Postdoctoral Researcher – Watershed Nutrient Modeling Under Changing Climate

This position has an initial appointment of one year with the possibility of extension to two years and offers a benefits package found at Postdoctoral Fellows Benefits .

Location – This role is in person at North Campus Edmonton.

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Working for the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences offers interdisciplinary approaches to diverse teaching and research themes. One of the largest and best supported departments in Canada, it has an international reputation for leading-edge research.The EAS Department offers degree programs in Environmental Earth Sciences, Environmental Studies, Geology, Human Geography, Paleontology, and Planning. The Department is unique in Canada in that it offers an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Students take courses from nationally and internationally recognized scholars, at the forefront of their fields.

Position 

The Watershed Science & Modelling Laboratory (WSML) of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta is looking for one innovative and highly motivated candidate to develop watershed models and conduct research on “watershed nutrient modeling under changing climate”. The successful candidate will work with and/or enhance the existing process-based agro-hydrological models and data by integrating with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence approaches at the WSML for agricultural watersheds of western Canada. More specifically, the candidate will contribute to understanding of nutrient exports and transports from terrestrial soils into the river systems, and their fate and transport in the river systems by application in prairie watersheds of western Canada. The candidate is highly expected to collaborate with other graduate students at the WSML and develop collaborative publications as well as their independent publications. The end goal is to provide scientifically credible knowledge for sustainable management of water and food resources in an uncertain future.

Duties 

• Enhance the current dataset at the WSML by collection, compilation, preprocessing, and reformatting for modeling purposes.
• Developing, testing, and integrating large-scale watershed water quantity and quality data and models with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence approaches for agricultural watersheds of western Canada (AWWC).
• Scenario analysis for understanding key processes driving nutrient loads, transport, and fate across AWWC.
• Collaboration with current PhD students at the WSML who are engaged in the research within the broader project framework.
• Develop independent and collaborative publications with the WSML.

Qualifications

• PhD degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Resources and Agricultural Engineering, Earth and Environmental Sciences or a closely related fields.
• Proficient knowledge and understanding of watershed hydrology, soil-plant-water relations, and watershed water quantity/quality processes.
• A strong prior experience working with (and applying) Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence approaches in hydrological modelling and watershed studies.
• A prior experience working with process-based models such as Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a great asset.
• A strong background in programming: any programming languages suitable for ML/AI modelling and application is fundamental. Any experience working with the source code of the SWAT model in a Fortran environment is a great asset.
• Proficient knowledge of scripting in R (preferred) or similar tools for large data processing required.
• Strong ability to work both independently and collaboratively, prioritize, adapt to rapidly shifting priorities and manage research projects from start to scientific publication is required.
• Superior written, communication, and interpersonal skills for effective and efficient development of scientific publications and interaction with other researchers in the lab and in public.
• Strong ability to work in a diverse, interdisciplinary, and multicultural working environment.

At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.