Post Doctorate Research Associate

ExxonMobil; Spring (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc. seeks a senior Postdoctoral Research Associate to lead an interdisciplinary portfolio on water management across ecosystems.

You will guide study design, QA/QC, and coordination of hydrologic, hydrogeologic, ecological monitoring, and geospatial analyses with industry partners. You will translate data insights into hypotheses, develop new research directions, and contribute to high‑impact publications and proposals while collaborating with academic and

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Hydrology or related field.
• Experience with study design and QA/QC.
• Experience with process-based hydrologic/hydrogeologic models.
• Strong quantitative skills (R or Python).
• Expertise in GIS and spatial analysis.
• Peer-reviewed publications track record.
• Strong written and verbal communication.
• Ability to work independently within interdisciplinary team.
• Experience overseeing multi-disciplinary field programs.
• Background in water quality or groundwater systems.
• Remote sensing integration experience.
• Experience with surface-groundwater interaction studies.

Responsibilities

• Lead study design refinement across modeling and monitoring.
• Develop standardized sampling frameworks across treatments.
• Ensure consistency between field data and models.
• Support monitoring plans and adaptive management frameworks.
• QA/QC data governance across datasets including hydrology and ecology.
• Data validation workflows, metadata standards, documentation.
• Oversee modeling integration and calibration efforts.
• Coordinate field monitoring with interdisciplinary teams.
• Develop GIS-integrated spatial products linking processes.
• Lead publications and technical reports.
• Translate outputs into actionable management guidance.
• Collaborate with EMBSI staff and partners.

Skills

PhD in Hydrology

Study Design & QA/QC

Hydrologic Models

R/Python Stats

GIS & Spatial Analysis

Publications Track Record

Communication & Collaboration

Independent & Teamwork

Education

Ph.D. in Hydrology or related field

Tools

SWAT+

APEX

MODFLOW

Job description

About Us

At ExxonMobil, our vision is to lead in energy innovations that advance modern living while reducing emissions. As one of the world’s largest publicly traded energy and chemical companies, we are powered by a unique and diverse workforce fueled by the pride in what we do and what we stand for. The success of our Upstream, Product Solutions and Low Carbon Solutions businesses is the result of the talent, curiosity and drive of our people. They bring solutions every day to optimize our strategy in energy, chemicals, lubricants and lower-emissions technologies. We invite you to bring your ideas to ExxonMobil to help create sustainable solutions that improve quality of life and meet society’s evolving needs. Learn more about our What and our Why and how we can work together.

Summary

We are seeking a senior Postdoctoral Research Associate to join our interdisciplinary research team at ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc. (EMBSI). The Associate will support and lead a diverse portfolio of applied research projects aimed at evaluating the role of water management in enhancing ecosystem resilience, hydrologic function, and biodiversity across a range of ecosystems. Serving as a cross‑disciplinary scientific integrator, the candidate will provide leadership in study design, QA/QC oversight, and technical coordination across hydrologic modeling, hydrogeologic systems, ecological monitoring, and geospatial analytics. This role emphasizes ensuring scientific defensibility, data integrity, and alignment across complex datasets and modeling systems, while synthesizing outputs to inform adaptive management and decision‑making.

In addition to coordinating ongoing efforts, the Associate will actively generate novel research directions by translating integrated data insights into new hypotheses, study designs, and strategic initiatives. The position requires close collaboration with a broad team of industry, academic scientists, and 3rd‑party collaborators to co‑develop approaches, harmonize methodologies, and integrate expertise across disciplines. Through these efforts, the candidate will contribute to high‑impact research, proposal development, and partnerships with academic and industry collaborators, advancing our understanding of the water, soil, plant, animal nexus, including surface‑groundwater interactions. In addition, post‑doctoral researchers are encouraged to publish and present their work in peer‑reviewed journals and conferences. This is supported through a standard internal review process designed to protect intellectual property and confidential business information while enabling timely dissemination of scientific results.

This opportunity is for a post‑doctoral position expected to last one to three years, subject to annual review and renewal.

About You

Skills and Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Ecohydrology, Environmental Science, Rangeland Ecology, or related field
• Demonstrated experience with study design and experimental frameworks, Data QA/QC and management
• Experience with process‑based hydrologic and/or hydrogeologic models (e.g., SWAT+, APEX, MODFLOW)
• Strong quantitative and statistical skills (R, Python, or equivalent)
• Expertise in GIS and spatial analysis (ArcGIS, QGIS, GEE)
• Track record of peer‑reviewed publications
• Strong written and verbal communication, coordination, and collaboration skills
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within an interdisciplinary team

Preferred Qualifications / Experience

• Experience overseeing multi‑disciplinary field programs
• Background in water quality, salinity, nutrient transport systems, or groundwater flow systems
• Experience with remote sensing integration (LiDAR, UAV, satellite)
• Experience with surface‑groundwater interaction studies and aquifer characterization
• Familiarity with regulatory or applied monitoring frameworks
• Experience working with industry‑sponsored or applied research programs
• Strong ability to bridge science, operations, and decision‑making

What you will do

Study Design & Scientific Oversight

• Provide leadership in study design refinement, ensuring alignment between hydrologic and/or hydrogeologic modeling, field monitoring networks, and ecological response metrics
• Develop and standardize sampling frameworks and experimental design across treatment and control areas
• Ensure consistency between field data collection, modeling assumptions, and reporting outputs
• Support development of monitoring plans and adaptive management frameworks

QA/QC & Data Governance

• Ensure implementation of QA/QC protocols across all project datasets, including hydrology, hydrogeology, vegetation, and wildlife
• Establish data validation workflows, metadata standards, and documentation practices
• Perform data integrity audits and cross‑validation between field observations, groundwater data, remote sensing, and model outputs
• Ensure compliance with scientific best practices and regulatory expectations

Ecohydrological & Hydrogeological Modeling Integration

• Oversee implementation, calibration, and validation of water models (e.g., SWAT+, MODFLOW)
• Ensure appropriate linkage between model parameterization, field data inputs, groundwater systems, and observed ecological responses
• Review and refine soil, aquifer, vegetation, and hydrologic parameter assumptions and scenario design for application

Field Monitoring Integration

• Coordinate across teams to ensure aligned, defensible monitoring approaches
• Provide technical guidance on study design
• Ensure field programs generate data suitable for model calibration and validation, statistical inference, trend detection, and identification of data gaps or inconsistencies

Geospatial & Systems Integration

• Oversee integration of GIS, remote sensing, and model datasets, including watershed and aquifer delineation, LiDAR, drone imagery, and satellite products
• Ensure spatial consistency across datasets and time series
• Develop integrated spatial products linking hydrologic and hydrogeological processes and ecological outcomes

Synthesis, Reporting & Decision Support

• Lead or co‑author peer‑reviewed publications and technical reports
• Ensure reporting reflects high confidence, QA/QC‑vetted data and analyses
• Develop decision‑support tools and guidance, including application thresholds, risk mitigation strategies (salinity, erosion, water quality), and groundwater impacts
• Translate scientific outputs into actionable recommendations for land management, water reuse implementation, regulatory and stakeholder engagement
• Collaborate with EMBSI scientific staff, 3rd‑party collaborators, IT resources, and global operations

What role you will play in our team

• Grow ecology, hydrology, and hydrogeology capability at ExxonMobil
• Develop tools to assist in evaluation of complex ecological/hydrogeological systems
• Incorporate optimization elements to automate biodiversity monitoring

Work Location

Our ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc. employees are located at our main corporate office in Spring, Texas.

Your Total Rewards

An ExxonMobil career is one designed to last. Our commitment to you runs deep: our employees grow personally and professionally, with benefits built on our core categories of health, security, finance, and life. More information on our company’s benefits can be found at www.exxonmobilfamily.com. Please note benefits may be changed from time to time without notice, subject to applicable law.

Relocation Options

Relocation benefits may be available to you based on ExxonMobil eligibility guidelines.

Equal Opportunity Employer

ExxonMobil is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or physical or mental disability. Nothing herein is intended to override the corporate separateness of local entities. Working relationships discussed herein do not necessarily represent a reporting connection, but may reflect a functional guidance, stewardship, or service relationship. Exxon Mobil Corporation has numerous affiliates, many with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso and Mobil. For convenience and simplicity, those terms and terms like corporation, company, our, we and its are sometimes used as abbreviated references to specific affiliates or affiliate groups. Abbreviated references describing global or regional operational organizations and global or regional business lines are also sometimes used for convenience and simplicity. Similarly, ExxonMobil has business relationships with thousands of customers, suppliers, governments, and others. For convenience and simplicity, words like venture, joint venture, partnership, co‑venturer, and partner are used to indicate business relationships involving common activities and interests, and those words may not indicate precise legal relationships.