Postdoctoral Research Associate

Texas A&M University; Temple, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Paid holidays

Job summary

Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Temple invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate with expertise in precision agriculture, digital soil mapping/pedometrics, proximal/remote sensing, and geospatial modeling. The candidate will collaborate with USDA-ARS and university partners to advance precision conservation in diverse cropping systems and deliver actionable soil and agronomic insights.

The role involves building ML/AI prediction models, creating field zones, and developing

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Soil Science, Agronomy, Agricultural Engineering, Geosciences, Environmental Sciences, or a closely related discipline.
• Strong background in data-intensive soil and agronomic analytics and geospatial modeling.
• Proficiency in proximal sensing, GIS, and remote sensing.
• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

Responsibilities

• Combine field observations with proximal sensing, UAV and satellite imagery, yield monitor data, and soil datasets to create soil and agronomic intelligence products.
• Analyze multi-source datasets, grid field zones, and management actions tied to farm economics.
• Develop ML/AI-based prediction models and validate them with independent data.
• Publish results and contribute to proposals in collaboration with USDA-ARS and university partners.
• Lead and co-author peer-reviewed publications and present findings.

Skills

Geospatial modeling

Proximal sensing

GIS

Remote sensing

Education

Ph.D. in Soil Science, Agronomy, Agricultural Engineering, Geosciences, Environmental Sciences, or closely related discipline

Job description

Job Title

Postdoctoral Research Associate Agency

Department

Texas A&M Agrilife Research Department Temple

Proposed Minimum SalaryCommensurate

Job LocationTemple, Texas

Job TypeStaff

About Texas A&M AgriLife

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service.

Position Information

Texas A&M AgriLife Research at Temple is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate with expertise in precision agriculture technologies, digital soil mapping/pedometrics, proximal/remote sensing, and geospatial modeling. The ideal candidate will work and collaborate closely within a research team at Texas A&M AgriLife and USDA-ARS laboratories to advance precision conservation in cropping systems with diverse management, delivering practical soil and agronomic information for decision-making at the subfield, farm, and regional levels.

Responsibilities

The selected candidate will combine field observations with proximal sensing, UAV and satellite imagery, yield monitor data, and soil, environmental, and weather datasets to create soil and agronomic intelligence products that guide precision management at the sub-field level and inform conservation decisions. The role includes integrating multi-source datasets, analyzing yield stability over time, building and validating ML/AI-based prediction models, creating field zones tied to management actions supported by farm economics, and developing scaling-up solutions for different management scenarios. The researcher will develop profit–risk–environment tradeoff products, build reusable R/Python workflows, and publish and present results in collaboration with USDA-ARS and university partners across Texas and the U.S. In addition, leading and co-authoring peer-reviewed scientific publications, as well as actively contributing to proposal development, are key responsibilities. Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualfications:

• Ph.D. in Soil Science, Agronomy, Agricultural Engineering, Geosciences, Environmental Sciences, or a closely related discipline.
• Strong background in data-intensive soil and agronomic analytics and geospatial modeling.
• Proficiency in proximal sensing, GIS, and remote sensing.
• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced ML/AI experience in digital soil mapping/pedometrics and soil landscape modeling, and in handling high-resolution geospatial and temporal datasets.
• Demonstrated experience with precision agriculture data/tools (yield monitor data, spatial variability, management zones, ECa/EMI, LiDAR, VisNIR, and UAV workflows).
• Proficiency in programming languages (R or Python) for automated reproducible workflows.
• Knowledge, experience, and interest in assessing the impacts of management practices on environmental outcomes, such as soil health diagnostics, water quality, carbon/nitrogen cycling, and profit–risk–environment tradeoff products.
• Excellent academic record, including authored/co-authored publications and contributions to significant scientific meetings, seminars, and conferences.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

Other Requirements:

• This position is grant funded and availability is contingent on grant funding.

Salary:

Compensation for this position is commensurate based on the selected candidate’s qualifications.

Position Funding:

This position is grant funded and availability is contingent on grant funding.

Why Work at Texas A&M AgriLife?

When you choose to work for Texas A&M AgriLife, you become part of an organization that is an established leader in agriculture and life sciences with a wide range of capabilities to meet the needs of our statewide, national, and international constituents. In addition, Texas A&M AgriLife offers a comprehensive benefit package including the following: Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums 12-15 days of annual paid holidays Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.

The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a statewide network of twelve universities, eight state agencies, a comprehensive health science center, Texas A&M-Fort Worth and Texas A&M-RELLIS. The A&M System is committed to providing an educational and work environment that is conducive to the personal and professional development of each employee. Each member institution provides equal opportunity and access to all students, employees and prospective employees. External Applicants - Applicants not currently employed by a Texas A&M System member may Search Postings and apply for positions within one or more A&M System members by selecting the job posting. Internal Applicants - This site lists job postings throughout The Texas A&M University System. It is intended for applicants not currently employed by a member of the system. Current employees should apply for jobs on the Internal Career site. The Texas A&M System is an Equal Opportunity/ Veterans/ Disability Employer.

Security and Background Check

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.