Pay Grade/Pay Range: Minimum: $48,600 - Midpoint: $60,800 (Salaried E7)

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

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

Job Summary: The Postdoctoral Fellow provides for an internship and continuation of scholarly activity and research after achieving the PhD or other doctoral degree under the direction of a senior faculty member who serves as a mentor for the postdoctoral appointee.

Additional Department Summary: The Alabama Water Institute at University of Alabama is seeking candidates for a postdoctoral fellow for an NSF-funded project. The postdoctoral fellow will be embedded in the Alabama Water Institute under the supervision of Dr. Steve Burian and working with Dr. Wanyun Shao in Geography.


Collaborates with a research team studying climate adaptation strategies to safeguard urban water infrastructure systems to extreme flood events in southeast U.S. case study locations. Develops large-scale hydrologic models, water infrastructure system models, and flood damage assessment models and apply the models under a range of climate change scenarios to test resilience measures.


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 availability of funds.

Required Minimum Qualifications: Doctorate. Additional qualifications based on assignment.

Additional Required Department Minimum Qualifications: Candidates with a Ph.D. or in a Ph.D. program and all but dissertation in one of these fields (applied hydrology, civil engineering, computer science, geoscience), or a closely related field and demonstrated relevant experience in pre-doctoral research will be considered.


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

Skills and Knowledge: Strong interest in (or be already skilled in) the development and application of hydrologic models and water infrastructure systems models (e.g., water distribution, stormwater management, sewage collection). Knowledge and experience in one or more of the following: working with large-scale hydrologic models, water infrastructure system models, high-performance and cloud computing, programming in Python, data analysis and visualization, geospatial analysis, and processing of large amounts of meteorological and remote sensing data.

Preferred Qualifications: Strong interpersonal skills to facilitate effective collaboration with academics, scientists, practitioners, and students. 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