DMI is looking for two hydrologists who will have a key role in supporting DMI in our new assignment as the national authority for hydrological warning. Do you want to be part of building the strongest research group in Denmark for modelling of the rapid surface water processes, which are the physical phenomena that lead to acute flooding? And do you want to be involved in the construction, operation and ongoing development of the operational model system for warning of floods? Then you have the profile we are looking for!
DMI, as of 1 January 2022, has been assigned the new role as the national authority for hydrological warning. Therefore, we are building a flood warning system, to be implemented within DMI’s existing warning system for dangerous weather and elevated water levels along the coast. Flood warning is a strategic focus area for DMI and has received a great deal of attention, particularly after the massive floods in Central Europe in the summer of 2021.
The Job
We are looking for two hydrologists for our new research and development unit, Flooding and Hydrology. You should have expertise in the development and implementation of hydrological and particularly hydraulic models and/or mathematical/statistical modelling. And you should be comfortable working in Python, R or similar. In the short term, the unit’s primary task is to develop and operationalize a new, robust flood warning system in Denmark based on the latest international methods in the field. The warning system will include floods from streams, lakes, local extreme rain and storm surges. The project is being carried out in close collaboration with a number of other government institutions – GEUS, SDFI, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Miljøstyrelsen), the Danish Coastal Authority (KDI) and the Danish Environmental Portal (DMP). In addition, there will be close contact with, amongst others, local emergency services and municipalities.
In the short term, your primary tasks include:
- Set up and testing different kinds of hydraulic and hydrological forecast models, including the use of data assimilation and ensemble weather forecasts as input.
- Working with many different real-time observations and forecasts for variables such as water level, water flow, precipitation, etc.
- Developing algorithms for handling real-time data, including anomaly detection, quality assurance, etc.
- Developing data-driven forecasting models based on methods from time series analysis (e.g. ARMAX) and / or machine learning
- Formulating warning criteria and decision-making processes in collaboration with our duty meteorologists.
- Investigating the types of weather phenomena that lead to different types of floods
In the longer term, the unit will build up a portfolio of research and development projects in the field of hydro-meteorology. Here you will be involved in the research-based development of the next generation of hydrology and flood forecasting systems, digital twins, extremely high-resolution weather models for improving the quality of our hydrological models, AI, etc. These projects will take place in collaboration with DMI’s researchers in the fields of climate, meteorology, oceanography and remote sensing, and typically a number of international and national partners.
About you
You have a positive and curious approach to new tasks, and you are passionate about both hydrological/hydraulic research and their practical application. You are able to work together and communicate with anyone from researchers and IT developers to firefighters, police and other emergency professionals. We expect you to be open to collaboration and able to break down complex issues into smaller, concrete tasks.
It would be preferred if you had these qualifications:
- A Ph.D. or longer higher education in hydrology, environmental technology, geography or similar
- Knowledge of the following types of models:
- Conceptual hydrological models such as HYPE, NAM, SWAT, etc.
- Hydrodynamic river models such as MIKE Hydro River (MIKE11), HECRAS, etc.
- 2D flood modeling such as MIKE21, LISFLOOD-FP, etc.
- Experience with general mathematical / statistical modeling, including
- Traditional time series models, eg ARMAX
- Machine learning methods both for classification and forecasts of especially time series (e.g. ANN, CNN, LSTM, as well as various classification algorithms, etc.)
- Experience with flooding problems from cloudbursts, rivers & streams and / or the sea
- Experience with flood mapping and flood risk assessment
- Experience with the use of precipitation observations from rain gauges, weather radar and numerical weather forecasts would be an advantage
We offer
DMI employs highly qualified staff from wide variety of educational backgrounds. We offer a varied and challenging working day in a competent and dynamic environment. The Flood and Hydrology unit was created 1st. April 2022, as part of the Weather Research department. The department’s responsibilities covers three units; Flooding and Hydrology, together with two other units, Weather Modellng and Ocean & Radar that carry out research, development and ongoing validation of DMI’s forecast systems for weather and marine forecasts. The department also covers national authority services for weather, ocean and flooding.
Your Unit
The Flood and Hydrology unit is a new strategic initiative with a strong focus internally as well as externally. We strive to create a coherent full stack unit, which right now consists of five hydrologists, five IT developers, agile project management and a unit manager. As a newly started unit, we operate as a small flood-focused startup-like unit within a larger institution, rich in traditions. In the unit, we work according to agile principles, so it is possible to take elements of the new warning system into use, in stages, as they are developed. We work in an open office environment with free seating, a high level of professional freedom and many opportunities for development. We love to try new things and constantly adapt to the changes we are exposed to.
About DMI
DMI is part of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities. DMI is the government’s climate science advisor, creating and disseminating knowledge about weather, climate and the oceans for the kingdom of Denmark. DMI’s forecasts, weather forecasts and services ensure life and infrastructure and create a basis for planning in a changing climate. As an authority within weather, climate and the ocean, DMI handles the meteorological services for defense, emergency preparedness, civil aviation and shipping in Denmark and Greenland.
We are approximately 300 employees, most of whom, work at Lyngbyvej in Copenhagen.
Salary and Terms of Employment
Employment and remuneration is in accordance with the appropriate collective agreement within the government. An individual salary adjustment may be negotiated depending on your qualifications. The area of employment is within the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities and associated institutions. The positions is for occupation as soon as possible.
Additional information may be obtained by contacting the unit manager for Flood and Hydrology, Simon Kramme, mobil: +45 21 72 69 20 or email: sikr@dmi.dk.
We aim to promote equality and therefore encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender, age and ethnic background.
Application:
Send your motivated application, CV and diplomas so we have it no later than April 16th 2023. We expect to hold the first interviews April 18th and 19th. Interviews may be based on a specific task. Invitations to interview will be via email.
