Agrohydrological Modeler

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced researcher to contribute to multiple projects focused on agricultural water use practices in irrigated landscapes. Initial focal areas include:

• Advancing the use of remotely sensed Earth observation data (e.g., OpenET) to support farm and water management decision-making.
• Developing and applying coupled socio-hydrological modeling tools to quantify the impacts of different management strategies on water resources.

This work will support multiple externally funded projects from USDA, EDF, and NSF and offer opportunities to develop new initiatives. The position is based at the University of Kansas as part of the HydroEcology of the Anthropocene Lab (HEAL), supervised by Sam Zipper, within the Kansas Geological Survey and the Department of Geology.

This is a remote position, though employment may be restricted for candidates residing in California, Delaware, Idaho, or Minnesota due to state employment laws.

Responsibilities

Research (85%):

• Lead agrohydrological modeling research with a focus on irrigated agricultural landscapes.
• Identify key decision needs for stakeholders and develop models, tools, and data products to support these processes.
• Design and implement field-based data collection approaches where necessary.
• Develop research proposals for external funding agencies to support tool and data product development.
• Communicate research results through peer-reviewed publications and presentations to scientific and lay audiences.

Service (15%):

• Support institutional, university, and disciplinary service efforts, including technical communication and public information for the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS).
• Engage with the public, university, government, and industry stakeholders.
• Participate in professional scientific and industrial organizations.
• Serve on University and KGS committees as assigned or when opportunities arise.
• Collaborate with students and visiting scientists to enhance research programs.

Requirements

Applicants must meet one of the following education and experience criteria:

• Ph.D. in a discipline related to water, environmental, geological, geospatial, and/or agricultural science or engineering.
• M.S. in a related discipline and at least three years of professional research experience in agrohydrological modeling.

Additional required qualifications:

• Experience working with remotely sensed data, preferably related to evapotranspiration, as evidenced by past research products.
• Experience with irrigated agricultural landscapes typical of the U.S. High Plains region.
• Coding proficiency in Python or a comparable language (R, MATLAB, Julia, etc.).
• Strong communication skills, demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications and application materials.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience working with stakeholders on water management issues.
• Experience writing research proposals for grant funding, fellowships, or similar opportunities.
• Experience with field-based hydrologic and/or agronomic data collection.

Benefits

• University staff privileges.
• Up to 176 hours of paid vacation earned per year.
• 96 hours of sick leave earned per year.
• Nine paid holidays plus one discretionary day annually.
• Group medical and dental insurance, life and disability insurance, and retirement program options.

Pay

Expected salary range: $75,000 to $80,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications.