Post Masters RA - Human-Earth Systems & Science

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • College Park, MD

6h • $80,500 - $104,700

About The Position

The Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate (EBSD) leads critical research in four areas: Atmospheric, Climate & Earth Sciences, Biological Sciences, Environmental Molecular Sciences, and Global Change. Our vision is to develop a predictive understanding of biological and Earth systems in transition. We aim to understand energy and material flows within the integrated Earth system; to understand, predict, and control the response of biosystems to environmental and/or genomic changes; and to Model the Earth system from the subsurface to the atmosphere. The Global Change Division is home to the Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI). JGCRI is a global leader in the interdisciplinary field of integrated assessment multi-sector analysis. Research at the institute is conducted to advance fundamental understanding of human and Earth systems and provide information related to global change, energy, and environment that is unbiased and decision-relevant but not policy prescriptive. The institute is a partnership between PNNL and the University of Maryland, supporting research, modeling, and integrated analysis at the interface of human, energy, and Earth systems.

Requirements

• Candidates must have received a Master’s degree within the past 24 months or within the next 8 months from an accredited college or university.
• Written and oral communication skills, critical thinking skills, and the ability to work in a team environment are necessary.

Nice To Haves

• The successful candidate will have, or be expecting to receive before hire, a Master's degree in public policy, engineering, economics, operations research, management science, computer science, environmental science, or related fields.
• Background in energy simulation modeling, hydrologic modelling, or related quantitative research is highly desirable.
• Research experience in the field of energy and environment, understanding of engineering concepts related to energy systems, and programing experience (particularly in C++, R or Python) are a strong plus.
• International energy research experience and foreign language skills (specifically Mandarin, Ukrainian, and languages of Southeast Asia) would be a plus for some projects.

Responsibilities

• This is a full-time appointment with benefits (renewed annually for up to 2 years based on satisfactory performance).
• The research associate will contribute to cutting edge interdisciplinary research in close collaboration with senior researchers at JGCRI and will have opportunities to coauthor scientific journal articles.
• The associate will contribute to analysis of energy and environmental policies, measures and pathways.
• This may include analysis using JGCRI’s open-source human-earth systems modeling framework, GCAM, which combines models of energy and the economy, land-use, agriculture, water, the environment, air-pollution, and ecosystems; development of the CEDS historical emissions data system; and energy and other policy analysis.
• Project work will include at least some of the following: using and developing computer models, researching energy technologies and/or energy policies, working with large datasets, writing scripts in R and python, working with stakeholders, giving presentations, and writing reports and papers.

Benefits

• health insurance
• flexible work schedules

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level