NWS Office of Observations Summer Internship

Since the announcement is general, it did not have specific language for the Office of Observations.  So, I wanted to add the following for context, in case you are aware of anyone who would be interested:

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The National Weather Service (NWS) Office of Observations (OBS) will be selecting up to three students pursuing degrees in the physical sciences for an internship with the front office in Silver Spring, MD, during the summer of 2021 on science, technical, and/or program management projects related to meteorology, oceanography, space weather, and the operation of the agency. This is not a position at a weather forecast office. If you wish to apply for an internship with NWS OBS, please select Silver Spring, MD, as the duty location. It is highly recommended that you indicate your interest for OBS with a cover letter that includes your career goals.

This internship is for current students returning to school in fall (refer to announcement for full information). Pay for the Silver Spring duty location starts at $17/hour. Due to COVID-19, remote work is likely and possible from a location outside of the Washington, DC, area.

About NWS OBS
OBS serves as the primary office responsible for the collection of space, atmosphere, water, and climate observational data owned or leveraged by the National Weather Service (NWS). The Office is responsible for the development, acquisition, and management of cost-effective observing technologies, hardware and software enhancements, maintenance and repairs, logistics, cost management, technical data verification, and life-cycle replacements of NWS observational platforms. Read more at https://www.weather.gov/organization/obs.

Gain Experience
Successful student interns will have the opportunity to gain experience in one of more of the following tasks, depending on the interests and skills of the applicant:

• Understanding how operational meteorologists apply observational data as part of providing NWS services
• Assisting with the preparation of reports and presentations for OBS staff and NWS leadership on the value of weather observations to the agency
• Conducting technical analyses to determine the benefit of new products and developing techniques that improve the use of operational satellite imagery and products
• Integrating new weather satellite imagery and products into the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), the primary weather software application used throughout the NWS
• Learning about NWS National Service Programs and assisting in documenting their requirements

Remote Work Due to COVID-19
OBS will allow student interns to work remotely for the duration of the internship (not extending beyond September 30th) unless NWS staff is reintegrated into its facilities on or before the start date of the successful applicant, which is unlikely.

Please contact Jordan Gerth, Jordan.Gerth@noaa.gov, for questions about the internship.