or geophysics, or other appropriate scientific fields;
• At least 3-4 years of experience in related remote sensing applications development and/or research related to ocean science;
• Extensive professional experience on product definition, calibration, validation, algorithm development, quality assessment and exploitation of Earth Observation data, particularly ESA missions;
• Demonstrable experience from relevant scientific exploitation activities either internationally or in ESA member states and an established profile with research communities working on the ocean and its relation to climate;
• Particular importance will be attached to a Candidate’s personal scientific ability and credibility amongst their peers, as well as flexibility and adaptability;
• Capable of working effectively in a team with minimum supervision and have excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Fluent in English; knowledge of another ESA member-state language is an asset
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the EU