"Academic Coordinator, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering with Professors MJ Qomi and Detwiler"

Position overview

Salary range: A reasonable estimate for this position is $30.77-$36.69 per hour. Based on qualifications and experience. Please see Academic Coordinator non-exempt salary scale

Application Window

Open date: February 27, 2026

Next review date: Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date.

Position description

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, invites applications for the position of Research Program Coordinator for the recently funded GeophysicistAI project.

The Geophysicist.AI converges with researchers from five University of California (UC) campuses(UCI, UCSD, UCR, UCSC, and UCB) and two Department of Energy (DOE) national labs, namely Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos labs. The project aims to develop an AI ecosystem to address the long-standing challenges of harnessing geothermal energy from deep crystalline rocks. This initiative seeks to create a collaborative environment that converges scientists with geoscience, environmental engineering, mathematics, and computer science backgrounds. The research program coordinator is tasked with:

1. Program Coordination & Event Management: Lead the organization of key program activities, including kickoff events, summer/winter schools, annual meetings, and monthly group meetings, ensuring effective planning, scheduling, and execution.
2. Administrative & Operational Support: Provide direct support to the Co-Directors by scheduling meetings, managing correspondence, coordinating travel and reimbursements, and helping maintain alignment across the leadership team. Apply organizational policies to resolve operational issues and ensure smooth daily operations.
3. Communication & Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitate internal and external communications by managing platforms such as the program website, shared calendar, email, and Slack; track participation of graduate students and postdocs; and ensure timely follow-ups on action items.
4. Meeting & Documentation Support: Prepare agendas, distribute materials, take detailed minutes, and follow up on action items to ensure progress across multidisciplinary teams.
5. Content Creation & Digital Tools Management: Create simple visual content for presentations and reports; support data gathering efforts; and utilize collaboration tools (e.g., Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Teams). Familiarity with design tools like Illustrator, PowerPoint, and Canva is a plus.
6. Creation of Geophysics Database for training Large Language Models (LLMs): Collecting geophysics- and geochemistry-related literature in collaboration with domain expert PIs across the collaboration network.
7. Assistance with Proposal development: Helping the PIs with the development of proposals to seek extramural funding, including identification of support resources and Liaison representation with other agencies and institutions in the public and private sectors.

The Research Program Coordinator works directly with the GeophysicistAI leadership team, Professors MJ Qomi, and Russ Detwiler, and works in coordination with faculty, postdocs, students, and DOE lab staff to support programs, events, and activities. The Research Program Coordinator will serve as a central administrator for the project, acting within the policies and procedures of the UC, UCI campus, and the School. The Research Program Coordinator will also be responsible for creative thinking in all areas of work and contributing to the innovative and inclusive collaboration environment. This is a fully in-person position that can accommodate occasional remote work.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• Bachelor's level education in Geoscience, Environmental Science and Engineering, Natural Resource Management, Ecology, Hydrology, Environmental Policy, or a related field, and two years of professional experience. Or a Master's level education in a related field.
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to efficiently manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Experience coordinating logistics for meetings, workshops, or other events with both internal and external partners.
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite and virtual collaboration tools including Google Suite, Dropbox, Zoom, and Slack.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Publications - Publications or link to pubmications (Optional)

• 3 required (contact information only)