Hydrologic Scientist I

Pay Grade/Pay Range: Minimum: $74,200 - Midpoint: $100,200 (Salaried E12)

Department/Organization: 750501 - Alabama Water Institute (AWI)

Normal Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:45pm

Job Summary: The Hydrologic Scientist I is responsible for research, coordination, integration, and stakeholder outreach activities that will complement NOAA’s national efforts on low-flow information and service delivery and to serve as a Regional Drought Information Coordinator for the Southeast Drought Early Warning System (DEWS).

Additional Department Summary: The Alabama Water Institute at the University of Alabama seeks applications for Hydrologic Scientist I for a project with the NOAA-funded Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH). The Hydrologic Scientist I will be embedded in the Alabama Water Institute under the supervision of Dr. Steve Burian and working with other researchers at the NOAA National Water Center located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The position will be collaborating with a research team working to advance flood inundation modeling and mapping applications of the Next Generation Water Resources Modeling Framework for water prediction and hydrologic forecasting.

Initial appointment will be for one year. Renewal will be contingent upon demonstrated research productivity and availability of funds. Continuation in this position is contingent upon availability of external funding derived from research programs or specific projects.

Required Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in natural or water resources management or engineering, hydrology, geography, atmospheric science, environmental science, or related field and two (2) years of experience in water resources, natural resources, drought, flood, hazard mitigation, disaster response, climate extremes, or public policy. Post-Baccalaureate degree is highly preferred (Master’s degree or higher).

Additional Required Department Minimum Qualifications: Candidates with a Ph.D. in one of these fields (applied hydrology, civil engineering, computer science, geoscience), or a closely related field and demonstrated excellent experience in postdoctoral research will be considered.

Applicants should upload a brief cover letter, curriculum vitae, and names, emails, and phone numbers of three references.

Skills and Knowledge: Applicants are expected to have strong interest in (or be already skilled in) the development and application of hydrologic and hydraulics models in representing flood inundation and impact assessment. Suitable candidates will have prior knowledge and experience in at least three of the following: working with high-performance and cloud computing, programming in Python, data analysis and visualization, geospatial analysis, and processing of digital elevation models for flood inundation mapping.

Preferred Qualifications: Candidates should possess strong interpersonal skills to facilitate effective collaboration with academics, scientists, practitioners, and students. Additionally, candidates should exhibit outstanding capabilities in personal responsibility, taking initiative, innovative thinking, and communication proficiency.

Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age, genetic or family medical history information, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected basis, and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases.