User Engagement and Outreach Associate

Your role 

ECMWF has an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic User Engagement and Outreach Associate (A1) managing the implementation of innovation challenges for the use of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) in weather and climate. 

As part of ECMWF’s contribution to the Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative of the European Commission, you will manage innovation challenges and support related user outreach activities to explore and illustrate the potential of the use of AI/ML and more generally support user uptake actions linked to the DestinE Digital Twins.  

A key task includes setting up and implementing a new innovation challenge to be launched in January 2025, aimed to explore ways to improve Sub-seasonal to Seasonal (S2S) predictions using AI/ML. With this challenge, ECMWF aims to engage dynamic individuals or teams to employ AI/ML, trained on ECMWF and other data, to harness S2S predictions. Such applications may include various activities, ranging from data assimilation and modelling to post processing. It builds on the heritage of an earlier challenge by the United Nations WMO, WRCP AI Prize Challenge 2021, which was supported by ECMWF.

The incumbent is expected to drive an engaging promotion campaign, stimulating a wide interest. Societal relevance shall be highlighted, including the added-value of improved S2S predictions in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including for applications in agriculture and food security, disaster risk reduction, health, water and renewable energy.

While the content and scope of the challenge will be provided by ECMWF scientists, in this role you will define the overall implementation, coordinate the logistics and support actions as well as organize a winning ceremony, which may be implemented through a contractor. During and after the challenge you will be responsible for user outreach activities in close collaboration with ECMWF’s Communication section. 

You will also contribute to user outreach actions in support of other DestinE activities. This includes for example the engagement of public and private users to test advancements related to and added value of the DestinE Digital Twins, including promotion, relationship management and communication results in close collaboration with ECMWF Communication section. You will also support the organisation of other innovation challenges on DestinE AI/ML activities run via ECMWF’s Code for Earth (https://codeforearth.ecmwf.int). You may also be involved in the management of user outreach aspects of contracts focused on DestinE ML demonstrators for impact sectors.

You will work as part of the User Outreach and Engagement Section, reporting to the Applications and Innovation Partnership Team Lead. You will work in collaboration with a wide range of colleagues across ECMWF and our partner organisations. 

Travel may be required in Europe, including to meet ECMWF staff based in other duty stations. 

About ECMWF 

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is a world-leader in weather and environmental forecasting. As an international organisation we serve our members and the wider community with global weather predictions and data that is critical for understanding and solving the climate crisis. We function as a 24/7 research and operational centre with a focus on medium and long-range predictions, holding one of the largest meteorological data archives in the world. The success of our activities builds on the talent of our scientists and experts, strong partnerships with 35 Member and Co-operating States and the international community, some of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, and the use of innovative technologies and machine learning across our operations. ECMWF is a multi-site organisation, with a main office in Reading, UK, a data centre/supercomputer in Bologna, Italy, and a large presence in Bonn, Germany. ECMWF has also developed a strong partnership with the European Union and has been entrusted with the implementation and operation of the Destination Earth Initiative and the Climate Change and Atmosphere Monitoring Services of the Copernicus Programme. Other areas of work include High Performance Computing and the development of digital tools that enable ECMWF to extend provision of data and products covering weather, climate, air quality, fire and flood prediction and monitoring.

See   for more info about what we do. 

The Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative

ECMWF is one of the three entities entrusted to implement the DestinE initiative of the European Commission, alongside with ESA and EUMETSAT as partners. DestinE aims to deploy several highly accurate thematic digital replicas of the Earth, called Digital Twins. The Digital Twins will help monitor and predict environmental change and human impact, in order to develop and test scenarios that would support sustainable development and corresponding European policies for the Green Deal.  ECMWF is responsible for the delivery of these digital twins and of the Digital Twin engine, the software infrastructure needed to power them of some of Europe’s largest supercomputers, those of the European HPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC).  

The second phase of DestinE covers the period June 2024 – May 2026, and future phases are foreseen (subject to funding). Phase 2 will focus on early operations with consolidation, maintenance, and continuous evolution of the DestinE system components developed in the first phase. There will also be an enhanced focus on ML activities, including the deployment of workflows of components of a ML model for the Earth system, optimisation of the Digital Twin Engine to enable efficient model training and simulations, and other activities. One key element of the ML activities in phase 2 includes training. This shall build on recent ML training initiatives at ECMWF, including the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on ML for Weather and Climate (see ). 

