Are you ready to contribute to pioneering climate research that addresses real-world challenges? The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) is seeking an experienced climate model specialist to develop and maintain our regional climate modeling infrastructure, collaborating with experts across national and international networks. Based in De Bilt, you will play a key role in improving climate models to help communities preparing for the local impacts of global climate change. If this sounds interesting to you, please apply and join our team.

What will you be doing?
In this role, you will be at the centre of the development and maintenance of KNMI’s regional climate modeling systems, with a focus on transitioning from RACMO to HCLIM. Using your expertise in climate modeling, you’ll contribute to both the technical and scientific advancement of our infrastructure, generating simulations and scenario-based products that will enable policymakers and communities to make informed decisions. You’ll also coordinate with international partners within projects like CORDEX, working closely with KNMI researchers and the HCLIM consortium.

This gives you energy
You are motivated by the opportunity to contribute directly to scientific advancements that will support climate resilience. In this role, your expertise will help refine regional climate models, enabling climate projections to be precise and actionable for adaptation strategies. Working alongside a dedicated team of experts nationally and internationally energizes you, as together you strive to generate insights that equip communities to address the future challenges of climate change.

• A PhD in meteorology or a closely related discipline
• scientific knowledge of the components of a regional climate model and the processes resolved
• demonstrable extensive experience with running and developing high-resolution weather/climate models, preferably with Harmonie/HCLIM and/or RACMO
• in-depth knowledge of software development and implementation for High Performance Computing
• extensive experience with Linux, Python and Fortran

As a climate model specialist, you stay current with modern software development tools and methodologies and bring a proactive, solution-oriented mindset to your work. You thrive in collaborative settings, while navigating easily within scientific and international environments where you communicate and write fluently in both English and Dutch. Your strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and commitment to scientific accuracy enable you to approach complex climate challenges with clarity and precision. You are adaptable, resilient, and enthusiastic about continuous learning, which drives you to improve and innovate in climate modeling.

Fixed-term contract: Bij voldoende functioneren: na een jaar omzetting in onbepaalde tijd.

• Salaris­niveau: schaal 11
• Maand­salaris: Min €4.024 – Max. €6.110 (bruto)
• Dienst­verband: Arbeidsovereenkomst voor bepaalde tijd met uitzicht op onbepaalde tijd
• Contract­duur: Vast contract voorafgegaan door een jaarcontract. Bij voldoende functioneren: na een jaar omzetting in onbepaalde tijd.
• Minimaal aantal uren per week: 36
• Maximaal aantal uren per week: 36

Plenty of growth and development opportunities
The central government attaches great importance to personal growth and career development and offers numerous opportunities for this. These include attending training courses and obtaining certifications. We also offer career coaching if you need it.

Interesting extras
In addition to your salary, you receive an individual choice budget (IKB) consisting of vacation pay of 8% and an annual end-of-year bonus. This IKB consists of money (16.37% of your gross annual salary) and/or time. With the IKB you make the choices that suit you and you can compose part of your terms of employment yourself. For example, you can have part of your monthly income paid out whenever you wish, convert the IKB into leave or spend it on tax-friendly objectives. Our other fringe benefits include company fitness and full reimbursement of your commuting expenses.

Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI)

The weather is temperamental, the ground moves and the climate changes. For our safety and prosperity, we need to know what risks and opportunities this brings. And: how we can best prepare ourselves. The Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI) is the national knowledge and data center for weather, climate and seismology. Reliable, independent and focused on what the Netherlands needs. For a safe Netherlands that is prepared for the impact of weather, climate and earthquakes.

We use our core values - Development, Cooperation and Relevance - to achieve our ambition, both within and outside KNMI, nationally and internationally. We develop our knowledge and expertise and work together to create a single KNMI that makes a difference to society!

Talent as the basis, diversity as the strength
The KNMI is an inclusive organization. An organization that provides space for everyone and uses the strength of its diverse workforce to achieve better results together for the Netherlands. Inclusive means that everyone feels involved and valued; not in spite of their differences, but thanks to them.

Organisationally, KNMI falls under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) is committed to a safe, accessible and liveable Netherlands. That is why the Ministry is working on powerful connections by road, rail, water and air. And IenW protects against flooding, ensures the quality of air, water and soil and the realization of a circular economy.

Research and Development of Weather and Climate models (RDWK)

The department Research and Development of Weather and Climate models (RDWK) investigates and develops research tools for weather and air quality prediction applications and climate research. We work on detailed physical processes, data assimilation, long term climate projections and practical applications including storm surge forecasts and statistics of extremes. RDWK participates in international projects directed towards a variety of weather and climate related research and development areas. The department has a strong international network.

The department performs its activities in collaboration with partners like ACCORD, EC-Earth, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and universities. We work for the national road and water authority Rijkswaterstaat, the Ministry for Infrastructure and Water Management, the Dutch research funding organisation (NWO), the European Copernicus programme and other European research programmes; and on servicing the operational weather forecast centre, climate scenarios and strategic research. The department collaborates with the other KNMI departments.

Would you like to know more?
We understand that you might want to learn more about this position. Feel free to contact Ben Wichers Schreur, team leader, at +31 6 81336849. He will be happy to assist you! 

If you want more information about the application procedure feel free to call our recruiter Edith Rijlaarsdam, at +31 6 57499672. She will be happy to assist you!

Our unique mission involves gathering information about the atmosphere and subsurface and translating it into insights which will help society to understand and to manage the risks.

Would you like to learn more about how we make our high-quality knowledge and information on weather, climate, and seismology operationally available? You can read more about it on our website.