Postdoctoral Scholar, Wildfire Science and Technology Lab

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.

If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or jobs@unr.edu. For UNR Med professional job postings, please contact the Office of Professional Recruitment at (775) 784-6778. 

Job Description

The newly established Wildfire Science and Technology Lab at University of Nevada, Reno invites applicants for multiple postdoctoral fellows to conduct research in technological and scientific aspects of Wildfire Science and Engineering across the Pre-Fire, Active-Fire, and Post-Fire domains. Our goal is to develop new capabilities for stakeholders to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfires. We seek dynamic individuals with a knowledge of fire science who are willing to work within a multidisciplinary team in a fast-paced research and development environment, learn new skills, interact with stakeholders, and produce high-quality research and technology products. The positions are part of a cluster hire in support of the Lab. The candidates will interact with other research teams at the Lab as well as faculty members at UNR and other partnering institutes and agencies. The Lab is committed to postdoctoral mentorship and supports independent career development for successful candidates.  

For Pre-Fire domain, we seek candidates with strong background in engineering risk, reliability, and stochastic simulation concepts with experience in wildfire modeling and loss assessment and regional planning of rural communities. The individual will contribute to the development of solution platforms for integrating spatial and temporal information, harnessing remote sensing data, using climate information, understanding fuel accumulation and running physics-based or data-driven wildfire simulations to design and assess scenarios for risk mitigation.

For Active-Frie problem domain, we seek candidates with strong background in analytical and computational methods related to physics-based wildfire simulation, fuel modeling, remote sensing, data-driven methods, artificial intelligence, and real-time applications. The successful candidates will contribute to the development of faster than real-time data and modeling tools for emergency response management and decision support.

In the post-fire domain, candidates will establish quantitative links between wildfire behavior with post-fire ecological consequences affecting landscapes and water bodies to quantify impacts and establish boundary conditions for recovery modeling. Specifically, we seek capable individuals with proficiency in modeling to assess how post-wildfire impacts soil functioning (infiltration, runoff, strength, composition, biology), smoke deposition, carbon and nutrient alteration and transport, impacts of altered vegetation, soil and hydrology on landscape functions, and targeted restoration strategies for accelerating recovery of fire-affected landscapes.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Engineering, Physics, Ecology and Forestry, Earth Science, Computational Science, or related fields.

• Ph.D. research experience in wildfire engineering, fire science, landscape modeling, or related topics.

• Experience in working with big data.

• Excellent English-language communication skills (oral and written).

• Demonstrated ability to perform research and publish results in peer-reviewed literature.

• Completion of a doctoral degree in the appropriate discipline is required.

• The doctoral degree must have been completed within the five years immediately preceding the first date of appointment as a postdoctoral fellow at the University.

• The individual cannot have held previous positions in the professional ranks.

Preferred Qualifications

Candidates who possess the following skills and attributes are encouraged to apply:

• Background in large-scale numerical modeling (regional planning, ecological, hydrologic climatic, or wildfire modeling).

• Experience with scientific software development in C/C++, FORTRAN and/or Python.

• Experience working with geo-spatial information, remote sensing data, and GIS software.

• Experience in deep learning and computer vision.

• Experience in developing software tools and products.

• Experience in writing scientific papers and successful grant applications.

Compensation Grade

Postdoctoral Scholar

To view the salary schedule for this position, please visit: Salary Schedules. Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience.

Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program

The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual-career couples’ professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada. Dual Career Assistance Program

College Information - College of Engineering

The College of Engineering is guided by its vision to be a world-class institution for education, research and innovation that drives economic growth and social progress. Located in northern Nevada, where technology, advanced manufacturing and renewable energy are among the key industries, the College of Engineering leads in advancement and innovation. Our research faculty is supported by an Engineering Research Office that helped the college garner $33 million in research awards in CY 2023. All faculty and staff are directed by the College of Engineering’s mission to provide students with a rigorous, hands-on education in engineering and computer science that prepares them to solve real-world problems. 

For more information, please visit: https://www.unr.edu/engineering

Additional information is available at: http://www.unr.edu/cee/

Contact Information

All inquiries should be directed to Prof. Hamed Ebrahimian (hebrahimian@unr.edu) or dor@unr.edu

Exempt

Full-Time Equivalent

Required Attachment(s)

Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review. To request updates to attachments, prior to the committee review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at jobs@unr.edu

Attach the following attachments to your application

1) Resume/CV

2) Cover letter detailing how you meet the listed educational and experience qualifications.

3) Summary of your career interests and goals.

4) Contact Information for Three Professional References

This posting is open until filled

Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply immediately. This search will close without notice when a sufficient number of applications are received or a hiring decision has been made.

Posting Close Date

Note to Applicant

A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.

HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member’s first day of employment.

References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.

Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E-Verify.

As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.

For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver's license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment.

Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes). 

About Us

The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land-grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries.

Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.”

Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the Wayne L. Prim Campus at Lake Tahoe, where education, research, and creative work thrive in a stunning mountain setting. The University delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics.

The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. The University’s physical infrastructure is expanding with ongoing construction of the newly named John Tullock Business Building, set to open in fall 2025. Groundbreaking is also planned for a new State Public Health Laboratory Building on campus, alongside the recent acquisition of 16 parcels near campus, known as “University Village,” to provide affordable housing for graduate students and early career faculty.

Collaborating with world-renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple, which ensures equitable access to technology for students, providing new incoming freshman or transfer students with an iPad Air and accessories. Google’s TechWise initiate is an 18-month program that fully supports undergraduate students in becoming entry-level software engineers by graduation.

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that Nevada – led by the University of Nevada, Reno – was named one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs). Nevada was selected from a competitive pool of 489 applicants from across the United States and its territories. Nevada’s Tech Hub will strengthen America’s lithium batteries, critical elements and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state.

Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world.

The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience.

Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students’ cognitive growth and academic achievement – all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education.

For more information, please visit the University’s website.

University of Nevada, Reno