Research Scientist

We are an interdisciplinary research center that creates innovative forecasts of future environmental dynamics, providing actionable insights for decision-making.

We are an action-oriented research center: we collect and analyze environmental data; build and share ecological models and software; create and assess a range of forecasting methods; translate and communicate forecasts for decision support; and partner and engage with forecast users. We strive to advance the discipline of ecosystem forecasting globally by leading cutting-edge forecasting research, education, and community engagement.

Position Overview

The Virginia Tech Center for Ecosystem Forecasting is recruiting a Research Scientist with a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Quantitative Ecology, Ecological Statistics, Natural Resources, Environmental Engineering, or a related field. We are seeking to recruit an integral, long-term member of our team who will contribute to environmental modeling and forecasting research across multiple funded projects. Following the mission of the Virginia Tech Center for Ecosystem Forecasting, we seek a team member who is excited to both create and apply innovative environmental models and forecasts that provide actionable forecast insights to guide decision-making and management. We encourage applicants to visit our website (https://ecoforecast.centers.vt.edu) to learn more about the Center, its mission and values, current projects, and our highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research team.

Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities for the on-site position include:

1. developing ecological forecasts (especially for lake and reservoir water quality) using a suite of models and datasets;
2. leading and co-authoring peer-reviewed publications, presentations, and data products;
3. providing guidance and mentorship to team members and supporting ongoing Center programs (including the Macrosystems EDDIE educational program); and
4. serving in a leadership role in the Center, which includes setting priorities, engaging partners, preparing reports, and collaborating with CEF co-directors and staff to apply for external funding.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Quantitative Ecology, Ecological Statistics, Natural Resources, Environmental/Civil Engineering, or a related field
• Significant experience in publishing peer-reviewed journal articles, demonstrated by publication record
• Significant quantitative research experience in ecosystem modeling, environmental forecasting, and/or computational ecology, demonstrated by publications and/or software development
• Significant experience working in the R and/or Python programming language, demonstrated by GitHub (or other code repository) portfolio
• Significant experience in environmental data analysis, demonstrated by publications and presentations
• Experience with collaborative coding, demonstrated by GitHub (or other code repository) activity
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary collaborative teams, demonstrated by previous team research experiences