Job reference: VN26-26
Salary and Grade: Grade A2 EUR 91,754 (Bonn/Germany) / GBP 76,384 (Reading/UK) NET annual basic salary + other benefits
Deadline for applications: 17/03/2026
Department: Forecasts and Services
Location: Bonn, Germany or Reading, UK
Contract type: STF-PS
Publication date: 18/02/2026
Contract Duration: 2 years up to 31 May 2028, with possibility of extensions
Your role
ECMWF is opening an exciting new position for a Computing and Software Support Specialist (A2) in the User Services Section in the Forecast and Services Department of ECMWF, contributing to the Destination Earth initiative.
The Computing and Software Support Team provides technical advice and support to all users of ECMWF software and computing, including Member and Co-operating States, ECMWF and public users. As part of a team of ten staff, you will provide day-to-day second-line support to users and work on continuous improvements of our services, processes and documentation, with a specific focus on operational support to DestinE workflows across HPC platforms.
As Digital Twins are being operationalised on ECMWF HPCF and EuroHPC systems, dedicated user support is required for managing compute resources. In this role, you will manage compute resources allocated to users on ECMWF HPCF and EuroHPC, setting up and supporting users of the systems. You will liaise with EuroHPC sites and other partners (e.g. EUMETSAT) regarding disruptions, scheduled maintenance or quotas on HPC and cloud platforms.
We are looking for a highly organised individual, with a keen interest in the latest technological developments, who enjoys managing competing priorities and a variety of tasks. You will have a direct impact on our user community by solving technical issues and shaping our client services and technologies. Excellent communication and collaboration skills are equally important in this role.
Your responsibilities
- Manage compute and file space resources allocated to users on ECMWF HPCF (and the common cloud infrastructure where required) and EuroHPC
- Provide technical advice on best use, and liaise with colleagues and contractors in Destination Earth on managing and monitoring the EuroHPC allocated resources
- Manage user access to resources (EuroHPC portal interactions, user registrations, access to IFS software, data access and data policy questions)
- Manage/support the implementation of cybersecurity requirements at HPC sites
- Communicate as required system availability and downtimes, planned upgrades preparation, and any other news regarding the individual EuroHPC or ECMWF’s HPC facilities that may affect use
- Provide annual summary reports on the use of the different systems
- Provide training on the use of ECMWF’s computing platforms and software to users
- Contribute to the creation of documentation to support users of our systems and services
- Review, improve and develop processes and workflows to effectively support users
What we are looking for
- Strong and effective interpersonal and communication skills
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a proactive approach
- Flexibility with the ability to adapt to changing requirements or priorities, user needs and services
- Ability to work collaboratively and maintain a supportive and user-focused approach.
- Genuine passion for helping others
Your profile
- Advanced university degree (EQ7 level or above) or equivalent experience in computer science or engineering, computational science, physics or natural sciences, mathematics, or a related discipline.
Required experience and skills
- Experience in providing support for computing services in a Linux or Unix environment
- Experience in handling user queries and incidents with professionalism leading to successful resolution
- Experience with HPC technologies
- Knowledge of software management and scripting in Linux environments
- Knowledge of a modern scripting language such as Python
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, including the writing of technical documentation
Desirable experience and skills
- Relevant experience in providing technical training to users
- Experience in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) domain
- Knowledge of compiling and running scientific codes on high-performance computing facilities
- Knowledge of data formats commonly used in meteorology (e.g. GRIB, BUFR, NetCDF)
- Knowledge of a high-level programming language, such as Fortran or C/C++