Research Engineer in Global River Hydrology using SWOT Mission

The international Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission, jointly developed by CNES and NASA, provides unprecedented observations of continental surface waters at the global scale. In this context, the SWOT Hydrology Science Leads contribute to mission operations, coordination of the hydrology scientific community, improvement of SWOT hydrology products, user support, and the leadership of scientific studies based on mission data. The purpose of this position is to recruit a Research Engineer to provide scientific, technical, and organizational support for these activities. The successful candidate will work in a highly international environment and interact closely with the SWOT scientific teams. Main Responsibilities 1. Support for the Improvement of SWOT Hydrology Products The Research Engineer will contribute to activities related to the analysis, assessment, and improvement of SWOT hydrology products. They will participate in the processing of large datasets, implementation of algorithmic workflows for identifying product limitations or anomalies, product improvement through filtering or data densification approaches, product validation, and preparation of technical summaries for the Science Lead, the French space agency CNES, and relevant working groups. 2. Support for Scientific Studies  The successful candidate will contribute to global- and regional-scale studies focusing on the scientific exploitation of SWOT data. These studies may address, for example, river seasonality, regional hydrological dynamics, anthropogenic impacts on rivers, reservoirs and dams, climate teleconnections, and comparisons with global hydrological models. The expected contribution will primarily involve data processing and analysis, production and validation of results, as well as preparation of scientific material for publications, presentations, and reports. 3. Support to the SWOT Science Team and Data Users The Research Engineer may provide occasional technical support to members of the SWOT Science Team and users of SWOT hydrology products. This support may include assistance with data access, preparation of targeted data extractions, clarification of product characteristics, development of processing scripts, or analysis of specific cases raised by the community. 4. Support for the Organization of SWOT Science Team Activities The successful candidate will contribute to the logistical organization of SWOT Science Team Meetings, particularly when these meetings are hosted in France. Working Environment The successful candidate will be based at INRAE G-EAU and will work closely with the SWOT Hydrology PI, CNES teams, and collaborating members of the SWOT Science Team. They will interact with French and international partners, including CNES and the broader SWOT Science Team.