Postdoctoral Scholar
Berkeley Lab
Summary
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Earth & Environmental Sciences Area to study Gulf Coast coastal watershed variability using machine learning, AI, GIS, remote sensing, and geospatial and geophysical datasets. The position supports the Exploring Gulf Region Ecosystem Transitions (EGRET) project, an interdisciplinary collaboration investigating disturbance-driven ecosystem transitions and their ecological, hydrological, and geomorphological impacts.
Job description
You will:
- Develop AI/ML methods for geospatial modeling and analysis of disturbance-driven coastal ecosystem transitions.
- Integrate and analyze geophysical, microbial, water quality, ecological, hydrological, and remote sensing datasets to understand ecosystem responses and geomorphological processes.
- Apply image classification, explainable AI, uncertainty quantification, and upscaling techniques.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary researchers, including modelers and experimental scientists, to achieve project goals.
- Publish peer-reviewed articles and technical reports, present findings at conferences, and meet project deadlines.
- Maintain a safe, respectful, and collaborative research environment.
Additional Responsibilities as needed:
- Contribute to developing new field sites, apply new monitoring methods, collect new data during field campaigns, and interpret newly collected datasets from geophysical monitoring techniques including airborne EM, electrical resistivity tomography, and seismic surveys.
We are looking for:
- PhD in Geosciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, or a related field with a strong focus on geospatial analysis completed within the last 5 years.
- Demonstrated research productivity through oral and written skills, demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a large multidisciplinary team.
- Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
- Demonstrated experience developing and applying AI/ML models to enhance process understanding at watershed scales.
- Ability to collaborate with experimental microbiologists, hydrologists, and geochemists to improve predictive capabilities for hydro-biogeochemical processes.
- Develop uncertainty quantification tools and upscaling algorithms.
- Sufficiently knowledgeable on the use of high-performance computing, Python/R, parallel simulation and large dataset analysis/manipulation, and other coding tools.
- Ability to identify and develop new research areas and contribute to research proposals.
- Engage broadly as a member of a large, multidisciplinary research team that includes microbiologists, geochemists, hydrologists, and computational scientists.
Desired skills/knowledge:
- Knowledge of field measurement and collection techniques and ability to work outdoors during field campaigns.
Requirements
- PhD in Geosciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, or a related field with a strong focus on geospatial analysis completed within the last 5 years
- Demonstrated research productivity through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a large multidisciplinary team
- Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
- Demonstrated experience developing and applying AI/ML models to enhance process understanding at watershed scales
- Ability to collaborate with experimental microbiologists, hydrologists, and geochemists
- Experience developing uncertainty quantification tools and upscaling algorithms
- Knowledge of high-performance computing, Python/R, parallel simulation and large dataset analysis/manipulation
- Ability to identify and develop new research areas and contribute to research proposals
- Less than 3 years of paid postdoctoral experience
Benefits
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- Retirement Savings Plan
- 24 Days PTO
- Sick Leave
- Paid Holidays
- Postdoctoral Paid Family Leave
- Professional Development
Company overview
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is a premier federally funded research and development center established in 1931 and managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy. With a distinguished history spanning over 90 years, Berkeley Lab has been awarded 17 Nobel Prizes and operates as a multidisciplinary research institution focused on discovery science and energy solutions. The laboratory's expertise encompasses six major research areas: Computing Sciences, Physical Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, Energy Sciences, and Energy Technologies. Berkeley Lab operates five national scientific user facilities including the Advanced Light Source, Joint Genome Institute, Molecular Foundry, National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), and Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), serving over 14,000 researchers annually. The institution is renowned for its team science approach, pioneering research in particle physics, materials science, genomics, and climate science, while maintaining a strong commitment to addressing global energy challenges and advancing fundamental scientific knowledge.