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Postdoctoral Researcher – Urban Climate

Brookhaven Lab

Job Description


Brookhaven National Laboratory (www.bnl.gov) delivers discovery science and transformative technology to power and secure the nation’s future. Brookhaven Lab is a multidisciplinary laboratory with seven Nobel Prize-winning discoveries, 37 R&D 100 Awards, and more than 70 years of pioneering research. The Lab is primarily supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science. Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA) operates and manages the Laboratory for DOE. BSA is a partnership between Battelle and The Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University. BSA salutes our veterans and active military members with careers that leverage the skills and unique experience they gained while serving our country. Our organization fully supports service members transitioning from active duty to civilian life and pledge’s our commitment to actively hire veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Military personnel who have been formally trained or have relevant experience obtained while in service may meet educational requirements and are encouraged to apply for job opportunities at BSA.


Organizational Overview

Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Center for Multiscale Applied Sensing(CMAS) is a multi-disciplinary center that focuses on providing innovative solutions to challenges influenced by meteorological conditions (dispersion, weather extremes, building design) in highly heterogeneous environments such as cities and complex terrain regions. CMAS does this by innovating on the fronts of meteorological data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation (https://www.bnl.gov/cmas/ ). The CMAS work portfolio complements work conducted in Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Environmental and Climate Sciences Department.

The Environmental & Climate Sciences Department (www.bnl.gov/envsci ) at Brookhaven National Laboratory focuses on a wide range of theoretical, experimental, and field studies in support of the U.S. Department of Energy's climate and energy research agendas. Work is supported by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility (www.arm.gov ), an observations-based program that measures aerosols, clouds, precipitation, radiation, and atmospheric dynamics; the Atmospheric Systems Research Program; and the Terrestrial Ecosystems Science Program. This work is pursued with the ultimate goal of improving predictability and reducing the uncertainty in global and regional climate models. The department research portfolio also includes development of environmental technologies and applications for renewable energies, urban science, and national security.


Position Description

The selected candidate will join the BNL’s Center for Multiscale Applied sensing team (CMAS; https://www.bnl.gov/cmas/ ) working in close collaboration with the Environmental and Climate Sciences Department as part of the new Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory team.

The Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory is a multi-institutional project supported by the Department of Energy. The project aims to integrate a diverse suite of high-resolution observations (atmospheric, land surface, and infrastructure), diagnostic/predictive models, and civic engagement to provide new knowledge and deliver next-generation predictive tools. These tools will incorporate the effects of spatiotemporal drivers, atmospheric evolution, impacts, tradeoffs, and feedbacks, such that they can promote equitable policy interventions targeting extreme climate events, carbon dioxide emissions, and local air pollution within and across the Arizona urban corridor.


In this role the postdoctoral researcher will join the BNL Southwest Urban Integrated Field Laboratory team and conduct data analysis towards (i) understanding the feedbacks among urban infrastructure, waste heat, and extreme heat/weather events; (ii) assessing the spatiotemporal patterns of extreme heat and air quality impacts across the diverse urban landscape; (iii) evaluating the efficacy and social equity of mitigative actions across communities that include traditionally underrepresented groups, and feedbacks and trade-offs between the coupling of greenhouse gas emissions, climate impacts, and air quality. The team also leverages the observatories developed by BNL’s Center for Multiscale Applied Sensing (CMAS;
https://www.bnl.gov/cmas/ ) to collect unique field data in Arizona.  This position has a high level of interaction with an international and multicultural scientific community.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:


  • Design field deployment strategies aiming to evaluate and inform next-generation predictive urban climate models (e.g., through the use of OSSEs or ablation studies)
  • Assess the performance of next-generation predictive urban climate models using observations
  • Conduct observationally-based research into the urban boundary layer using big data (e.g., crowed sourced data or from mobile distributed networks).
  • Develop new visualization strategies of observation data useful to scientists and stakeholders
  • Write up and publish results in high-impact journals, in coordination with team leadership
  • Assist the principal investigator/researcher with research by reporting on results at regular group meetings and during scheduled seminars and colloquia
  • Participate in conferences and workshops, regular group meetings, and assist with notetaking

Position Requirements
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • PhD degree in data science, mathematics, meteorology, atmospheric sciences, or closely related fields (e.g., physics)
  • Demonstrated experience with data science especially feature engineering, predictive modeling and data visualization.
  • Knowledge and skills of software programming for data analysis. Demonstrated experience with Python, C++
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and independently
  • Clear and concise oral and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated track record of publication of research in high quality peer-reviewed journals and deliver of presentations

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Experience with analysis of weather model output (e.g., WRF)
  • Experience with feature engineering
  • Experience with predictive modeling
  • Experience with Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) techniques
  • Experience with interfacing climate observations and numerical models
  • Experience with mining and cleaning big observational data
  • Experience with developing multi-dataset or multi-dimensional visualization tools

OTHER INFORMATION:

  • BNL policy requires that after obtaining a PhD, eligible candidates for research associate appointments may not exceed a combined total of 5 years of relevant work experience as a post-doc and/or in an R&D position, excluding time associated with family planning, military service, illness or other life-changing events.
  • Initial 2-year term appointment subject to renewal contingent on performance and funding 
  • This is an on-site position eligible for consideration of occasional telework at the discretion of the manager/dept chair
  • Valid driver’s license
  • Review of applications begins immediately. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled
  • Research is under the direction of Dr. Katia Lamer

At Brookhaven National Laboratory we believe that a comprehensive employee benefits program is an important and meaningful part of the compensation employees receive. Our benefits program includes, but is not limited to:

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Care Plans
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Paid Time-off and Leave Programs (vacation, holidays, sick leave, paid parental leave)
  • 401(k) Plan
  • Flexible Work Arrangements
  • Tuition Assistance, Training and Professional Development Programs
  • Employee Fitness/Wellness & Recreation:  Gym/Basketball Courts, Weight Room, Fitness Classes, Indoor Pool, Tennis Courts, Sports Clubs/Activities (Basketball, Ping Pong, Softball, Tennis)

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is an equal opportunity employer that values inclusion and diversity at our Lab. We are committed to ensuring that all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, status as a veteran, disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

BNL takes affirmative action in support of its policy and to advance in employment individuals who are minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities. We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

*VEVRAA Federal Contractor


Brookhaven employees are subject to restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Programs, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation at the time of hire for review by Brookhaven. The full text of the Order may be found at: https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0486.1-BOrder-a/@@images/file


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