SOCIB:
OPEN POSITION: DIRECTOR
OF SOCIB
The BALEARIC
ISLANDS COASTAL OBSERVATORY SYSTEM (SOCIB) is a new research and technology facility
for operational oceanography created as
a Consortium of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and the Balearic
Islands Government, as part of the implementation of the Spanish Large Scale
Scientific and Technological Infrastructures Roadmap. The Consortium
headquarters are located in Palma de Mallorca, Parc Bit, edificio NAORTE, Ctra
Valldemossa, km 7,4. The Consortium was created on December 18th 2007,
The mission of SOCIB
is to develop a state of the art Observing and Forecasting Operational
Oceanography System, a scientific and technological infrastructure which will
be open to international access and collaboration (subject to peer review) to:
-
Respond to the major scientific and technological challenges
of the next decade as well as to the strategic needs of the
-
Support and enhance excellence in research and technological
development in operational oceanography and consolidate the position of the
Balearic Islands as an internationally recognised centre of excellence in
science based operational oceanography, addressing sustainability science
challenges in the
The basic components
planned for SOCIB are:
1) Observational sub-system
-
in situ moored and
drifting systems
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Coastal and offshore instrumented installations
-
Remote sensing from satellites
-
Shore-based remote sensing with radar
2) Forecasting sub-system
-
Ocean currents and waves at different scales
-
Ecosystem variability
-
Data assimilation and relevant analysis at overlapping
spatial and temporal scales
3) Data management and dissemination
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The latest in data server technology and internationally
accepted protocols
-
Quality control
-
World Wide Web, open source
-
Effective data archiving, delivery and communication
4) Outreach and education
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Focus on practical applications
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Identify and assess needs and data preferences
-
Obtain user feedback
-
Targeting undergraduate and graduate student/teacher
audience as end-users
The consortium was established to manage the design, construction,
equipment, exploitation, and for the eventual future dismantling of the SOCIB. For this
purpose, the consortium will manage and stimulate the scientific, economic,
technical and administrative collaboration of those entities integrating it.
The SOCIB has the following objectives:
·
To be a Platform Support to Marine
and Coastal Research, opensource and at disposal to all the national scientific
and technological community. That is to say, a structure for the acquisition,
processing, analysis and dissemination and forecasting of multidisciplinary information
of marine and coastal environments, by means of systematic and regular monitoring
and prediction in line with internationally accepted protocols.
·
To develop new observing and
forecasting technologies for its own use and which are at the same time
transferable to other similar Coastal Observatory projects. The following areas
are specifically considered (but are not in the long run limited to)
- Research
in optimal monitoring strategies using new observing systems (AUV’s, gliders,
profilers, etc.)
- Research
in data transmission and package transfer.
- New
strategies for data assimilation in numerical models.
- Development and
implementation of operational numerical models at different scales, basin,
sub-basin, regional, local and near-shore.
·
To facilitate authorities and other interested entities the
development of a Plan for Integrated Coastal Zone Management, including the
definition of a strategic agenda of Research and Innovation on this topic, and
the mobilization of critical mass at a national level and the precise
innovation effort to facilitate the implementation of the above mentioned
agenda.
·
The SOCIB will be open to international scientific and
technical collaboration.
Fields of research being
considered for SOCIB (in line with international priorities for the next decade
taking into account environmental needs and technical capacities of the
1) Near-shore hydrodynamics
and morpho-dynamics. Wave-current interactions and sediment transport.
2) Oceanography in the
coastal, shelf and open seas. Marine resources variability and sustainability.
3) Climate impact and
climate variability effects in the
POSITION
PROFILE OF THE
The
seeks
a DIRECTOR
The Director
reports to the Governing Council and is responsible for managing the
Observatory construction and operations, and for maximizing its readiness and
effectiveness for scientific research and technology development. The Director
is responsible for recruiting and maintaining high quality scientific,
technical and administrative staff, developing an annual budget for review and
approval, and proposing the short-and long-range plans for the Observatory.
The Director is
responsible for scheduling and implementing the construction and operation of
the Coastal Observatory, and acts as the primary interface with any scientific
and industrial users. The Director maintains effective liaison with de Council
and its Executive Committee, and the Sientific Advirsory Committee. The
Director is also responsible for the general maintenance of the Observatory, for
maintaining a public outreach office and for pursuing and managing public and
private fun-raising activities, with guidance from the Council.
Candidates
should have a senior profile in management of construction and operations of
research infrastructures in the field of interest for SOCIB, preferably with a
deep scientific background in this domain. Experience in the administration and
management of publicly funded scientific facilities or research centers is also
an asset.
Salary range and
starting date are to be negotiated. Review of applications will begin on February 2008, and the recruitment will
remain open until the position is filled.
Applications
including full CV together with names of two referees should be submitted by
e-mail to the Chair of the Search
Committee, pereoliver@dgrdi.caib.es