Job Description

Program Overview

About The Role

Want to travel?  We have a rare opening on the team supporting NASA’s scientific balloon program delivering low-cost access to near space at the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF)! We provide management and technical support for NASA’s scientific balloon program which supports enabling science missions for NASA and universities across the United States and foreign scientific communities. Scientific balloon missions provide researchers inexpensive, quick, long duration access to near space. Our balloon missions provide platforms for heavy experiments (some greater than 5000-lbs) to operate for weeks and even months.

This Meteorologist position is home-based at our main facility in beautiful Palestine, Texas.  Our rural campus offers the ability to work in a low-cost of living area, but within an easy drive of Tyler, Dallas and Houston.  You will be part of a team launching balloons from locations within the United States (Texas and New Mexico) and around the world including Antarctica, Sweden, New Zealand, and Australia, during campaigns that last 60-90 days.

• Develop pre-campaign stratospheric wind climatologies, and minimum altitude assessments for use in mission planning using balloon performance analysis.
• Provide weather briefings in support of outside payload compatibility tests and prior to launch attempts.
• Provide pre-launch predicted ascent and float trajectories.
• During launch attempts, provide complete onsite meteorological support for all launch operations, including pilot balloon observations.
• Provide meteorological support during ascent and float phases of launches, including updated precipitation and cloud forecasts and stratospheric wind predictions. Payload descent vectors will be calculated and provided for the termination phase.
• Assemble NASA-required post flight reports after each balloon campaign.
• Maintain inventory of meteorological equipment for campaign support.
• Prepare forecast studies for launch sites and climatology studies for future launch sites.
• Develop forecast techniques and products.
• Perform balloon performance analysis and prediction.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Meteorology/Atmospheric Science, with a focus on synoptic meteorology/forecasting.
• Must be able to travel up to 5 months out of the year.
• Must be able to pass the physical (medical) requirements to travel to Antarctica.
• Must be able to obtain travel visas.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint
• Must be a US citizen and obtain a NASA PIV badge.

Desired Qualifications:

• Possess a passion for operational meteorology and desire to work in a challenging but rewarding operational forecasting environment.
• Professional forecasting experience of 1-2 years a plus, but not a requirement.
• Experience with Linux or MacOS a plus.
• Extensive use of one or more of GEMPAK, LDM, McIDAS-X, McIDAS-V, IDV, AWIPS II, a plus.
• Programming experience with one or more of UNIX/Linux shell scripting, FORTRAN, or Python a plus.

SCA / Union / Intern Rate or Range

Details

Target Salary Range: $51,000 - $82,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual’s experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

Benefits Statement: Peraton offers eligible employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, health savings account, short/long term disability, EAP, parental leave, 401(k), paid time off (PTO) for vacation, and company paid holidays. A full listing of available benefits can be viewed at

Application Duration Statement: The application period for the job is estimated to be 30 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. 

EEO: Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.

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