Assistant Research Professor, Ecohydrologist

Nevada System of Higher Education•Las Vegas, NV

8d•Remote

About The Position

The Desert Research Institute's (DRI's) Division of Hydrologic Sciences seeks an Assistant Research Professor of Ecohydrology. This position will support ongoing programs at DRI to develop, analyze, and identify key linkages between climate, water, and vegetation change across the western U.S. and other arid and semi-arid regions. Candidates possessing skills in the development and application of software to process gridded weather and climate data, analyze satellite remote sensing data, process and analyze hydrologic sensor data, produce machine learning models, and use of industry standard software and software development tools and protocols, are strongly encouraged to apply. Additional responsibilities include participating in writing competitive research grants, manuscripts, and mentoring. The successful candidate will support ongoing and new programs at DRI related to groundwater dependent ecosystems, surface and groundwater interactions, rangeland systems, water resource planning, and water use accounting in the western U.S. and other arid and semi-arid regions. Candidates that have strong programming skills and who use ecohydrologic field data, large remote sensing, and climate datasets for assessing surface-groundwater interactions, vegetation, evapotranspiration, and drought conditions are strongly encouraged to apply. This position is based in Reno, NV and can be 100% remote.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Hydrology, Ecology, Engineering, or related field from an accredited institution
Expertise and strong evidence of advanced skills in satellite remote sensing, data science, and management of large spatiotemporal datasets
Strong evidence in using R and Python programming languages
Experience in developing and applying machine learning models
Advanced skills using GIS software (e.g. ArcGIS, QGIS, GDAL)
Effective verbal, written, and interpersonal skills
Evidence of collaborative development or leading research proposals
Evidence of collaborative research and working in a group setting
Experience in leading projects and working to fulfill project goals and meet project deadlines
Ability to effectively summarize research findings to sponsors in the form of professional reports and presentations
Ability to lead and publish peer reviewed publications
U.S. Citizenship required per sponsor funding requirements
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check
Valid driver’s license required or ability to obtain one by date of hire
Local and regional overnight travel
Field work to remote locations may be required

Nice To Haves

Research focused on river systems, groundwater dependent ecosystems, surface and groundwater interactions, and rangelands
Use of satellite remote sensing and spatial climate data together within statistical frameworks
Evidence of working across scales from field-based ecohydrologic measurements to remotely sensed data analysis for quantitative analysis, modeling, and process understanding
Extensive experience using Google Earth Engine (JavaScript and Python APIs)
Evidence of strong leadership and mentorship skills
Evidence leading stakeholder engagement, outreach, and trainings on the application of research results using web applications and other software tools
Experience communicating and working directly with government agencies and non-profits
Experience developing web applications to visualize research results
Experience developing example and tutorial software (e.g., R Markdown, Jupyter Notebooks)
Experience using Google Cloud products, storage buckets, and Cloud Optimized Geotiffs (COGs)
Familiarity with the Climate Engine web application and APIs
Familiarity with the data needs of government agencies and non-profits for decision processes

Responsibilities

Participating in writing competitive research grants
Participating in writing manuscripts
Mentoring
Support ongoing and new programs at DRI related to groundwater dependent ecosystems, surface and groundwater interactions, rangeland systems, water resource planning, and water use accounting in the western U.S. and other arid and semi-arid regions.
Effectively summarize research findings to sponsors in the form of professional reports and presentations
Lead and publish peer reviewed publications

Benefits

health, dental, vision, life and long term disability insurance
19.25% retirement match
24 annual leave days
beginning balance of 30 sick leave days
12 paid holidays
educational benefits
the choice of three health insurance plans that can be supplemented with flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts
no state income tax
no social security deduction
relocation assistance