Senior Data Scientist

Every professional in our company is essential. Thanks to their talent, we continue to expand: today, we are a global team of more than 11,000 people working toward a shared mission.

Ayesa Digital is currently participating in high-impact European Union projects designed to address major European challenges and drive science and innovation. These strategic technological initiatives stand out for their international scope and strong commitment to socially oriented results.

We are looking for a highly experienced Senior Data Scientist to support the development and evolution of advanced environmental and hydrological modelling solutions within a leading international research environment.

The successful candidate will contribute to the continuous development of LISFLOOD , the European Commission's open-source hydrological model, with a strong focus on scientific computing, machine learning integration, high-performance computing, and large-scale environmental data processing. This role offers the opportunity to collaborate with international research teams and contribute to innovative solutions supporting flood forecasting, drought monitoring, climate change impact assessment, and disaster risk management.

Key Responsibilities

• Further develop, maintain and deploy the open-source hydrological model LISFLOOD and its associated data processing tools.
• Improve model input/output processes, scalability and performance across High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructures.
• Design and implement machine learning solutions to enhance hydrological modelling capabilities.
• Develop machine learning‑based surrogates and neural network approaches for parameter estimation, model regionalization and calibration.
• Support calibration activities of hydrological models at European and global scale.
• Conduct software testing activities, improve unit testing frameworks and contribute to code quality initiatives.
• Maintain and manage scientific data repositories, including meteorological forcing datasets and static geographical datasets.
• Support the integration and merging of multiple LISFLOOD versions into the master codebase.
• Develop and improve tools for preparing, processing and analysing hydrological model input and output data.
• Provide technical support and guidance to users and project teams working with LISFLOOD and related technologies.
• Support deployments on institutional infrastructures and EuroHPC environments.
• Produce technical documentation, user guides and project deliverables while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders.
• Communicate model behaviour, results and limitations clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

What we are looking for

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent higher education qualification (EQF Level 7).
• Minimum 15 years of professional experience in IT, software engineering, data science or related fields.
• Fluent English and Italian language skills, both written and spoken (minimum B2 level).
• Specialization certificate in Deep Learning.

Technical Expertise

• At least 6 years of hands- on experience developing software solutions in Python .
• At least 6 years of experience in code delivery, software maintenance and unit testing practices.
• At least 4 years of experience applying Machine Learning frameworks and technologies.
• At least 4 years of experience working with scientific data formats, particularly netCDF .
• Strong experience maintaining and enhancing open- source software projects.
• Advanced knowledge of scientific Python libraries including NumPy, Pandas, Xarray and Numba .
• Proven experience with PyTorch and Keras for Deep Learning applications.
• Expertise using Neural Hydrology for hydrological machine learning applications.
• Experience working with the OS LISFLOOD hydrological modelling framework.
• Solid understanding of containerization technologies such as Docker .
• Experience operating within High Performance Computing environments, including EuroHPC platforms.
• Knowledge of source code management and issue tracking tools.

What We Offer:

• Prestigious projects within European institutions.
• International, innovative, and multicultural environments.
• Continuous support from a team of experts in EU projects.

If you are ambitious, enthusiastic, and seeking a new professional challenge in international projects with real-world impact, this is the place for you!

In accordance with Organic Law 3/2007 of March 22, the company is committed to promoting the defense and effective application of the principle of equality between men and women, preventing any type of labor discrimination based on sex, and guaranteeing equal entry opportunities. Furthermore, we promote diversity and reject any discrimination based on race, gender, functional diversity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other personal or social condition, striving to build an inclusive and enriching environment.