For more information on DestinE, see  and .

Background

ECMWF is developing a world-leading, machine learning-based probabilistic weather forecasting system to complement our existing physics-based system. A range of novel machine learning approaches will be investigated for improved quality and efficiency of forecasts, also as part of ECMWF’s contribution to the Destination Earth initiative. A team of scientists and engineers in ECMWF are working collaboratively across the Centre and in our Member and Cooperating States to undertake this challenge.

Your responsibilities 

Implement the new Innovation Challenge on Sub-seasonal to Seasonal (S2S) Predictions using AI/ML through:

•  Plan and implement the new innovation challenge 
• Drive an engaging promotion campaign to stimulate interest amongst participants and highlighted the added-value of improved S2S predictions in the context of DestinE and in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Implement user outreach activities including targeted social media messages and the creation of a selection of user stories (Shorthand), in close collaboration with ECMWF’s Communication section
• Select and manage contractors supporting the implementation, together with the procurement and contract management teams
• Align with other innovation actions, including ECMWF’s Code for Earth

Deliver other DestinE User Outreach actions:

• Implement actions to stimulate and select users active in various domains to test advancements related to and added value of the DestinE Digital Twins, including promotion, relationship management and outreach   
• Contribute to innovation challenges run via ECMWF’s Code for Earth, in particular those linked to DestinE 
• Support implementation of DestinE ML applications on user outreach actions, as required 

Related responsibilities on reporting and record keeping:

•  Ingest and update details on user and stakeholder engagements for DestinE in ECMWF’s CRM system
• Provide input to reporting and planning activities for DestinE, as required

What we're looking for

• Dynamic and enthusiastic candidate with a high level of motivation to engage and interact with external individuals as well as large companies
• Open-minded and flexible, eager to learn about ECMWF data products, DestinE and AI/ML 
• Take initiative and ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, but also able to work independently

While this position embeds in our science and technology activities and experience in this area will be useful, we are looking for dynamic, enthusiastic candidates with excellent engagement skills.

Education and Experience 

• University degree (EQF Level 6 or above) in an Earth science or technology field, or equivalent professional experience
• Experience with planning, design and delivery of innovation challenges, user outreach actions and events, or similar activities
• Some experience in promotion and user outreach activities focused on scientific stakeholders 
• Exposure working in an international setting is an asset

Skills and knowledge 

• Excellent organization and planning skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Genuine interest in weather and climate services and AI/ML is an asset
• Candidates must be able to work effectively in English
• Knowledge of one of ECMWF’s other working languages (French or German) would be an advantage 
  
  

Other information 

Grade remuneration: The successful candidates will be recruited at the A1 grade, according to the scales of the Co-ordinated Organisations. The position is assigned to the employment category STF-PS as defined in the ECMWF Staff Regulations. Full details of salary scales and allowances available on the ECMWF website at www.ecmwf.int/en/about/jobs. 

Starting date: As soon as possible 

Candidates are expected to relocate to the duty station. As a multi-site organisation, ECMWF has adopted a hybrid organisation model which allows flexibility to staff to mix office working and teleworking, including away from the duty station (within the area of our member states and co- operating states). 

Interviews by videoconference (MS Team) are expected to take place shortly after the closing date.

Who can apply 

Applicants are invited to complete the online application form by clicking on the apply button below. 

At ECMWF, we consider an inclusive environment as key for our success. We are dedicated to ensuring a workplace that embraces diversity and provides equal opportunities for all, without distinction as to race, gender, age, marital status, social status, disability, sexual orientation, religion, personality, ethnicity and culture. We value the benefits derived from a diverse workforce and are committed to having staff that reflect the diversity of the countries that are part of our community, in an environment that nurtures equality and inclusion. 

Applications are invited from nationals from ECMWF Member States and Co-operating States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. 

In these exceptional times, we also welcome applications from Ukrainian nationals for this vacancy.  

Applications from nationals from other countries may be considered in exceptional cases.