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

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

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation funds

Hybrid work option

Training & mentorship program

Transit benefits

Job summary

University of Colorado Boulder’s CIRES-ESIIL invites applications for Postdoctoral Associates in environmental data science (EDS). The goal is to advance innovative or applied environmental biology research through open data, cyberinfrastructure, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

A two-year appointment with a hybrid work option is available, starting as early as Feb 1, 2027. Ideal candidates will have a PhD in a relevant field, proficiency in open-source languages (R, Python), and a

Qualifications

• PhD required or completed by start date.
• Experience with open science practices encouraged.

Responsibilities

• Lead and implement an environmental data science project using open data and cyberinfrastructure.
• Collaborate with ESIIL team and network on joint projects; participate in seminars and group activities.

Education

PhD in environmental, biological, social, computer science, or data science

Tools

R

Python

Job description

Job Summary

The Environmental Data Science Innovation and Impact Lab (ESIIL)within CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder welcomesapplications for Postdoctoral Associates who are working in thefield of environmental data science (EDS) to address pressingenvironmental challenges. ESIIL’s vision is grounded in theconviction that innovation and breakthroughs in EDS will beprecipitated by a collaborative research community empowered byopen data and infrastructure, cross-sector, and communitypartnerships (e.g., academic, non-profit, government, industry),team science, and engaged learning. ESIIL Postdoctoral Associatesare expected to produce innovative and/or applied environmentalbiology research to thrive in the rapidly evolving field ofEDS. CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with allapplicable federal, state, and local laws governingnondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating aworkplace where all individuals are treated with respect anddignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds toapply, including protected veterans and individuals withdisabilities.

Who We Are

At CIRES , more than 900 environmentalscience professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system,including people’s relationship with the planet. CIRES haspartnered with NOAA since 1967, and our areas of expertise includeweather and climate, changes at Earth’s poles, air quality andatmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, andmore. Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainablefuture environment by advancing scientific and societalunderstanding of the Earth system.

The Environmental Data Science Innovation &Impact Lab (ESIIL) is an NSF-funded data synthesis center ledby the University of Colorado Boulder in collaboration with NSF’sCyVerse at the University of Arizona and the University of Oslo.ESIIL’s mission is to empower a broad community to accelerate openEnvironmental Data Science. ESIIL is part of CIRES and enables aglobal community of environmental data scientists to demonstratethe wealth of environmental data and emerging analytics to developscience-based solutions to solve pressing challenges inenvironmental sciences. ESIIL’s research community generatesdiscoveries and novel approaches through 1) transformative teamscience, 2) innovative tools and collaborative cyberinfrastructure,3) data-science education and training, and 4) buildingcollaborative communities. These activities advance the frontier ofenvironmental data science, a rapidly evolving field bridgingcomputational, biological, environmental, and socialsciences.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• (80%) Develop and implement an environmental datascience 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 orcross-site data harmonization and analysis to explore ecosystempatterns, artificial intelligence and machine learning applicationsin ecology, open science ethics and data sovereignty forenvironmental data, data-intensive exploration of evolutionaryprocesses, data intense translation to resilience technologies,or other topical area in environmental biology that crosses thedata, natural, and social sciences.
• Apply open or available spatial and temporal data in creativeways to develop a data-driven research project. Examples ofenvironmental data sources include remote sensing, observatories,biorepositories, citizen science, field-based collections, modeledand synthetic data, genetic data, social data, or other. Sovereignand protected data shall be treated with special considerations that follow the CARE data principles.
• Leverage cloud, or other high-performance computing, resourcesto harmonize and analyze big, complex environmental data, and/ordevelop open AI-based pipelines.
• Contribute to the open, reproducible science and educationobjectives of ESIIL, which include creating and publishingwell-documented datasets and codes, FAIR-compliant code workflows,or other outputs that will serve the larger EDS community and otheraudiences.
• Effectively share research results with colleagues and thebroader science community through peer-reviewed publications,presentations, and other science products.
• (20%) Work with the ESIIL team and network oncollaborative projects, such as with working group(s), hackathonteams, or summit participants, to advance environmental datascience.

What You Should Know

• This is a two-year position, and the anticipated start date isas soon as February 1, 2027, but is negotiable.
• Location: The Postdocs will work in person at ESIIL's mainoffice on the CU Boulder campus in Boulder, CO. After an initialonboarding period, a hybrid work modality is possible, followingCIRES and university guidelines and policies. This is not afully remote position. The in-person cohort experience andengagement with the ESIIL community is a key aspect of thisposition.
• In the application, candidates are welcome (but not required)to suggest a mentor who is affiliated with a research institutionin the United States. ESIIL has funds available to support travelto 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 andexperience and determined based on our CIRES internal career trackclassification.
• Some relocation funds are available for this position followingCIRES and the University of Colorado’s relocation processes andprocedures.
• This position can accommodate a hybrid work modality.
• CIRES and the University of Colorado boulder offer a robusttraining curriculum, opportunities for professional development anda Mentorship Program. ESIIL provides training for postdocs intechnical data skills, open science and education, translationalscience, and collaborative team science, along with other careerdevelopment opportunities.
• Boulder is a vibrant community withaccess to mountain parks, dog parks, miles of trails, rivers,lakes, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, theaters, museums, and sportsvenues.
• 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 serviceBoulder and connect to Denver, the Denver airport, and surroundingcommunities.

Benefits

• 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 BestLarge 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, ordata science field (including but not limited to Biology, Ecology,Ecosystem Science, Forestry, Geography, Sociology, Psychology,Anthropology, Economics, Geoscience, Space Engineering, ComputerEngineering, Math, Environmental Studies, Remote Sensing Science).Candidates must have successfully defended their dissertation andcompleted 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 publiccyberinfrastructure 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 andpreferred skills and experience, we invite applicants to apply evenif they do not have the preferred skills and experience outlined inthis section. If you meet the requirements and have passion for thework, you are encouraged to apply. We encourage on the job trainingfor any additional skills or knowledge that become relevant to theposition.

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

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Chelsea Nagy

Posting Contact Email: [e-mail]