"Postdoctoral Associate - Civil and Environmental Engineering"

Job Details

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

About George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing

The George R. Brown School of Engineering ranks among the top 20 undergraduate engineering programs (US News & World Report) and is strongly committed to nurturing the aspirations of faculty, staff, and students in an inclusive environment.

We seek greater representation of women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans in disciplines in which they have historically been underrepresented; to attract international students from a wider range of countries and backgrounds; to accelerate progress in building a faculty and staff who are diverse in background and thought, and we support an inclusive environment that fosters interaction and understanding within our diverse community.

Position Summary:

Dr. Jamie Padgett in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in AI/ML Applications for Realtime Risk and Resilience Estimation during Hurricanes. The Fellow will contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, multi-modal data fusion, and probabilistic risk assessment of infrastructure under extreme hazard events. This position offers opportunities to design and implement algorithms and decision-support tools that leverage real-time data, physics-based models, and AI/ML methods to enhance community resilience and situational awareness during hurricane events.

Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related field, with demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following: probabilistic risk assessment, AI/ML frameworks, multi-modal data integration, geospatial data processing, or high-performance computing environments. Strong programming skills and a record of scholarly publications are essential. Preferred qualifications include experience with collaborative software development, cloud deployment of AI/ML tools, and mentoring students within interdisciplinary research teams.

The initial appointment is for one year, with the possibility of renewal for an additional year based on performance and funding. While the primary emphasis is on technical expertise, the Fellow should also bring strong communication, collaboration, and organizational skills to effectively engage with project partners and contribute to a dynamic, multi-disciplinary research environment.

Additional details on the research group with which the Fellow will be primarily affiliated can be found at: Padgett Research Group.

Workplace Requirements: This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at Rice University. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: $61,000 – $65,000

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

This position is a benefits eligible, full-time position funded by a grant, soft and/or restricted funds.

Additional information:

• Position is available immediately.
• Posting will remain open until January 1, 2026, or until a candidate is identified.
• Initial one-year appointment with the possibility of renewal for an additional year, contingent upon successful performance in year one and renewed funding.
• Competitive salary and benefits, with funding available for travel and training purposes.

Minimum Requirements:

• Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related field
• No additional experience required

Skills:

• Strong proficiency in scientific programming and software development (e.g., Python, C++, Julia).
• Applied experience with AI/ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or scikit-learn.
• Ability to integrate and analyze diverse data sources, including geospatial and sensor data.
• Solid foundation in probabilistic risk assessment and resilience modeling.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills for technical reporting and collaborative engagement.
• Capacity to work independently while contributing to multi-disciplinary research teams.

Preferences:

• Experience with AI/ML frameworks and libraries such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, or Hugging Face.
• Knowledge of geospatial data processing and integration of diverse data sources (e.g., sensor data, remote sensing, social media, weather forecasts).
• Demonstrated ability to develop reproducible, modular, and well-documented codebases, including version control (e.g., Git/GitHub) and collaborative development workflows.
• Familiarity with deploying AI/ML or decision-support tools in cloud or high-performance computing environments.
• Ability to work independently to achieve project objectives, meet deadlines, and prepare technical reports and publications.
• Prior experience mentoring students or coordinating work across interdisciplinary teams.

Essential Functions:

• Conduct research at the intersection of AI/ML, probabilistic risk assessment, and resilience modeling.
• Design, implement, and test algorithms for real-time situational awareness and risk/resilience estimation during hurricanes.
• Develop, document, and maintain software tools and codebases that integrate multi-modal data (e.g., sensor data, remote sensing, social media, model outputs).
• Apply and adapt modern AI/ML methods to hazard and infrastructure resilience problems.
• Deploy models and tools in high-performance or cloud computing environments to support near-real-time decision-making.
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research team, and engage with community partners to co-design solutions.
• Publish research results in high-impact journals and present findings at conferences.
• Contribute to mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in the group.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.