Analyst - User Support

About ECMWF

ECMWF is both a research institute and a 24/7 operational service, producing and disseminating numerical weather predictions to its Member States. ECMWF carries out scientific and technical research directed to the improvement of its forecasts, collects and processes large amounts of observations, and manages a long-term archive of meteorological data. Satellite and in situ observations provide the information for up-to-date global analyses and climate reanalyses of the atmosphere, ocean and land surface. For details, see www.ecmwf.int/.

ECMWF has been entrusted to operate the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) on behalf of the European Commission until the end of 2020. Copernicus is the European Union (EU) flagship Earth-observation programme. The programme ensures operational monitoring of the atmosphere, oceans, and continental surfaces, and will provide reliable, validated information services for a range of environmental and security applications.

Summary of the role

The Copernicus User Support Team provides 1st -level and 2nd -level support and manages the 3 rd - level user support for both the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) 

The team plays a vital role in supporting both the CAMS and C3S user communities by providing advice on the use of the services through swift diagnosis and resolution of technical and procedural problems.

The role requires a good understanding of both the users’ needs and the services offered as part of CAMS and C3S.

• 1 st -level and 2nd -level support involve analysing queries, understanding and clarifying what the users want to achieve, providing solutions and recommendations where appropriate in a timely and professional manner
• 3 rd -level support involves providing in-depth answers to queries, working with internal and external domain experts so that knowledge can be transferred to supporting staff, and to end users. Management of the user support function provided by CAMS and C3S contractors is part of the role As the User Support Analyst is a customer focussed role, s/he will interact with users both internally and externally. The role calls for an individual with excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. S/he will be working with a degree of autonomy with the ability to work under some pressure to meet the timely needs of the users.

Main duties and key responsibilities

• Providing user support and technical advice for both CAMS & C3S products
• Developing, maintaining and continuously improving tools and documentation, including service desk and knowledge base • Monitoring the quality of the user support service, e.g. user satisfaction • Developing scripts and tools to facilitate the use of CAMS & C3S products • Contributing to user uptake, training and other relevant events
• Other related ad-hoc tasks as required

Personal attributes 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, listening to and respecting the views of others
• Ability to communicate with and understand the complex requirements of users in the use of large volumes of data and software
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to both non-technical and technical people
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills with a proactive approach
• An interest in identifying, investigating and resolving technical problems and articulating an appropriate solution
• Ability to work under pressure and to interact with demanding users
• Flexibility to adapt to changing organisational priorities and user needs
• Ability to work collaboratively, sharing expertise and lessons learned with colleagues
• Dedication and enthusiasm to work in a small team

Qualifications and experience required

Education

• A university degree, or equivalent, in a scientific discipline, e.g. meteorology, (atmospheric) physics, applied mathematics and computational science.

Experience

• Good demonstrated experience in user support within a scientifically-oriented domain.
• Experience of using or maintaining and supporting software codes, and Python in particular.
• Experience of using and maintaining Atlassian JIRA, JIRA Service Desk, Confluence is desirable.
• Experience in handling GRIB and/or NetCDF data is desirable.

Knowledge and skills (including language)

• Good knowledge of high-level programming languages, including Python, and shell scripts on Unix/Linux, is required.
• Good understanding of using application packages to access and process data. Some basic knowledge of atmospheric and/or climate data and services would be desirable. Candidates must be able to work effectively in English and interviews will be conducted in English.
• A good knowledge of one of the Centre’s other working languages (French or German) would be an advantage.

Other information

The successful candidate will be recruited at the A2 grade, according to the scales of the Co-ordinated Organisations and the annual salary will be £58,238.40 net of tax. This position is assigned to the employment category STF-PL as defined in the Staff Regulations. 

Full details of salary scales and allowances are available on the ECMWF website at www.ecmwf.int/en/about/jobs, including the Centre’s Staff Regulations regarding the terms and conditions of employment.

Starting date: As soon as possible

Length of contract: To 31st December 2020.

Location: The role will be based in the Reading area, in Berkshire, United Kingdom.

How to apply

Please apply by completing the online application form available at www.ecmwf.int/en/about/jobs. 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.

Staff are usually recruited from among nationals of the following Member States and Co-operating States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Staff from other countries may be considered in exceptional cases.