Postdoctoral Fellow, Water Quality & Nutrient Research

Auburn University; Alabama; On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Auburn University in Alabama invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to advance water quality and phosphorus management research. The appointment is non-tenure track for two years with possible renewal up to four years, and starts January 1, 2027.

The successful candidate will conduct field and lab studies, implement rainfall simulations, analyze water samples, and apply APEX/SWAT models. Travel to monitoring sites and data-driven reporting are required.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in soil science, hydrology, or closely related field.
• Expertise in phosphorus transport models such as APEX and SWAT; knowledge of P-Index and hydrology.
• Experience in phosphorus chemistry and water quality.
• Experience in rainfall simulations and edge-of-field monitoring devices, data acquisition, and analysis.
• Expertise in GIS and remote sensing technologies.
• Solid publication record.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on phosphorus transport and nutrient loss from agricultural fields, including planning, setup, and execution of field and laboratory studies.
• Set up, operate, and maintain rainfall simulation experiments and edge-of-field monitoring equipment; travel to monitoring sites to collect data.
• Analyze samples in labs and generate water-quality data to evaluate nutrient transport models.
• Apply field data and evaluate phosphorus transport models (APEX, SWAT); use P-Index and hydrologic information to assess phosphorus-loss risk.
• Use GIS and remote-sensing tools to organize, analyze, visualize, and interpret spatial and environmental datasets.
• Manage, process, quality-check, and statistically analyze research data; maintain complete documentation of methods and datasets.
• Interpret and synthesize results, prepare technical reports and peer-reviewed manuscripts, and present findings at meetings.

Skills

Phosphorus models

P-Index

Water quality

Rainfall simulations

Edge-of-field monitoring

GIS

Remote sensing

Publications

Education

Ph.D. in soil science/hydrology or related

Tools

GIS software

Remote sensing tools

Job description

Auburn University in Alabama invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to advance water quality and phosphorus management research. The appointment is non-tenure track for two years with possible renewal up to four years, and starts January 1, 2027.

The successful candidate will conduct field and lab studies, implement rainfall simulations, analyze water samples, and apply APEX/SWAT models. Travel to monitoring sites and data-driven reporting are required.