"Postdoctoral Associate - AI for Hydrologic Forecasting"

Job Description

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate in the area of AI for hydrologic forecasting. The successful candidate will join Dr. Siddharth Saksena’s research group, which focuses on advancing hydrologic modeling, flood forecasting, and hydroinformatics through the integration of artificial intelligence, physics-based models, and remote sensing technologies.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Civil or Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, Data Science, Geosciences, Computer Science, or a related field. PhD must be awarded no more than four years prior to the effective date of appointment with a minimum of one year eligibility remaining.
• Demonstrated expertise in hydrologic/hydraulic modeling, machine learning, or hydroinformatics.
• Strong programming skills (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB, TensorFlow, PyTorch, or similar).
• Excellent communication skills.
• Strong publication record in relevant fields.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with deep learning architectures applied to geophysical or environmental data.
• Familiarity with physics-informed machine learning or hybrid modeling approaches.
• Experience working with large-scale hydroclimatic or remote sensing datasets.
• Experience with operational AI applications, including transitioning research models into deployable forecasting or decision-support systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work in collaborative, interdisciplinary research teams.
• At least three first-author peer-reviewed publications in a relevant journal.

Overtime Status: Exempt: Not eligible for overtime.

Appointment Type: Restricted.

Salary Information: Commensurate with experience.

Hours per week: 40.

Review Date: 09/26/2025.

Additional Information: Application to include at least three publications. The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech: Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity.