Future numerical modelling jobs

csm

I am currently working as a numerical modeller for an environmental consultancy in Australia. My background is marine biogeochemical modelling but I am moving landwards and doing freshwater and estuarine water quality modelling, and heading towards doing some river catchment modelling. I have 4 years experience and an M.Sc in Oceanography.

I've had to move abroad for work (3 years in UK academia, 1 in Australian private sector) but I'd like to be able to move back to Ireland in years to come. I was wondering if there are likely to be any of these sorts of jobs there? If not, is there any direction I could push my training in the next while to make myself more employable?

I realise it's fairly specialist and I'll probably be better off contacting universities and the EPA, but I thought I'd through it out there and see what people's thoughts are. Any suggestions on who best to contact would be good too.

To reiterate, this would be for future work. Maybe in the 3-10 year timeframe when hopefully the economy will be heading in the right direction.

prettygurrly

modelling seems to be the way forward but at the moment jobs are sparse. you're lucky in that you have excellent experience. i suggest you look at jobs.ie etc and try to gauge if you would be suited to anything. i'm doing a good bit of modelling in my PhD because its so important nowadays so I think you should be hopeful!

csm

Cheers for the reply.

Yeah I'm not really looking now, and searching for 'modelling' brings up the kind of jobs which I'm sure I wouldn't be considered for!

It's definitely a good skill to have in environmental science but nevertheless I'm somewhat concerned that it is too niche. At the moment if I left my job it would probably mean moving city. I guess that is an issue with most environmental jobs.

boru05

It's a great specialisation/skill to have, but since the recent development and publication of the river basin district plans, there hasn't been a whole lot of work here for freshwater (surface) catchment modelling recently. I've no idea what the craic is with marine stuff, it could be a completely different story.

I'd certainly highlight it as a key skill on my CV but I'd say you'd need to present yourself with a wider skillset/experience because the market is tiny here for that kind of niche.

Just my two cents, as I said, it could be a much different situation in the marine industry.

csm

Cheers for the heads up on the river basin district plans. I haven't kept abreast of this kind of stuff in Ireland/EU but I'm guessing Water Framework Directive work will pick up if development picks up again in Ireland. Depending on how much government really cares about keeping waterways in good nick I suppose.

I'm very aware I need to expand my skillset. At the moment, gaining seniority looks like the easiest route here. Then at least I can add management, etc. to my bow. Things like fieldwork or ecology I'm much less likely to be able to get trained up in, because I'm essentially coming from a mathematical/programming background.

prettygurrly

never say never...you never know what courses will be out there for fieldwork when you get here. all you need is a couple of days in a field/river/borehole to know what to do. in fact i would say that universities are so strapped for cash that if you offered a department money to join a phd student like me for a couple of days they'd jump at the chance.

but yes, get yourself some management experience. loads of ads for supervisors/managers etc. but non for those with no experience.