Postdoctoral Scholar in Remote Sensing of Inland and Coastal Water Quality

Postdoctoral Scholar in Remote Sensing of Inland and Coastal Water Quality

University of California Merced

Position overview
Position title: Postdoctoral Scholar Salary range: See Table 23 for the salary range for this position. A reasonable estimate for this position is $74,425 Percent time: 100% Anticipated start: February 2025 or until filled Position duration: 1Year, renewable Application Window

Open date: December 20, 2024

Most recent review date: Friday, Jan 31, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Wednesday, Dec 17, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The Valley Institute for Sustainability, Technology, and Agriculture (VISTA) is seeking an Industry Partnerships Coordinator to support VISTA, the Farms-Food-Future Innovation Initiative (F3) and regional testbeds. This role is central in facilitating research partnerships (i.e. events, field trials, projects, hackathons, etc.) between UC Merced and agricultural and technology industry partners, the ag community regionally and others. This is an excellent opportunity to work in the development of external relationships and to engage in industry-university partnerships at the cutting edge of engineering, computer and data science, technology, natural resources management, food systems and climate smart innovation. As a new organization building a new facility and serving this region, the successful applicant would have the opportunity to develop relationships, from student projects to multi-year grants.

We seek a highly motivated and innovative postdoctoral scholar to lead research on assessing the status and trends of inland and coastal water quality in California. This research integrates multi-platform remote sensing with in-situ datasets to establish baselines, evaluate trends, and analyze anomalies in water quality responses to environmental perturbations, including prolonged droughts, floods, and wildfires and to support forecast modeling and scenario development for climate change and water allocation. The successful candidate will leverage existing water quality algorithms and products (e.g., temperature, turbidity, chlorophyll-a) while developing novel methodologies to advance research on short- and long-term water quality conditions. Approaches may include AI/ML techniques and biophysical modeling. This work aims to address critical challenges faced by federal, state, and local water resource agencies, with applications extending to coastal ecological conditions.

The position supports interdisciplinary projects funded by NASA, the State of California, and Australia's CSIRO. The scholar will collaborate with a diverse network of researchers, engineers, and stakeholders, including Caltech, UCLA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, NOAA, USGS, California Department of Water Resources, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and others. Qualified candidates may also be eligible for dual affiliation with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Key responsibilities include:

Conducting cutting-edge research on water quality assessment.

Publishing high-impact research articles in collaboration with the principal investigator (PI).

Engaging with project partners for collaborative science.

Mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.

Supervising student assistants and junior staff as needed.

Participating in professional development activities for career advancement.

Ensuring best practices in data and code management, including open-source workflows, version control (e.g., Git), and reproducible documentation.

Developing high-quality data visualizations and scholarly content.
Limited travel may be required to attend meetings and collaborate with project teams.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications

A Ph.D. in a relevant field (e.g., physical sciences, environmental science, computer science, or engineering) at the time of appointment.

Strong collaborative skills and a demonstrated record of scholarly contributions, including 1-2 first-author, peer-reviewed publications.

Advanced proficiency in programming for applied statistics, modeling, and data science (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB).

Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git) and the ability to create publication-ready visualizations.

Excellent writing skills for academic publications.

Preferred qualifications

Expertise in remote sensing applications to aquatic biogeochemistry, ocean color, or optical water quality.

Proficiency with cloud computing and high-performance computing platforms.

Familiarity with interdisciplinary collaborations involving stakeholders and policymakers.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
  
• Cover Letter
  
• Statement of Research (Optional)
  

Reference requirements

• 3 required (contact information only)

Apply link: https://aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/JPF01854
Help contact: elliefeliciano@ucmerced.edu
About UC Merced

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

'Misconduct' means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.

Required Authorization of Information Release may be found here . Please complete, sign, and upload the required Authorization of Information Release to your application.

Candidates must possess valid authorization to work in the United States. UC Merced is not currently able to sponsor individuals residing outside the United States who would require a new H-1B visa for employment. Applicants who do not hold valid U.S. work authorization are presently ineligible for this position.

Additional links: UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy , the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy , and APM 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment .

The University of California, Merced, is the newest of the University of California system's 10 campuses. Ranked as one of the best public universities in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and recently designated as an R1 institution by Carnegie, UC Merced is committed to innovation and excellence in research. With over 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students ( https://cie.ucmerced.edu/analytics-hub/student-statistics ), UC Merced provides outstanding, inclusive educational opportunities to highly qualified students from the heart of California, the nation, and abroad. The campus has special connections to nearby Yosemite National Park; is on the cutting edge of sustainability in construction and design; and supports the economic development of Central California.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements. This includes the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs .
Job location
Merced, CA

To apply, please visit: https://aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/JPF01854







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