University of California, Berkeley

The Quantitative Ecosystem Dynamics Lab at UC Berkeley is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher in the areas of ecohydrology, land-atmosphere interactions, and global change ecology. Applications accepted through December 22, 2024

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to be the primary researcher on a NASA SMAP science grant and pursue their own research curiosities and hypotheses within the overarching project goals: Harnessing soil moisture’s memory to decode eco-evolutionary principles of plant water use strategies and advance ecosystem carbon and water cycle modeling.

This research could incorporate aspects of plant ecophysiological theory, ecohydrological modeling, perturbed parameter experiments, land surface model emulation, data science and knowledge-guided machine learning, leveraging multiple satellite and ground-based datasets. The ideal candidate would have strong quantitative skills and familiarity examining ecosystem traits, states, and processes for understanding water and carbon dynamics through creative combinations of above approaches. Applicants are not required to have existing experience in all domains.

We are particularly interested in candidates keen to gain new skills and dive into topics beyond their current research.

Postdoc position details

• The postdoc will be responsible for designing, conducting, presenting, and publishing their original research as well as defining their career development plan with regular support from mentors.
• The postdoc will have opportunities to participate in local and international teaching/mentoring and outreach activities to develop soft skills in education, communication, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
• Funds are available to attend one scientific conference each year.
• Term: 2 years with possible extension based on performance and availability of funding.
• Salary: commensurate with experience, plus benefits (see UCBerkeley scales)
• Location: UC Berkeley, CA and based in the Quantitative Ecosystem Dynamics Lab in the Department of Environmental Sciences Policy and Management.
• Ideal start date: February – April 2025 with remote start considered based on circumstances.
• Applicants must hold a PhD and have <2 years of postdoc experience.
• The postdoc will be mentored by Maoya Bassiouni and Trevor Keenan (UC Berkeley), with collaborators Linnia Hawkins (NCAR, Columbia University) and Yanghui Kang (Virginia Tech University), and encouraged to build and leverage their own professional network.
• Our diverse and international team fosters a supportive work environment that recognizes and welcomes new members from underrepresented groups and with diverse identities, perspectives and needs.

To apply, please use the google form to submit a combined pdf with (1) a brief <1-page description of your research interests and goals (2) your CV, and (3) contact information for 3 references:

https://forms.gle/Nx1EHYiCv3yRw7Lw8

Applications accepted through December 22, 2024 and reviewed on a rolling basis.