Postdoctoral Research Associate, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research

Position Highlights

The University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in multi-proxy North Pacific climate reconstruction. The successful candidate will join an NSF-funded project aimed at developing multicentennial reconstructions of North Pacific climate using time series derived from long-lived bivalves (Pacific geoduck), trees, and corals. The position will also involve investigating ocean-atmosphere coupling, with particular emphasis on the propagation of tropical climate signals to higher latitudes. Under the supervision of Bryan Black, the project will be conducted in collaboration with paleoclimatologists and climate modelers at the University of Arizona and Iowa State University.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, vision, and life insurance; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties & Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will use a combination of tree-ring data, bivalve, and coral growth-increment data to generate multi-proxy, multi-centennial North Pacific climate reconstructions, integrating these reconstructions with other available marine and terrestrial paleoclimatic and ecological datasets, and contribute to collaborative analyses that link proxy records with climate dynamics.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of climate reconstruction methods, with preferred experience working with growth-increment proxy data (e.g., tree rings, bivalves, corals).
• Knowledge of Community Earth System Model (CESM) outputs and their application to evaluating ocean-atmosphere linkages identified in proxy datasets.
• Skill in scientific programming and data analysis using R, Python, MATLAB, or comparable platforms.
• Skill in oral and written scientific communication, as demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within an interdisciplinary research team.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in a relevant field (e.g., climatology, oceanography, ecology, geosciences, or related discipline) upon hire.
• Experience in climate reconstruction, preferably using growth-increment data.
• Demonstrated experience working independently and collaboratively.
• Experience with basic programming using R, Python, MATLAB, or equivalent.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with crossdating in trees, bivalves, or corals.
• Experience with advanced quantitative analysis and programming.
• A publication record in climate reconstruction, paleoclimatology, or climate dynamics.
• Experience working with climate model outputs (e.g., CESM).

FLSA: Exempt

Full Time/Part Time: Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week: 40

Job FTE: 1.0

Work Calendar: Fiscal

Job Category: Research

Benefits Eligible: Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay: NIH Salary Guidelines, Depends on Experience

Compensation Type: salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Type of criminal background check required: Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies: 1

Contact Information for Candidates

For additional questions, please contact Bryan Black, Ph.D., Professor, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, at bryanblack@arizona.edu.

Open Until Filled: Yes

Documents Needed to Apply: Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Cover Letter