Special Information

• This position is eligible for on-site, hybrid, or remote work.

  • On-site work requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation.  Opportunities for remote work are rare.
  • Hybrid work allows the incumbent to complete their work at both an NAU site, campus, or facility and at a non-centralized site with or without accommodation.
  • Remote work allows the incumbent to complete their work at a location other than an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation.  The incumbent may occasionally work in a shared site, but primarily will work elsewhere.
• This position is subject to the availability of funding. The incumbent is not eligible for Service Professional non-renewal notice, or Classified Staff layoff or recall status.

About the Department/College

The Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes (CAWL) advances science-based solutions to respond to the ecological challenges facing the American Southwest.

About the Position

The Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes (CAWL) seeks a Postdoctoral Scholar to develop, integrate, and apply monitoring of fuel conditions across the southwestern US and evaluate fuel treatment effectiveness. The candidate will work with fire science and manager teams to leverage advanced tools to assess fuel load, fire behavior, and fire effects on society and ecosystems. The selected candidate will have demonstrated skills in remote sensing, fire ecology, and quantitative analysis of large, complex datasets. The preferred candidate will have experience collecting and analyzing data on vegetation and ecosystem structure, landscape condition, climate and weather, and vegetation and fuel treatments. A candidate with experience applying terrestrial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to understand ecosystem structure and the effects of management treatments on fuel loads and fire behavior is preferred. Experience conducting other forms of remote sensing, including the analysis and interpretation of satellite imagery and airborne LiDAR is a plus.

Responsibilities Include

40% - Data Collection and Analysis

• Develop methodologies and workflow to apply vegetation and fuel monitoring, including LiDAR and other remote sensing data, to areas treated to reduce fuel load and wildfire risk.
• Analyze variations in fuel and other environmental conditions across large landscapes and through time.
• Map fuel loads and environmental conditions across areas receiving management treatments.

40% - Writing and Dissemination of Results

• Lead on development of scientific journal articles and information briefs that summarize findings, having primary responsibility for writing.
• Prepare data, code, and maps to be released to journal outlets and project partners.
• Develop figures and tables to communicate findings.
• Present results at scientific and land manager meetings and workshops.

15% - Project Coordination and Public Engagement

• Coordinate project with diverse partners and supervise logistical needs of project.
• Implement regular check-ins with science and manager teams and effectively communicate project updates.
• Identify new partners and feedback on project development.

5% - Other

• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent doctorate in in ecology, remote sensing science, or a closely related field by the time of appointment.

*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of and experience with fire ecology practices and method.
• Experience with compilation, synthesis, and analysis of large dataset.
• Leadership in publishing peer-reviewed journal article.
• Experience with field research practice.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Developed knowledge of the principles and techniques of fire ecology research methods, protocols, data collection, and analysis.
• Familiarity with the patterns and processes of terrestrial dryland ecosystems in the southwestern US.
• Organizational and project management skills.
• Demonstrated written and oral communication skills.
• Skill in leading, coordinating, and/or supervising the work of others.

Compensation

Budgeted salary is $65,000. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.

Pre-Employment Check

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Also, as an employer in the state of Arizona, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees' right to work in the United States.

This position has been identified as a safety/security sensitive position. Therefore, per AZ Revised Statute, Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, employment history investigation, degree verification (in some cases) and fingerprinting. If you are applying for a job that requires a CDL, you will be required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and adhere to the clearinghouse requirements.

Notice of Availability of the Annual Fire and Security Report

Each year Northern Arizona University releases an Annual Security Report. The report is a result of a federal law known as the Clery Act. The report includes Clery reportable crime statistics for the three most recent completed calendar years and discloses procedures, practices and programs NAU uses to keep students and employees safe including how to report crimes or other emergencies occurring on campus. In addition, the Fire Safety Report is combined with the Annual Security Report for the NAU Flagstaff Mountain Campus as this campus has on-campus student housing. This report discloses fire safety policies and procedures related to on-campus student housing and statistics for fires that occurred in those facilities. If you would like a free paper copy of the report, please contact the NAUPD Records Department at (928) 523-8884 or by visiting the department at 525 E. Pine Knoll Drive in Flagstaff.

Immigration Support/Sponsorship

NAU will not provide any U.S. immigration support or sponsorship for this position.

Submit your Application

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button on this page. You must submit your application by midnight of the application deadline.

If you are an individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact the Disability Resources Office at 928-523-8773, DR@nau.edu, or PO Box 5633, Flagstaff AZ 86011.