Earth Systems Data Manager (Petabyte-Scale Infrastructure)

The Center for Climate Systems Modeling (C2SM) at ETH Zurich is a joint, interdisciplinary center linking ETH Zurich with partner institutions. It provides a technology and networking platform to support the development and application of Earth system, weather, and climate modeling, data infrastructure, and impact research.

There is an ever-increasing amount and diversity of Earth observations collected from satellites, airborne instruments, in-situ measurement networks, and high-resolution climate modeling data produced at C2SM. Harnessing these data effectively is essential for advancing our understanding of the Earth system. C2SM in collaboration with Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) is extending its data services and is building a petabyte-scale data lake consisting of highly diverse observational and model data.

To address this challenge, a robust data management framework is being developed to make rapidly growing Earth-system datasets accessible and usable for the scientific community. We are looking for an Earth Systems Data Manager to play a pivotal role in shaping this framework. This technical position focuses on identifying observational datasets relevant to Earth science research across disciplines, curating and documenting data collections to ensure quality and scientific value, and establishing metadata and access standards to support data discovery and reproducibility. Working closely with researchers and developers from C2SM, ETH, CSCS, as well as national and international institutions, the successful candidate will support operating and advancing the data platform, assist interdisciplinary projects that integrate multiple data sources, and use high-performance computing resources to manage and process large environmental datasets such that they are ready to be used for research.

Job description

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In this role, you will work at the cutting-edge intersection of Earth system modelling, high-performance computing and data-driven science. You will join the Center for Climate Systems Modeling (C2SM), a vibrant and interdisciplinary community that connects weather and climate researchers, computational scientists, and data experts across ETH Zürich and its partner institutions. We offer an intellectually stimulating environment where you will work closely with leading groups in Earth system science and with the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS). This technical position provides the opportunity to shape a modern data infrastructure for the Swiss climate and weather research community, and support impactful scientific projects and researchers working with rapidly growing environmental datasets. You will benefit from excellent technical resources, access to state-of-the-art HPC systems, strong mentorship, and opportunities for professional development in a collaborative, forward-looking research ecosystem.

The position is initially limited to two years, with the possibility of extension.