VN 24/58 Lead Online Data Services Expert

EUMETSAT is evolving towards a “data-centric” approach using cloud data technologies and solutions for providing Earth observation Data as a Service (DaaS). These online data access services include data discovery, download, tailoring and viewing using web map, content and feature services compliant with Open Geospatial Consortium standards.

Within the User Support and Climate Services Division, the Lead Online Data Services Expert will play a pivotal role in managing and enhancing data and metadata related to EUMETSAT’s online data services. This role will involve developing strategies to organise and present data and metadata in ways that meet users’ needs. The expert will also contribute to optimising the user experience for online data access and ensure effective data and metadata management across all of EUMETSAT’s current and future satellite missions. This includes mandatory missions such as MTG and EPS-SG, as well as Copernicus satellite missions operated by EUMETSAT, including Sentinel-4, Sentinel-5, and CO2M.

Duties

• Support the operations of EUMETSAT’s online data services in collaboration with internal engineering teams and industry partners. This includes:
  • Coordinating the overall service management plan.
  • Analysing user feedback and identifying evolving needs for online services.
  • Leading the coordination of user requirements reviews.
• Develop strategies for managing data and metadata provided by EUMETSAT’s online data services, ensuring they are organised and presented in a user-friendly manner. It includes defining and agreeing organisation-wide standards and guidelines for data models, formats, provenance and metadata. This also involves improving existing processes to ensure data integrity, ensure interoperability, and support Analysis-Ready Data (ARD) initiatives.
• Collaborate in the development of online data access tools to improve the overall user experience of data web services (User Portal catalogue, API clients, Data Cubes, etc.).

• Collect, analyse and document evolving use cases in support of data services evolution, e.g. in the field of AI/ML.
• Coordinate and support new mission product integration, including products from the EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facilities (SAF) into the EUMETSAT online data services.
• Support data management activities by gathering and consolidating data storage requirements for EUMETSAT’s online and offline data services (e.g., EUMETSAT Data Store and Long-Term Archive) to ensure efficient storage planning, capacity management, and alignment with user needs.
• Analyse user feedback, extract evolving user needs for the online services and coordinate user requirements reviews.
• Ensure regular and consistent reports on service status and user engagement.

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience in environmental data and metadata management (e.g. metadata catalogues, data formats, data models, etc.).
• Excellent knowledge of Web Service technologies (e.g. APIs, OGC standards).
• Practical experience in the following:
  • Working in Unix / Linux environments
  • Programming in Python
• Excellent organisational, communication and presentation skills.
• Pro-active attitude and ability to work autonomously with a minimum of supervision under high workloads.

Experience of the following would be an advantage:

• Experience in working with Earth Observation data and formats (e.g. netCDF, HDF, BUFR, GRIB).
• Experience in working with cloud-optimised formats (e.g. COG, Zarr).
• Know how on cloud native application environment.

Employment Conditions

The initial contract will be of 4 years’ duration, with subsequent 5 year contracts being awarded thereafter, subject to individual performance and organisation requirements. There is no limit to the amount of follow-up contracts a staff member can receive up to the EUMETSAT retirement age of 63 and there are certainly opportunities to establish a long career perspective at EUMETSAT.
This post is graded A2/A4 on the EUMETSAT salary scales. The minimum basic salary for this post is EURO 7146 per month (net of internal tax but excluding pension contribution and insurances) which may be negotiable on the basis of skills and experience. The salary scale provides for increments on the anniversary of taking up employment, and scales are reviewed by the EUMETSAT Council with effect from 1 January each year. In addition to basic salary, EUMETSAT offers attractive benefits. Further information, including salary details, is available on the EUMETSAT web site.

EUMETSAT is committed to providing an equal opportunities work environment for men and women.
Please note that only nationals of EUMETSAT Member States may apply. The EUMETSAT Convention requires that Staff shall be recruited on the basis of their qualifications, account being taken of the international character of EUMETSAT.

About EUMETSAT

EUMETSAT is Europe’s meteorological satellite agency. Its role is to establish and operate meteorological satellites to monitor the weather and climate from space – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This information is supplied to the National Meteorological Services of the organisation’s Member States in Europe, as well as other users worldwide.

EUMETSAT also operates several Copernicus missions on behalf of the European Union and provide data services to the Copernicus marine and atmospheric services and their users.

As an intergovernmental European Organisation, EUMETSAT has 30 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.)

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