"Postdoctoral Associate on Land Systems Sustainability"

Position Function

This full-time Postdoctoral Associate will lead research at the intersection of crop-switching, environmental resilience, and agrifood sustainability. The candidate will develop and apply spatial analysis, remote sensing, and modeling to evaluate the technical, environmental, and socioeconomic implications of transitioning to resilient crops in the Northeastern U.S. and comparable temperate regions.

The postdoc will: (1) build geospatial datasets and remote sensing pipelines, (2) integrate crop, hydrologic, and GHG/energy models to quantify trade-offs among yield, water, emissions, biodiversity, etc., (3) create decision-support tools and maps to guide farmers, extension agents, and policy partners, and (4) collaborate on co-production activities with community and stakeholders. The position includes opportunities to lead and co-author high-impact publications, mentor students, and contribute to grant reporting and new proposals. Initial appointment is for one year with annual renewal contingent on available work, performance and funding.

Anticipated Division of Time

Research & Tool-building (60%) - Geospatial/RS analytics; model design and validation; reproducible workflows.

Stakeholder Collaboration (20%) - Co-develop decision tools; synthesize partner data; occasional site visits across NYS.

Publications & Dissemination (15%) - Lead/assist manuscripts and conference papers.

Mentoring & Project Coordination (5%) - Mentor graduate/undergraduate research assistants; coordinate with interdisciplinary research team and partners.

Requirements

• Ph.D. (by start date) in Geography, Environmental Science, Earth Systems Science, Natural Resources, Sustainability, or closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in spatial analysis & GIS and remote sensing for land/water/agricultural applications.
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or R (geospatial stacks, data wrangling, visualization).
• Record of peer-reviewed publications commensurate with career stage and strong scientific writing skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with community partners and an interdisciplinary team; excellent communication skills.

Supervision Exercised

The postdoc will mentor graduate and undergraduate researchers and may provide functional supervision to research staff and student assistants consistent with CALS guidelines.

To apply:

Qualified candidates should submit a short cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references via the website.

Applications will be reviewed as received, continuing until a suitable applicant is identified. Preference will be given to applications submitted by December 15, 2025.

CALS hiring rate for this position is $62,232.