Southern California HERC

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume in the supporting documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name -- RICE -- Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

About George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing:

The George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing ranks among the top 20 undergraduate engineering programs (US News & World Report) and is strongly committed to nurturing the aspirations of faculty, staff, and students in an inclusive environment.

We seek greater representation of women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans in disciplines in which they have historically been underrepresented; to attract international students from a wider range of countries and backgrounds; to accelerate progress in building a faculty and staff who are diverse in background and thought, and we support an inclusive environment that fosters interaction and understanding within our diverse community.

Position Summary:

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will investigate the relationship between intra- and inter-annual atmospheric variability and change and extreme sea levels along the Gulf Coast region. This position will also develop probabilistic methods for incorporating extreme sea-level variability into relative sea-level rise projection frameworks. Working under the supervision of Dr. Avantika Gori in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Dr. Sylvia Dee in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice University, the successful candidate will primarily contribute to the ongoing NASEM-supported project, Shifting Land, Rising Seas: Forecasting How Human and Climate Drivers Shape Gulf Coast Sea-Level Futures. The researcher will conduct study the joint dynamics of atmospheric and sea-level variability using large ensemble simulations from climate models, including CESM, as well as paleoclimate data and simulations, and will collaborate across an interdisciplinary project team.

The ideal candidate is a technically strong and collaborative researcher with expertise in hydroclimate and/or sea-level modeling, experience working with large climate and related datasets, and familiarity with statistical and probabilistic methods applied to extreme events. They bring a strong research record, communicate effectively, work independently, and contribute positively to an interdisciplinary team environment through collaboration, reliability, and mentorship of other group members.

More information about Dr. Gori's research group can be found at: https://gori.blogs.rice.edu

More information about Dr. Dee's research group can be found at: https://sylviadeeclimate.org

Workplace Requirements:

This is an on-site position, requiring all responsibilities to be carried out in person at Rice University campus. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: $61,000

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

This is a one-year, benefits-eligible, full-time position funded by grant, soft, and/or restricted funds, with the possibility of renewal for an additional year subject to continued funding and satisfactory performance.

Additional Information:

The proposed start date is June 1, 2026, though candidates available to begin earlier are encouraged to apply.

Minimum Requirements:

• PhD in Earth, Atmospheric, or Ocean Science, Civil & Environmental Engineering, or a related field

• No additional experience required
  

Preferences:

• Record of research productivity, reflected through scholarly publications.
• Strong background working with general circulation model output and other large datasets.
• Expertise in hydroclimate and/or sea-level modeling.
• Familiarity with statistical and probabilistic methods applied to extreme events.
• Proficiency in scientific programming and high-performance computing environments.
• Knowledge of geospatial data processing and integration of diverse observational and model-based data sources.
• Experience developing reproducible, modular, and well-documented codebases, including familiarity with version control and collaborative development workflows such as Git/GitHub.
• Ability to contribute effectively within a collaborative research environment, including support for mentorship of other group members.
  

Essential Functions:

• Conduct research on the relationship between intra- and inter-annual atmospheric variability and change and extreme sea levels along the Gulf Coast region.

• Develop probabilistic methods for incorporating extreme sea-level variability into relative sea-level rise projection frameworks.

• Conduct research on the joint dynamics of atmospheric and sea-level variability using large ensemble climate model simulations, including CESM, as well as paleoclimate data and simulations.

• Support the research goals and activities of the NASEM-supported project, Shifting Land, Rising Seas: Forecasting How Human and Climate Drivers Shape Gulf Coast Sea-Level Futures.

• Collaborate across an interdisciplinary project team to advance project objectives.

• Work independently to meet project deadlines and reporting requirements.

• Prepare and communicate research findings in support of project activities and scholarly dissemination.

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University's Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.