Postdoctoral Researcher

About the Role

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division seeks an innovative Postdoctoral Researcher to help lead the AmeriFlux Year of AI initiative, exploring how AI and machine learning can advance ecosystem science and maximize the value of long-term ecosystem flux observations. The researcher will join the AmeriFlux Management Project.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate AmeriFlux Year of AI activities, including workshops, seminars, webinars, and community events.
• Collaborate with the AmeriFlux data team to develop AI/ML-enabled data products, tools, and workflows.
• Engage with site teams, data users, and AI/ML researchers to identify network needs and opportunities.
• Conduct independent research integrating AI/ML and flux observations to advance ecosystem science.
• Communicate findings through publications, presentations, reports, newsletters, and web content.

Additional Responsibilities as needed:

• Collaborate with related efforts at Berkeley Lab and beyond, including FLUXNET, other flux networks, remote sensing, and Earth system modeling.
• Contribute to the development and evaluation of AI tools, such as AI assistants, agents, or foundation models, that improve access to and use of flux data.
• Help develop community resources, such as benchmark datasets, best-practice guidance, or training materials, for AI applications in ecosystem science.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Demonstrated experience applying machine learning, statistical, or other data-driven methods to scientific data.
• Experience working with large, complex datasets, such as environmental time series, remote sensing, or model output.
• Strong communication and organizational skills, including the ability to engage with diverse scientific audiences.
• A record of scientific productivity, demonstrated through publications or other research outputs.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary, distributed team.

Desired skills/knowledge:

• Familiarity with eddy covariance data, flux networks (e.g., AmeriFlux, FLUXNET), or ecosystem carbon, water, and energy cycles.
• Proficiency in Python, R, or similar languages, and experience with reproducible research software practices (e.g., version control, open-source development).
• Experience with modern AI approaches, such as deep learning, foundation models, large language models, or AI agents.
• Participation in, or experience organizing, workshops, seminars, or other scientific community activities.
• Interest in open science, data stewardship, and FAIR data principles.

Qualifications

• Recent Ph.D. in ecology, Earth or environmental science, atmospheric science, data science, computer science, or a related field.
• You must have less than 3 years of paid postdoctoral experience.

Additional Information:

• Appointment type: Full-time, 2 years, postdoctoral appointment with the possibility of renewal.
• Monthly salary range: $6,790 - $9,234.
• Work modality: Primarily performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA.