DUTY STATION
Home-based, Remote
COMMENCEMENT OF DUTY
1 August 2025
or as soon as possible thereafter NATURE OF APPOINTMENT
Variable (depending on needs of Department/Division)
80 days over a period of 4 months
Organizational Unit
WMO Regional Office for the Americas(RAM)
Member Services and Development Department WMO is committed to achieving diversity and a balanced workforce. Applications are welcome from qualified women and men, including those with disabilities. The statutory retirement age after 1 January 2014 is 65. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The consultancy is part of the implementation of the ENANDES project: Building Regional Adaptive Capacity and Resilience to Climate Variability and Change in Vulnerable Sectors in the Andes.
Output 1.4 of the project aims to produce sub-seasonal to seasonal hydrological predictions to improve water resource management and risk reduction associated with hydroclimatic events.
The objective of this consultancy is to strengthen the capacity of hydrological services in South American countries to provide information and products on: i) the status of their water resources, and ii) sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) hydrological forecasting, through the design and implementation of a training package consisting of: a self-paced online course, an instructor-led online course, and a hands-on training.
This service will be structured, but no limited, by the following activities:
a) Design and implementation of a self-paced online course, an instructor-led online course and a hands-on training;
b) Compilation and selection of complementary materials to WMO-No. 1274 and WMO-No. 1364;
c) Preparation of scripts to be used in the self-paced course videos and the instructor-led online course videos;
d) Development of tests and quizzes for the courses;
e) Preparation of tools and datasets for generating hydrological status and forecast products, based on WMO-developed scripts and others deemed relevant by the expert.
DELIVERABLES
Deliverable 1 (Week 6): Self-paced online course hosted on WMO’s Moodle platform. The course should have an estimated duration of 10 hours, be as interactive as possible, and include quizzes.
Deliverable 2 (Week 9): Instructor-led online course delivered via WMO’s Moodle platform. The course will last 12 hours, combining synchronous and asynchronous activities. The expert shall conduct an evaluation of participants.
Deliverable 3 (Week 14): in-person hands-on training. The course will last 30 hours over 5 in-person days and will be held in Lima, Peru. The expert shall provide hands-on support to participants in applying tools and methods for both status and forecast products. The expert shall maintain attendance and performance records (via quizzes, practical work, or other appropriate means).
Deliverable 4 (Week 16): Final report including the list of participants in each course (with performance details), identification of hydrological service needs, and recommendations for delivering HydroSOS products. All materials used must be submitted, including scripts and video scripts. QUALIFICATIONS
Education
- PhD-level professional in Hydrology or Water Resources Engineering.
- Proficiency in hydrological analysis and forecasting tools (e.g., hydrological models, programming tools such as Python or R, GIS, etc).
Experience
- Extensive experience in hydrological modeling with a focus on sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) hydrological forecasting.
- Minimum of 10 years of professional experience.
- Proven track record in research and development projects.
- Experience in the design and delivery of online courses using the Moodle platform.
Other requirements
- Fluency in Spanish and Portuguese language, both spoken and written.
- Acceptance of the UN code of conduct for evaluators.
- Familiarity with the hydrological diversity of the South American region (e.g., Andes, Pantanal, fast-flowing rivers, lowland rivers, Amazon Basin, La Plata Basin).
- Experience in implementing hydrological models, preferably operational models with the longest possible forecast lead time.
Additional Information:
The consultancy duration is 80 days over a 4-month period, with a total estimated cost of USD 29.600 as remuneration to the consultant. Travel costs and DSA for the hands-on training will be provided by WMO
Pay band: B
Focal point email for additional information: rpolato@wmo.int and fguerrero@wmo.int
Applications should be made online through the WMO e-recruitment system at https://erecruit.wmo.int/public.
Do not send your application via multiple routes. Only applicants in whom WMO has a further interest will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit a written test and/or an interview. Date of issue of vacancy notice:
