Postdoctoral Associate

Virginia Tech • Blacksburg, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The postdoctoral researcher will work at the Hydrologic Innovation and Remote Sensing and the Earth Observation Innovation Lab of the Geoscience Department, Virginia Tech. The externally funded research includes application of multiple remote sensing technologies for quantification of water resources and related hazards, including water overdraft, land subsidence, flooding, and droughts. The candidate will produce maps of land deformation from Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite imagery and analyze the data together with complementary remote-sensing and in-situ datasets. The candidate will apply a suite of statistical and physical models for integrating observations of different accuracies, improving predictions of future hazards. The work will further include research, writing publications, writing grant proposals, attending national conferences, mentoring students, academic exchange inside VT and with national institutions from the field.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Earth Sciences, Geodesy, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Sciences, Civil & Environmental Engineering, or a related field
• PhD awarded no more than four years prior to the effective date of appointment with a minimum of one year eligibility remaining
• Strong skills in technical programming languages, e.g., Matlab, Python, or C++
• Strong skills in computational statistics, i.e., unsupervised and supervised ML methods, incl. deep learning
• Experience with at least two of the following: remote sensing of surface and ground water resources, analysis of satellite gravimetry (GRACE) data, analysis of radar and optical remote sensing, poromechanical modeling, and elastic crustal load modeling

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of Remote sensing of surface water quality
• Knowledge of numerical modeling
• Knowledge of GIS
• Leadership and advising skills
• Teaching experience
• Writing experience

Responsibilities

• Produce maps of land deformation from Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite imagery
• Analyze land deformation data together with complementary remote-sensing and in-situ datasets
• Apply a suite of statistical and physical models for integrating observations of different accuracies
• Improve predictions of future hazards
• Conduct research
• Write publications
• Write grant proposals
• Attend national conferences
• Mentor students
• Engage in academic exchange inside VT and with national institutions from the field

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees