diff --git a/ush/ioda/bufr2ioda/run_bufr2ioda.py b/ush/ioda/bufr2ioda/run_bufr2ioda.py
index c5ab09517..2976cc241 100755
--- a/ush/ioda/bufr2ioda/run_bufr2ioda.py
+++ b/ush/ioda/bufr2ioda/run_bufr2ioda.py
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 import argparse
 import glob
+import multiprocessing as mp
 import os
 import shutil
+from itertools import repeat
 from pathlib import Path
 from gen_bufr2ioda_json import gen_bufr_json
 from gen_bufr2ioda_yaml import gen_bufr_yaml
@@ -12,6 +14,24 @@
 # Initialize root logger
 logger = Logger('run_bufr2ioda.py', level='INFO', colored_log=True)
 
+# get parallel processing info
+num_cores = mp.cpu_count()
+
+
+def mp_bufr_py(script, infile):
+    cmd = Executable(script)
+    cmd.add_default_arg('-c')
+    cmd.add_default_arg(infile)
+    logger.info(f"Executing {cmd}")
+    cmd()
+
+
+def mp_bufr_yaml(bufr2iodaexe, yamlfile):
+    cmd = Executable(bufr2iodaexe)
+    cmd.add_default_arg(yamlfile)
+    logger.info(f"Executing {cmd}")
+    cmd()
+
 
 @logit(logger)
 def bufr2ioda(current_cycle, RUN, DMPDIR, config_template_dir, COM_OBS):
@@ -44,7 +64,8 @@ def bufr2ioda(current_cycle, RUN, DMPDIR, config_template_dir, COM_OBS):
     BUFR_py_files = [os.path.basename(f) for f in BUFR_py_files]
     BUFR_py = [f.replace('bufr2ioda_', '').replace('.py', '') for f in BUFR_py_files]
 
-    # NOTE or TODO - how to parallelize these loops????
+    json_files = []
+    scripts = []
     for obtype in BUFR_py:
         logger.info(f"Convert {obtype}...")
         json_output_file = os.path.join(COM_OBS, f"{obtype}_{datetime_to_YMDH(current_cycle)}.json")
@@ -54,21 +75,25 @@ def bufr2ioda(current_cycle, RUN, DMPDIR, config_template_dir, COM_OBS):
 
         # Use the converter script for the ob type
         bufr2iodapy = USH_IODA + '/bufr2ioda_' + obtype + ".py"
-        cmd = Executable(bufr2iodapy)
-        cmd.add_default_arg('-c')
-        cmd.add_default_arg(json_output_file)
-        logger.info(f"Executing {cmd}")
-        cmd()
+
+        # append the values to the lists
+        json_files.append(json_output_file)
+        scripts.append(bufr2iodapy)
 
         # Check if the converter was successful
         # if os.path.exists(json_output_file):
         #     rm_p(json_output_file)
 
+    # run all python scripts in parallel
+    with mp.Pool(num_cores) as pool:
+        pool.starmap(mp_bufr_py, zip(scripts, json_files))
+
     # Specify observation types to be processed by the bufr2ioda executable
     BUFR_yaml_files = glob.glob(os.path.join(config_template_dir, '*.yaml'))
     BUFR_yaml_files = [os.path.basename(f) for f in BUFR_yaml_files]
     BUFR_yaml = [f.replace('bufr2ioda_', '').replace('.yaml', '') for f in BUFR_yaml_files]
 
+    yaml_files = []
     for obtype in BUFR_yaml:
         logger.info(f"Convert {obtype}...")
         yaml_output_file = os.path.join(COM_OBS, f"{obtype}_{datetime_to_YMDH(current_cycle)}.yaml")
@@ -78,15 +103,18 @@ def bufr2ioda(current_cycle, RUN, DMPDIR, config_template_dir, COM_OBS):
 
         # use the bufr2ioda executable for the ob type
         bufr2iodaexe = BIN_GDAS + '/bufr2ioda.x'
-        cmd = Executable(bufr2iodaexe)
-        cmd.add_default_arg(yaml_output_file)
-        logger.info(f"Executing {cmd}")
-        cmd()
+
+        # append the values to the lists
+        yaml_files.append(yaml_output_file)
 
         # Check if the converter was successful
         # if os.path.exists(yaml_output_file):
         #     rm_p(yaml_output_file)
 
+    # run all bufr2ioda yamls in parallel
+    with mp.Pool(num_cores) as pool:
+        pool.starmap(mp_bufr_yaml, zip(repeat(bufr2iodaexe), yaml_files))
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Convert bufr dump file to ioda format')