CIRES/Environmental Data Science Innovation and Impact Lab (ESIIL) Post-Doctoral Associate

University of Colorado; Boulder (CO); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Relocation funds

Mentorship program

Transit benefits

Job summary

The Environmental Data Science Innovation and Impact Lab (ESIIL) at University of Colorado Boulder invites applications for Postdoctoral Associates specializing in environmental data science to tackle pressing environment-related questions using open data and scalable cyberinfrastructure.

ESIIL is part of CIRES and collaborates with CyVerse; the role emphasizes team science, open data, and education, with a hybrid work modality possible after onboarding.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in environmental, biological, social, computer science, or data science field and defended by start date.
• Knowledge of open-source programming languages (e.g., Python, R).
• Commitment to open science and open education.
• Effective project management and independent work capability.
• Knowledge of ethical and reciprocal research practices.
• Ability to collaborate within large teams and networks.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an environmental data science project using open data, tools, and cyberinfrastructure.
• Apply data sources such as remote sensing, observatories, field data, citizen science, and more to address research questions.
• Leverage cloud or high-performance computing to harmonize and analyze big environmental data and develop open AI–based pipelines.
• Share research results through peer-reviewed publications, presentations, and other science products.
• Collaborate with the ESIIL team and network on joint projects, working groups, hackathons, or summits.

Skills

Python

R

Open science

Project management

Education

Ph.D. in environmental/biological/social/computer science/data science

Tools

Jupyter Notebooks

Job description

Requisition Number: 75631

Location: Boulder, Colorado

City: Boulder

State: Colorado

Employment Type: Research Faculty

Schedule: Full-Time

Posting Close Date: 20-Nov-2026

Date Posted: 02-Nov-2026

Job Summary

The Environmental Data Science Innovation and Impact Lab (ESIIL) within CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder welcomes applications for Postdoctoral Associates who are working in the field of environmental data science (EDS) to address pressing environmental challenges. ESIIL's vision is grounded in the conviction that innovation and breakthroughs in EDS will be precipitated by a collaborative research community empowered by open data and infrastructure, cross-sector, and community partnerships (e.g., academic, non-profit, government, industry), team science, and engaged learning. ESIIL Postdoctoral Associates are expected to produce innovative and/or applied environmental biology research to thrive in the rapidly evolving field of EDS.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

At CIRES, more than 900 environmental science professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people's relationship with the planet. CIRES has partnered with NOAA since 1967, and our areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at Earth's poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and more. Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable future environment by advancing scientific and societal understanding of the Earth system.

The Environmental Data Science Innovation & Impact Lab (ESIIL) is an NSF-funded data synthesis center led by the University of Colorado Boulder in collaboration with NSF's CyVerse at the University of Arizona and the University of Oslo. ESIIL's mission is to empower a broad community to accelerate open Environmental Data Science. ESIIL is part of CIRES and enables a global community of environmental data scientists to demonstrate the wealth of environmental data and emerging analytics to develop science-based solutions to solve pressing challenges in environmental sciences. ESIIL's research community generates discoveries and novel approaches through 1) transformative team science, 2) innovative tools and collaborative cyberinfrastructure, 3) data-science education and training, and 4) building collaborative communities. These activities advance the frontier of environmental data science, a rapidly evolving field bridging computational, biological, environmental, and social sciences.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• (80%) Develop and implement an environmental data science project that uses open data, tools, and cyberinfrastructure to address frontier research questions in environmental biology. Examples of data-driven projects may include: cross-scale or cross-site data harmonization and analysis to explore ecosystem patterns, artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in ecology, open science ethics and data sovereignty for environmental data, data-intensive exploration of evolutionary processes, data intensive translation to resilience technologies, or other topical area in environmental biology that crosses the data, natural, and social sciences.
  • Apply open or available spatial and temporal data in creative ways to develop a data-driven research project. Examples of environmental data sources include remote sensing, observatories, biorepositories, citizen science, field-based collections, modeled and synthetic data, genetic data, social data, or other. Sovereign and protected data shall be treated with special considerations that follow the CARE data principles.
  • Leverage cloud, or other high-performance computing, resources to harmonize and analyze big, complex environmental data, and/or develop open AI-based pipelines.
  • Contribute to the open, reproducible science and education objectives of ESIIL, which include creating and publishing well-documented datasets and codes, FAIR-compliant code workflows, or other outputs that will serve the larger EDS community and other audiences.
  • Effectively share research results with colleagues and the broader science community through peer-reviewed publications, presentations, and other science products.
• (20%) Work with the ESIIL team and network on collaborative projects, such as with working group(s), hackathon teams, or summit participants, to advance environmental data science.

What You Should Know

• This is a two-year position, and the anticipated start date is as soon as February 1, 2027, but is negotiable.
• Location: The Postdocs will work in person at ESIIL's main office on the CU Boulder campus in Boulder, CO. After an initial onboarding period, a hybrid work modality is possible, following CIRES and university guidelines and policies. This is not a fully remote position. The in-person cohort experience and engagement with the ESIIL community is a key aspect of this position.
• In the application, candidates are welcome (but not required) to suggest a mentor who is affiliated with a research institution in the United States. ESIIL has funds available to support travel to Boulder for mentors within the U.S.

What We Can Offer

• CIRES offers a generous compensation and benefits package.
• The annual hiring salary for this position ranges from $65,000.00 to $70,000.00. Salary is commensurate with education and experience and determined based on our CIRES internal career track classification.
• Some relocation funds are available for this position following CIRES and the University of Colorado's relocation processes and procedures.
• This position can accommodate a hybrid work modality.
• CIRES and the University of Colorado boulder offer a robust training curriculum, opportunities for professional development and a Mentorship Program. ESIIL provides training for postdocs in technical data skills, open science and education, translational science, and collaborative team science, along with other career development opportunities.
• Boulder is a vibrant community with access to mountain parks, dog parks, miles of trails, rivers, lakes, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, theaters, museums, and sports venues.
• As an employee at CU Boulder, you will have free access to the regional public transit system, an outstanding network of buses, and light rail systems that service Boulder and connect to Denver, the Denver airport, and surrounding communities.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes' America's Best Large Employers, ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be courageous. Be willing. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Ph.D. in environmental, biological, social, computer science, or data science field (including but not limited to Biology, Ecology, Ecosystem Science, Forestry, Geography, Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Economics, Geoscience, Space Engineering, Computer Engineering, Math, Environmental Studies, Remote Sensing Science). Candidates must have successfully defended their dissertation and completed all thesis requirements by their start date.

What You Will Need

• Knowledge of open-source programming languages (e.g., R, Python).
• Commitment to open science (i.e., available and findable data, reproducible and transferable codes to run on public cyberinfrastructure and open publications) and open education.
• Effective project management skills (e.g., self-directed, independent).
• Knowledge of ethical and reciprocal research practices.
• Eagerness to collaborate and contribute to large teams, including working with ESIIL postdocs, staff, and network.

What We Would Like You to Have

Please note that while the position details both required and preferred skills and experience, we invite applicants to apply even if they do not have the preferred skills and experience outlined in this section. If you meet the requirements and have passion for the work, you are encouraged to apply. We encourage on the job training for any additional skills or knowledge that become relevant to the position.

• Experience with multi-source, big data gathering, curation, and publication.
• Experience and/or knowledge of cutting-edge data and analytics (e.g., AI/ML models).
• Experience and/or knowledge of notebooks and cyberinfrastructure.
• Experience with collaborative team science.
• Experience with writing and publishing robust science.
• Experience and/or knowledge of open-source tool development and publication.
• Experience working with community partners to co-develop usable science.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.