Postdoctoral Scholar, Wildfire Technology Hub – University of Nevada, Reno, United States

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.

If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or jobs@unr.edu. For UNR Med professional job postings, please contact the Office of Professional Recruitment at (775) 784-6778.

Job Description

The newly established Wildfire Technology Hub @ University of Nevada, Reno invites applicants for multiple postdoctoral fellows to conduct research in technological and scientific aspects of Wildfire Engineering across the different Pre-Fire, Active-Fire, and Post-Fire domains. Our goal is to develop new capabilities for stakeholders to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfires. We seek dynamic individuals with a knowledge of fire science who are willing to work within a multidisciplinary team in a fast-paced research and development environment, learn new skills, interact with stakeholders, and produce high-quality research and technology products. The positions are part of a cluster hire in support of the Hub. The candidates will interact with other research teams at the Hub as well as faculties at UNR and other partnering institutes and agencies. The Hub is committed to postdoctoral mentorship and supports independent career development for successful candidates.

The individual will contribute to the development of novel technological platforms for integrating spatial and temporal information, harnessing remote sensing data, using climate information, and running near-real-time wildfire simulations to design and assess various scenarios for obtaining feasible risk mitigation and emergency response solutions. We seek candidates with strong analytical and scientific capabilities to effectively contribute to physical modeling in a realistic spatial and temporal context at resolutions relevant to the problem needs. The candidate will develop new approaches for linking landscape, fuel, weather, and wildfire characteristics into a versatile and user-friendly computational platform. In the post-fire domain, the candidates will link wildfire behavior with post-fire ecological consequences affecting landscapes, man-made, or natural water bodies. Specifically, we seek modeling capabilities for assessing how post-wildfire runoff, smoke deposition, altered vegetation and hydrology, and targeted restoration activity affect functioning and shape recovery.

The position duration is one-year and is subject to renewal contingent on funding availability and acceptable performance.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Engineering, Physics, Ecology and Forestry, Earth Science, Computational Science, or related fields.
• Ph.D. research experience in wildfire engineering, fire science, landscape modeling, or related topics.
• Experience in working with big data.
• Excellent English-language communication skills (oral and written).
• Demonstrated ability to perform research and publish results in peer-reviewed literature.
• Completion of a doctoral degree in the appropriate discipline is required.
• The doctoral degree must have been completed within the five years immediately preceding the first date of appointment as a postdoctoral fellow at the University.
• The individual cannot have held previous positions in the professional ranks.

Preferred Qualifications

Candidates who possess the following skills and attributes are encouraged to apply:

• Background in large-scale numerical modeling (regional planning, ecological, hydrologic climatic, or wildfire modeling).
• Experience with scientific software development in C/C++, FORTRAN and/or Python.
• Experience working with geo-spatial information, remote sensing data, and GIS software.
• Experience in deep learning and computer vision.
• Experience in developing software tools and products.
• Experience in writing scientific papers and successful grant applications.

Compensation Grade

Postdoctoral Scholar

To view the salary schedule for this position, please visit: Salary Schedules. Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience.

Perks of Working at UNR!

• Health insurance options including dental and vision – Health Insurance
• Generous annual and sick leave, life insurance – Faculty Benefits
• E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers annual or semester memberships and spouse/domestic partner membership options.  E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center
• Reno is proud to be a University town! Many local businesses offer discounts to WolfCard holders
• Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life’s difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.
• Several Diversity Committees and Affinity Groups focusing on campus-wide diversity initiatives to ensure we are working to create a diverse and welcoming campus climate. Diversity Groups
• Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty. Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University. Faculty Senate
• No state income tax!

Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program

The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual-career couples’ professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada. Dual Career Assistance Program

College Information – College of Engineering

The College of Engineering is guided by its vision to be a world-class institution for education, research and innovation that drives economic growth and social progress. Located in northern Nevada, where technology, advanced manufacturing and renewable energy are among the key industries, the College of Engineering leads in advancement and innovation. Our research faculty is supported by an Engineering Research Office that helped the college garner $33 million in research awards in CY 2023. All faculty and staff are directed by the College of Engineering’s mission to provide students with a rigorous, hands-on education in engineering and computer science that prepares them to solve real-world problems.

For more information, please visit: https://www.unr.edu/engineering

Department Information – Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) is a research-active department with over 550 B.S., M.S., and PhD students, 21 tenured/tenure-track faculty, six research faculty and various technical staff. The department offers ABET-accredited B.S. degree programs in both Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering, and graduate programs in five sub-disciplines that are nationally ranked by US News and World Report. In 2023 the department had annual research expenditures of over $9 million funded by external grants. It actively promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its programs and activities.

Additional information is available at: http://www.unr.edu/cee/

Contact Information

All inquiries should be directed to Prof. Hamed Ebrahimian (hebrahimian@unr.edu)

Exempt

Yes

Full-Time Equivalent

100.0%

Required Attachment(s)

Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review. To request updates to attachments, prior to the committee review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at jobs@unr.edu

Attach the following attachments to your application

1) Resume/CV

2) Cover letter detailing how you meet the listed educational and experience qualifications.

3) Summary of your career interests and goals.

4) Contact Information for Three Professional References

This posting is open until filled

Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply immediately. This search will close without notice when a sufficient number of applications are received or a hiring decision has been made.

Posting Close Date

Note to Applicant

A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.

HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member’s first day of employment.

References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.

Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E-Verify.

As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.

For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver’s license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment.

Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).

About Us

The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading American public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land-grant university, the University serves 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries.

Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.”

Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine – and it delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics.

The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. In recent years, the University has expanded to include two additional locations: the Redfield Campus in south Reno and the Wayne L. Prim campus in Incline Village, which is the home of the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe.

 As part of the Nevada System of Higher Education – comprised of two research universities, one state college, four community colleges and an environmental research institute –  the University is committed to developing strong partnerships with each of these institutions for the benefit of all Nevadans.

Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its nearly 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world.

The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience.

Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students’ cognitive growth and academic achievement – all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education.

For more information, please visit the University’s website.