Water System Postdoctoral Researcher

About the Role

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s (LBNL) Climate & Ecosystems Division within the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area (EESA) is seeking a Water System Postdoc. This role focuses on understanding water infrastructure systems and their management under changing environmental and compounding stressors.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and apply models of water systems to understand their vulnerabilities, hazards, and implications of alternative management options.
• Analyze model outputs and observed data to understand model performance, evaluate key sensitivities, quantify uncertainties, and support decision analysis.
• Engage with water and energy resource managers in working group discussions to refine analysis of Pacific West water system models under drought and other hydroclimatic scenarios.
• Communicate research findings effectively across diverse professional and scientific communities through oral presentations, scientific meetings, technical discussions, and peer-reviewed publications.
• Work effectively in an integrated, interdisciplinary, and multi-institutional research environment.
• Primarily contribute to:
• Analyzing the water use of data centers and its impact on water resources via a Lab Directed Research & Development (LDRD) project.
• Developing/analyzing water system models for the Pacific West under drought scenarios as part of the HyperFACETS project.
• May contribute to emerging research efforts focused on water systems science and resilience as part of the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI).
• Actively engage with diverse stakeholders and resource managers to translate operational contexts into actionable scientific insights.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Recent PhD in Environmental Sciences/Engineering, Civil Engineering, Hydrology, or other related technical discipline.
• Knowledge of state-of-the-art water infrastructure modeling tools and data sources.
• Knowledge of current Earth and climate modeling capabilities and limitations.
• Familiarity with theoretical frameworks for multi-sectoral management of resources and decision-making in the context of uncertainty.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in an integrated team environment and collaborate with colleagues at multiple institutions.
• Demonstrated ability to publish research in peer-reviewed journals.
• Appointment type: This is a full-time, 2 year, postdoctoral appointment with the possibility of renewal.
• You must have less than 3 years of paid postdoctoral experience.
• Work modality: Work will be primarily performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA.

Desired Skills/Knowledge

• Experience engaging with and facilitating discussions with practitioners at resource management organizations.
• Experience with the WEAP water systems model and/or Pywr water systems model.

Additional Information

• Monthly salary range: $6,790 - $9,234.
• This position is represented by a union for collective bargaining purposes.
• Background check required.