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The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

As the University's oldest institute, INSTAAR has a long history of responding to pressing environmental issues including climate change. Our traditional focus has been on alpine, Arctic, and Antarctic regions, where effects of global change are especially pronounced. In recent decades, our research has broadened to include environmental challenges that span local, regional, and global scales. INSTAAR’s research activities integrate field studies, state-of-the-art laboratory experiments, sample analysis, and numerical and laboratory modeling. Our field sites are located across all seven continents and the world's oceans.

Our expertise across disciplines helps us generate influential science that can inform public and policy decisions and move us toward a more sustainable society. INSTAAR's national and international research leadership is augmented by exceptional strength in graduate education and bringing undergraduates into the research process.

• The core of this position will be in parameterizing, evaluating and modifying simulations with MIMICS configured to replicate laboratory incubations, field decomposition experiments, and within and among site variation in soil biogeochemical dynamics.
• MIMICS or CLM will be configured to run for single point simulations for vegetation communities at focal NEON study sites.
• Initially the project will build on existing parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification tools built for MIMICS with a focus on calibrating fluxes based on measurements from a laboratory litter decomposition experiment.
• Subsequent model validation will occur using measurements from an ongoing field leaf litter decomposition that collaborators at Yale University are leading.
• Experience running models like MIMICS or CLM is not a requirement for this position, but a willingness to learn how to run the models will be critical for this work.
• As the project matures there may be an opportunity to integrate additional data (especially from microbial community analyses) from laboratory incubations and field samples.

All University of Colorado Boulder employees are required to comply with the campus COVID-19 vaccine requirement. New employees must provide proof of vaccination or receive a medical or religious exemption within 30 days of employment.

$55,000 per year at 50% time plus benefits through CU Boulder.

• A PhD.

• Strong attention to detail.
• The desire to work as part of a team to achieve goals.
• Demonstrated ability to self-motivate and help keep your team motivated when challenges arise.
• The ability to remain organized and focused amidst a variety of tasks, and creatively solve problems as they arise.
• The ability to contribute to a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Please note that while this position details both required and desired skills and experience, applicants do not need to have all of the desired skills and experience to be considered. If you meet the minimum qualifications, have passion for the work and some experience in a related field, you are encouraged to apply. We provide on-the-job training for skills and knowledge relevant to the position.

• Theoretical and empirical expertise in soil biogeochemistry and/or ecosystem ecology.
• Proficiency working with large environmental datasets and demonstrated experience with data harmonization, complex analysis structures, online data dissemination and data publication.
• Strong quantitative and statistical skills accompanied by programming expertise in R, Python, and spatial data analysis platforms.
• Knowledge and expertise with field and laboratory methods commonly used to quantify plant physiological traits.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research and publish in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.
• Coding experience of any kind in R, Python, Fortran, Matlab, or others.
• Previous fieldwork experience.
• The ability to work on multiple projects both as part of a team, and independently to achieve goals and solve problems as they arise.
• Flexibility to rearrange priorities and expectations as the research project matures.

To apply, please submit the following materials:

• Resume or CV.
• A brief cover letter with answers to the application questions below.

If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources department using an approved online vendor. If your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit a translated version (if applicable) as an optional attachment.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Posting will remain active until 9/29/22.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.