Staff Air Pollution Specialist

Are you interested in joining a team that helps translate novel academic concepts and next-gen technologies into real-world action on air pollution and climate change? CARB's Research Division has an opening for a Staff Air Pollution Specialist in the Integrated Measurements of Air Pollution Section (IMAPS). This section conducts and coordinates research to support a variety of California Air Resources Board programs and policies, most notably the California Satellite Methane Project (CalSMP). This position will develop procedures for using atmospheric observations from multiple platforms to quantify the impact of the CalSMP and to gain new perspectives in understanding emissions of greenhouse gases more broadly.

Under general direction and supervision of the section manager, The selected candidate will draw on their experience in computational modeling to develop and deploy an inverse modeling framework to create top-down emissions estimates at state and regional scales for methane, including sectoral apportionment where feasible. Core efforts will focus on deploying the Integrated Methane Inversion (IMI) software using TROPOMI methane data as a constraint. The selected candidate will work to integrate complimentary datasets where possible, including data from CARB's Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Network, and will coordinate with partners such as NASA JPL or EDF to explore external datasets such as CLARS or Methane SAT that can also support this work. The incumbent will develop procedures for using these top-down emissions estimates to quantify the impact of the California Satellite Methane Project and to support policy teams and track progress in reducing emissions more broadly. In addition to inverse modeling, the incumbent will work to expand the use of satellite data by CARB programs. This includes developing data standards for internal satellite databases and creating satellite-derived products that meet agency needs. The incumbent will work closely with CARB program staff to develop research concepts, identify and gather relevant datasets, perform analysis, and disseminate results.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Working Conditions

This position may be eligible for hybrid in-office work and in-state telework. The amount of telework is at the agency's discretion and is based on the California Air Resource Boards' (CARB) current telework policy. While the CARB may support telework, some in-person attendance is also required. 

The positions at the CARB may be eligible for telework with in-person attendance based on the operational needs of the position under Government Code 14200 for eligible applicants residing in California, subject to the candidate meeting telework eligibility criteria outlined in the CalEPA telework policy and/or future program need. Employees not residing in California are not eligible for telework. Regardless of hybrid telework eligibility, all employees may be required to report to the position’s designated headquarters location at their own expense, as indicated on their duty statement.

• Position located in a high-rise building.
• Standard office environment (artificial lighting, controlled temperature, etc.)  
• Daily use of a personal computer, office equipment, and/or telephone.