Research Scientist

Job Description

The Virginia Tech Center for Ecosystem Forecasting is recruiting a Research Scientist with a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Quantitative Ecology, Ecological Statistics, Natural Resources, Environmental Engineering, or a related field. We are seeking an integral, long-term member of our team who will contribute to environmental modeling and forecasting research across multiple funded projects. Following the mission of the Center, we invite applicants to learn more about our highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research team.

We encourage you to visit our website at (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

• Develop ecological forecasts (especially for lake and reservoir water quality) using a suite of models and datasets.
• Lead and co-author peer-reviewed publications, presentations, and data products.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to team members and support ongoing Center programs, including the Macrosystems EDDIE educational program.
• Serve in a leadership role in the Center, setting priorities, engaging partners, preparing reports, and collaborating with CEF co-directors and staff to apply for external funding.

• Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Quantitative Ecology, Ecological Statistics, Natural Resources, Environmental/Civil Engineering, or a related field.
• Significant experience publishing peer-reviewed journal articles.
• Significant quantitative research experience in ecosystem modeling, environmental forecasting, and/or computational ecology.
• Experience in R and/or Python programming, demonstrated by a Git Hub portfolio.
• Experience in environmental data analysis.
• Experience with collaborative coding.
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary collaborative teams.

• Postdoctoral research experience.
• Experience with water quality models, especially for lakes and reservoirs.
• Experience publishing data and code products.
• Experience in data and forecast visualization.
• Experience in mentoring and/or supervising.
• Experience working across computational platforms (command line, Docker, cloud computing, RStudio, etc.).

Review of applications will begin on Monday, 22 December, with anticipated Zoom interviews scheduled in early January. Funding for this position is available for multiple years, pending satisfactory performance during an initial probationary period and subsequent annual performance reviews. This position does not sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa. The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

• Overtime status:
  Exempt – Not eligible for overtime.
• Appointment type:
  Restricted.
• Salary information:
  Commensurate with experience.
• Hours per week: 40 hours – exempt position.
• Review date:
  December 22, 2025.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex, gender, genetic information, ethnicity, or other protected characteristics.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Dreama Price at dreama during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.