Postdoctoral Fellow - Conserve Statistical Data Modelling - 530856

The University of Alabama • Tuscaloosa, AL

10d • $54,000 - $67,500

About The Position

The Postdoctoral Fellow conducts scholarly activity and research after completing a doctoral degree, under the direction of a senior faculty member who serves as a mentor. The position is with the Alabama Water Institute’s CONSERVE Research Group at The University of Alabama, which conducts applied, community-oriented research on biological and watershed management challenges.

Working with a research team and USDA Agricultural Research Service partners, the fellow supports the CONSERVE Innovative Water Systems Program, a cooperative agreement focused on improving agricultural water use and watershed health in West Alabama, the Southeast, and the Lower Mississippi River Basin. The role develops statistical, geospatial, and AI-assisted models to characterize aquifer recharge, preferential flow pathways, and contaminant transport; supports groundwater modeling and decision-support tools; and integrates geophysical and environmental data to evaluate nature-based approaches to runoff control and soil moisture retention. The fellow also develops manuscripts based on project data and collaborates with the research team on submissions to refereed journals.

The initial appointment is for one year. Renewal, contingent on funding availability and performance, may extend the appointment up to three years. The normal work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in hydrology, hydrogeology, civil or environmental engineering, geography/geospatial science, environmental science, or a closely related field; the degree must be completed by the start of employment.
• Skills in statistical modeling of large, heterogeneous environmental datasets and integrating spatial, temporal, and environmental data.
• Knowledge and experience in one or more of the following: spatial statistics and geostatistics; Bayesian, mixed-effects, or time-series modeling; machine learning; uncertainty quantification; groundwater or hydrologic modeling; and GIS/remote sensing.
• Proficiency in R and/or Python.
• Experience working in a high-performance computing environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with academics, federal scientists, community members, stakeholders, and students.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Demonstrated record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
• Valid U.S. driver's license, age 19 or older at time of hire, and an acceptable Motor Vehicle Report compliant with University policies. Applicants under 21 will have some driving restrictions.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with MODFLOW (e.g., FloPy), contaminant transport models (e.g., MT3D), or other numerical groundwater models.
• Experience with geophysical data such as ground-penetrating radar.
• Experience developing digital twins or decision-support systems.
• Experience with agricultural water management in the Southeast or Lower Mississippi Valley.
• Experience with translational science activities.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the research team and USDA Agricultural Research Service partners on the CONSERVE Innovative Water Systems Program.
• Develop statistical, geospatial, and AI-assisted models to characterize aquifer recharge, preferential flow pathways, and contaminant transport.
• Support groundwater modeling and development of decision-support tools.
• Integrate geophysical and environmental data to evaluate nature-based approaches to runoff control and soil moisture retention.
• Develop manuscripts based on project-generated data and work with the research team to submit them to refereed journals.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree