Postdoc: Soil Biogeochemistry - Field & Lab Studies

LBL; California; On-site; USD 76,000 - 103,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid family leave

Personal Time Off 24 days per year

UC retirement savings options

Job summary

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division is seeking an innovative Postdoctoral Researcher to investigate soil carbon and nutrient cycling and how these cycles are affected by soil temperature and depth. You will contribute to a cutting-edge grassland soil-warming experiment in Point Reyes, CA, and advance mechanistic understanding of soil biogeochemistry and plant-soil feedbacks.

Start date anticipated March 1, 2027; later dates considered.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in ecology, soil science, biogeochemistry, earth sciences, or a related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in biogeochemistry.
• Demonstrated experience conducting fieldwork.
• Experience handling large datasets and applying statistical analyses.
• Relevant laboratory experience.
• Ability to spend multiple days per month at a field site, including overnight stays.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to carrying out a whole-soil warming experiment in collaboration with a multidisciplinary research team.
• Develop and pursue new research questions and innovative techniques related to soils and plant-soil interactions.
• Characterize carbon and nutrient cycling (e.g., N, P) in the warming experiment, including trace gas fluxes.
• Measure and utilize elemental and isotopic composition of soil, plant, and/or gas samples.
• Communicate research outcomes in scientific publications and presentations.
• Set up, operate, and maintain field and laboratory instruments.
• Contribute to the development of grant proposals and progress reports.
• Evaluate model structures and parameters and contribute to the improvement of model capabilities.
• Participate in studies of plant physiological responses, proximal remote sensing, microbial carbon use efficiency and microbial community responses, or subsurface water and dissolved organic matter chemistry.
• Contribute to laboratory investigations of soil organic matter and organo-mineral interactions.

Skills

Soil biogeochemistry

Fieldwork

Statistical analyses

Data handling

Independent and collaborative work

Education

Ph.D. in ecology, soil science, biogeochemistry, earth sciences, or related field

Tools

Isotopic analysis

Remote sensing

ML/ML tools

Job description

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division is seeking an innovative Postdoctoral Researcher to investigate soil carbon and nutrient cycling and how these cycles are affected by soil temperature and depth. You will contribute to a cutting-edge grassland soil-warming experiment in Point Reyes, CA, and advance mechanistic understanding of soil biogeochemistry and plant-soil feedbacks.

Start date anticipated March 1, 2027; later dates considered.