Post Doctorate Research Associate

Post Doctorate Research Associate

Location:

Spring, TX, US, 77389 Company Name:
Exxon Mobil

Summary:

We are seeking a senior Postdoctoral Research Associate to join our interdisciplinary research team at Exxon Mobil 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, postdoctoral 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 postdoctoral position expected to last one to three years, subject to annual review and renewal.

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

Study Design & Scientific Oversight

Provide leadership in study design refinement, ensuring alignment between:
Hydrologic and/or hydrogeologic modeling, field monitoring networks, 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, 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, observed ecological responses

Review and refine:
Soil, aquifer, vegetation, and hydrologic parameter assumptions

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 and trend detection

Identify and resolve data gaps, inconsistencies, or methodological risks

Geospatial & Systems Integration

Oversee…