Pay Grade/Pay Range:  Non Classified - Grade NA

Department/Organization: 750501 - Alabama Water Institute (AWI)

Normal Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:45pm

Job Summary: The Assistant Research Professional should show evidence of competence in the disciplinary area of the position and demonstrated promise of moving towards excellence in professional leadership, practice, and/or research and scholarly activities as appropriate for the position. As directed, individuals in this track level independently contribute to the planning and design of research and creative projects. He/she performs supporting research and creative activities such as data analysis, monitoring outcomes, performing lab maintenance, and/or performing experiments and creating creative projects. May assist in both short-term and long-term planning and project goals, as well as in research and creative proposals and dissemination of project findings. This is only a representation of possible duties and is not an all-inclusive listing.

Additional Department Summary: The Alabama Water Institute at the University of Alabama seeks applications for an assistant research professional for a project with the NOAA-funded Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH). The assistant research professional will be embedded in the Alabama Water Institute under the supervision of Dr. Steve Burian and working with other researchers at the NOAA National Water Center located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The assistant research professional will be collaborating with a research team working to advance large-scale hydrologic modeling and applications of the Next Generation Water Resources Modeling Framework for water prediction and forecasting. The assistant research professional will also be working with a group on seasonal water supply forecasting in the Great Salt Lake basin and developing model-agnostic evaluation framework for the CIROH community. He/she will be working with an international team on assessing impacts of climate change on the regional dominant hydrological processes in a transboundary watershed.

Successful candidates will hold an advanced degree in a closely aligned discipline to the research needs and have a strong record of achievement in the noted research areas.

Initial appointment will be for one year. Renewal will be contingent upon demonstrated research productivity and availability of funds.

Applicants should upload a brief cover letter, curriculum vitae, and names, emails, and phone numbers of three references.

Continuation in this position is contingent upon availability of external funding derived from research programs or specific projects.

Required Minimum Qualifications: A relevant post-Baccalaureate degree is highly preferred (Master’s degree or higher). For candidates demonstrating comparable independent research and creative productivity, a relevant four-year undergraduate degree (B.A. or B.S.) and one (1) or more years of documented relevant experience may be substituted. May require terminal degree and licensure.

Additional Required Department Minimum Qualifications: Candidates with a Ph.D. in one of these fields (applied hydrology, civil engineering, computer science, geoscience), or a closely related field and demonstrated excellent experience in postdoctoral research will be considered.

Skills and Knowledge: Applicants are expected to have strong interest in (or be already skilled in) the development and application of hydrologic models in representing regional hydrological processes and climate impacts assessment. Suitable candidates will have prior knowledge and experience in at least three of the following: working with high-performance and cloud computing, programming in Python, data analysis and visualization, geospatial analysis, processing of large amounts of meteorological and remote sensing data, and downscaling and processing climate change projections.

Preferred Qualifications: Candidates should possess strong interpersonal skills to facilitate effective collaboration with academics, scientists, practitioners, and students. Additionally, candidates should exhibit outstanding capabilities in personal responsibility, taking initiative, innovative thinking, and communication proficiency.

Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age, genetic or family medical history information, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected basis, and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more. "EEO is the Law" Poster