Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences

Go Huskies; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 68,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Washington in Seattle is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar to join the Sklar lab in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. The role focuses on a state-funded project to estimate climate-related health risks and improve resilience for incarcerated populations and carceral workers across Washington State.

The postdoctoral scholar will work on quantitative exposure assessments, stakeholder engagement, and equity analyses, with opportunities for policy-relevant

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in environmental health, epidemiology, atmospheric science, or related field.
• Experience with quantitative climate or environmental risk assessment methods.
• Experience analyzing environmental exposure-health data with large datasets.
• Experience with gridded environmental datasets and spatial data tools (R, Python, GIS).
• Strong technical writing for peer-reviewed manuscripts or policy reports.
• Ability to work across interdisciplinary teams including government, academia, and community stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply quantitative methods integrating climate data, facility records, and health data.
• Model indoor environmental conditions across facility cooling and ventilation types and climate scenarios.
• Collaborate with atmospheric scientists to interpret datasets.
• Engage stakeholders including incarcerated populations and staff in co-designing mitigation strategies.
• Contribute to cost-benefit and equity analyses informing policy.

Skills

Quantitative risk assessment

Statistical analysis

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Technical writing

Education

Doctoral degree

Tools

R

Python

GIS

Job description

University of Washington: Academic Personnel & Faculty: School of Public Health: Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences

Location

Seattle, WA

Open Date

Mar 16, 2026

Description

About the Lab/Research Group

The Sklar lab in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington has an outstanding opportunity for a Postdoctoral Scholar to join their team. We are an interdisciplinary research group focused on policy-relevant environmental and occupational exposure assessment and epidemiology, with an emphasis on mixed-methods approaches.

Position Description

The Postdoctoral Scholar will support a state-funded project developing a Climate Change and Natural Hazard Resilience Plan (CCNHRP) aimed at estimating climate related health risks and improving the climate resilience and safety for incarcerated people and carceral workers across Washington State. The Postdoctoral Scholar will contribute to a quantitative assessment of climate related exposures across 27 carceral facilities statewide, including 10 prisons and a sample of youth, reentry, and other residential facilities. This position offers a unique opportunity to produce work with direct policy impact at the state level. The position involves close collaboration with state agency personnel and community stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.

This project operates at the intersection of environmental science, climate science, and health equity. The Postdoctoral Scholar will work with the rest of the project team on engaging stakeholders, including incarcerated populations and staff from medical, custody, and facilities units in co-designing mitigation strategies and will contribute to cost-benefit and equity analyses that inform capital planning and Washington State hazard mitigation policy. The position offers a unique opportunity to produce work with direct policy impact at the state level.

Anticipated Duties

• Develop and apply quantitative research methods that integrate data from multiple sources including gridded climate and hazard data, facility infrastructure and operational records, DOC administrative healthcare data, and indoor/outdoor air monitoring data to support facility-level exposure and analysis of climate related health risks
• Model indoor environmental conditions (temperature, particulate matter) by facility cooling and ventilation type, and apply climate projections across multiple Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) to estimate how health risks will change from historic baselines through mid- and late-century
• Collaborate with atmospheric scientist team members to interpret and apply environmental datasets derived from gridded climate products, historical observational records, and spatially interpolated hazard metrics
• Participate in stakeholder engagement with custody staff, incarcerated populations, and inmate council groups to co-design mitigation strategies through structured scenario-based discussions
• Other duties as may arise from the methodology development

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in environmental health, epidemiology, atmospheric science, or a closely related field
• Experience with quantitative climate or environmental risk assessment methods
• Proficiency in statistical analysis of environmental exposure-health outcome associations, including experience with large administrative or healthcare datasets
• Experience working with gridded environmental or climate datasets and spatial data analysis tools (e.g., R, Python, GIS)
• Strong technical writing skills, including experience preparing peer-reviewed manuscripts or policy‑relevant technical reports
• Ability to work collaboratively across interdisciplinary teams spanning government agencies, academic research groups, and community stakeholders

Application Instructions

Salary range

This position is being offered at a salary range of$5,705 to $7,083per month ($68,460-$85,000 per year), commensurate with experience.

This is a full-time, 12-month appointment based at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, with reappointment to subsequent years contingent upon performance and availability of funding. The anticipated start date isJuly 2026. Postdoctoral scholars are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement, unless agreed exclusion criteria apply. For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website.

Benefits Information

The University is committed to providing excellent benefits to our faculty. For a summary of available benefits, please see UWHR benefits information.

Privacy Notice

Your application materials may be used for employment consideration and shared in accordance with UW’s Privacy Policy.

Disability Services

The University of Washington is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or [e-mail].