Graduate Fellow Program

CSIRO

Advertised Job Title:
CMIS Graduate Fellow Program: Research Project Officer - Modelling and Forecasting

Reference Number: WA12/00173

Salary: $59,486 plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Location: Floreat (Perth) Western Australia

Tenure: 2 year term

Relocation Assistance: Some assistance may be provided

Residency Status: Australian & New Zealand Residents Only

Program Overview:

The 2012 Graduate Fellow Program is an initiative by CSIRO Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics which aims to support the mathematical sciences pipeline in Australia and encourage talented students to try out a career in research.
The program will offer a unique opportunity to a handful of talented post-honours students the chance to solve real-world problems and experience a research career with CSIRO. Taking an apprentice approach, Fellows will be mentored by leading research scientists and work on a range of exciting projects with the potential for travel to a conference at the end of the second year.
The following project on offer is available to graduates who have completed an undergraduate degree with honours in a field relevant to statistics. The program duration is 2 years during which the successful fellow will be paid a salary as a CSIRO employee. Please note to be eligible, graduates must have completed their first undergraduate degree no more than 8 years ago.

Project Overview:

Water is a scare source in Australia and essential for our community and economy. As one of the driest inhabited continents on Earth with the most variable climate, Australia has already fully allocated its water resources in most parts of the country. Therefore the increased demand from urban and rural water users has a significant ripple effect throughout the entire system.
Seasonal water forecasting seeks to forecast rainfall and streamflow over several months to several seasons. It provides valuable information for understanding the effects of climate variation on flows and water demand, for optimising water management while managing risks, and for informing water trading and the water futures market. Longer term projections (e.g. decadal) consider specific climate scenarios and assist in understanding the impacts of climate change on water availability and the development of water management policies that strike the balance between the consumptive uses and the needs of the environment.
This particular project focuses on two main research areas during the course of the Graduate Fellow Program:

Develop statistical approaches with consideration of seasonality and persistence for forecasting water availability, especially rainfall and streamflows by using external hydroclimate variable; and

Develop reliable rainfall forecasting from large scale climate models at finer time scales. Together with hydrological models, the results will then provide reliable streamflow forecasting. Uncertainty and scenario analysis will provide invaluable information in management and policy making.

The fellow will gain real world experience in statistical applications, and be trained to develop new statistical models. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to interact with scientists from climatology and hydrology, as well as work closely with other organizations particularly the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. In addition there may be opportunity to travel interstate and attend conferences within Australia or overseas.

Duties:

Identify, obtain, format and analyse hydroclimate data sets.

Review research literature published in scholarly journals and reports released by industry and government.

Computer programming using statistical software, especially R language.

Conduct statistical analyses on datasets to support the research team.

Write reports, and contribute to the writing of research journal manuscripts, under the guidance of the project leader.

Contribute to the effective functioning of the team and provide diverse administrative and research support tasks where required.

This position will be based in the Environmental and Agricultural Informatics research program within CSIRO Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics http://www.csiro.au/cmis. Environmental and Agricultural Informatics: Our statisticians and software engineers use highly dimensional data to improve understanding and management of our dynamic environment to tackle big issues like climate change, urban water, sustainable agriculture and fisheries. The Environmental and Agricultural Informatics research program specialise in statistical modelling, remote sensing, biostatistics, bioinformatics, imaging and biometry.

Selection Criteria:
Please note: Under CSIRO policy only applicants who meet all the essential criteria can be appointed Essential Criteria (maximum 200 words each):

An undergraduate degree with honours in Statistics or equivalent.

Ability to conduct statistical analysis with a range of regression modelling and variable/model selection techniques.

Strong computing skills with demonstrated use of statistical software.

Ability to work well within an interdisciplinary team under minimal supervision.

Strong oral and written communication skills with demonstrated experience in writing reports.

Desirable Criteria:

An ability to review research literature and reports.

An interest in the environment.

CSIRO is a values based organisation. In your application and at interview you will need to demonstrate behaviours aligned to our values of:

Integrity of excellent science

Trust and respect

Creative Spirit

Delivering on commitments

Health, Safety and Sustainability Other Information:

How to Apply: Please apply for this position online at http://www.csiro.au/careers.
To be considered, applicants must address the selection criteria in addition to uploading their CV and transcripts.
Please note: Your CV must be only a maximum of two pages.

Referees:
If you do not already have the names and contact details of two previous supervisors or academic / professional referees included in your resume/CV please add these before uploading your CV. If you experience difficulties applying online call 1300 301 509 and someone will be able to assist you. Outside business hours please email: csiro-careers@csiro.au . Please note only two documents can be attached to your application.

Contact: If after reading the selection documentation you require further information please contact Dr Quanxi Shao by email at Quanxi.shao@csiro.au or by phone at +61 8 9333 6613.

Please do not email your application directly to Dr Shao. Applications received via this method will not be considered.