Agrohydrological Modeler

We are looking for an experienced researcher to contribute to multiple projects related to agricultural water use practices in irrigated landscapes. Initial focal areas for this position include advancing the use of remotely sensed Earth observation data (e.g., OpenET) to support farm and water management decision-making, and developing and applying coupled socio-hydrological modeling tools to quantify the impacts of different management strategies on water resources. This work will contribute to multiple externally funded projects from USDA, EDF, and NSF and include opportunities to develop new projects.

This position is based at the University of Kansas as part of the HydroEcology of the Anthropocene Lab (HEAL), supervised by Sam Zipper (samzipper.com) in the Kansas Geological Survey and the Department of Geology. This is a remote position; however, due to state employment laws, we cannot currently hire candidates residing in California, Delaware, Idaho, or Minnesota.

Responsibilities

• Research (85%):
  • Lead agrohydrological modeling research, focusing 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 in peer-reviewed publications and to both scientific and lay audiences.
• Service (15%):
  • Support Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) efforts in technical service, communication, and public information.
  • Interact with public, university, government, and industry stakeholders.
  • Participate in professional scientific and industrial organizations.
  • Serve on University and KGS committees as assigned or in response to opportunities.
  • 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 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.

Qualifications

• Experience working with remotely sensed data, preferably related to evapotranspiration.
• Experience in 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, as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience working with stakeholders on water management issues.
• Experience writing research proposals to obtain grant funding, fellowships, or similar.
• 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, and nine paid holidays plus one discretionary day annually.
• Group medical and dental insurance, life and disability insurance, and retirement program options.

Pay

$75,000 - $80,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications.

Application review begins August 31, 2026. Anticipated start date: September 14, 2026.