About this role
Agrohydrological Modeler
Job Description: (85%) Research: Lead agrohydrological modeling research, with a focus on irrigated agricultural landscapes. Identify key decision needs for stakeholders and create mdoels, tools and data products to help support these decision-making processes. Design and implement field-based data collection approaches where necessary. Develop research proposals for external funding agencies to support the development of these tools and data products. Communicate the results of research in peer-reviewed publications and to both scientific and lay audiences.
(15%) Service: Service to the institution, university, and discipline such as: support KGS efforts in the areas of technical service and communication and public information; interact with public, university, government, and industry; participate in in professional scientific and industrial organizations; serve on University and KGS committees and organizations as assigned or in response to opportunities; participate with other KGS personnel in professional and governmental organizations that deal with Kansas and US water resources; work with students and visiting scientists when it complements and enhances research programs.
Disclaimer: The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and is the Title IX coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, [email protected], Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY.
Contact Information to Applicants: For additional information contact Sam Zipper, [email protected] For HR questions contact Annette Delaney, [email protected], 785-864-2152
Required Qualifications: • Appropriate education and experience through one of the following as evidenced by application materials: • Ph.D. in a discipline related to water, environmental, geological, geospatial, and/or agricultural science or engineering. • M.S. in a discipline related to water, environmental, geological, geospatial, and/or agricultural science or engineering AND at least three years of professional research experience related to agrohydrological modeling.
• Experience working with remotely sensed data, preferably related to evapotranspiration as evidenced by past research products submitted in application materials. • Experience in irrigated agricultural landscapes typical of the U.S. High Plains region as evidenced by past research products submitted in application materials. • Coding proficiency in Python or a comparable language (R, MATLAB, Julia, etc.) as required by previous work experience. • Strong communication skills as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications and application materials.
Preferred Qualifications: • Demonstrable experience working with stakeholders on issues related to water management. • Experience writing research proposals to obtain grant funding, fellowships, or similar. • Experience with field-based hydrologic and/or agronomic data collection.
Position Overview: We are looking for an experienced researcher to contribute to multiple projects related to agricultural water use practices in irrigated landscapes. Initial focal areas for this position will include: (i) advancing the use of remotely sensed Earth observation data (i.e., OpenET) to support farm and water management decision-making, and (ii) developing and applying coupled socio-hydrological modeling tools that can be used to quantify the impacts of different management strategies on water resources. This work will contribute to multiple externally funded projects from USDA, EDF, and NSF and include opportunities to develop new projects. This position is based at the University of Kansas as part of the part of the HydroEcology of the Anthropocene Lab (HEAL) supervised by Sam Zipper (https://www.samzipper.com) in the Kansas Geological Survey and the Department of Geology.
Work Location: This is a remote position.
Salary, Employment Status, and Fringe Benefits: This position has an expected salary range of $75,000 to $80,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. Other benefits include university staff privileges; up to 176 hours of paid vacation earned per year, 96 hours of sick leave earned per year, and nine paid holidays plus one discretionary day annually; group medical and dental insurance, life and disability insurance, and retirement program options.
Due to complex state employment laws, the University of Kansas may be unable to hire fully remote workers for this position outside of Kansas. Specifically, we cannot currently offer employment to candidates residing in the following states: California, Delaware, Idaho & Minnesota. We appreciate your understanding and invite interested individuals from eligible states to apply.
Additional Candidate Instruction: In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position: • [PDF] Cover letter detailing interest in the position and fit with the required and preferred qualifications (max 2 pages). • [PDF] CV including past educational and research experiences. • [PDF] A peer-reviewed publication, research report, or other written product the applicant believes showcases their research interests and expertise. • [PDF] Transcripts for undergraduate and/or graduate degrees (unofficial copies fine). • [FORM] Contact information for three references. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Application review begins Monday, August 31. For consideration, please apply no later than Sunday, August 30.