"Research Scientist I, Hydrogeology"

Job Description

Posting Number: SP005021P

Division/College: College of Agricultural & Life Sciences

Department: IWRRI

Location: Boise, Idaho Falls

Posting Context Statement:

The Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI) is one of the nation’s 54 water research and technology centers. IWRRI coordinates research to support the water resource needs of the state of Idaho, the northwest region, and the nation. IWRRI also facilitates and develops innovative education and outreach programs that provide research-generated information to water managers, agency research scientists, and the public at large. IWRRI scientists conduct community-identified actionable water research with the opportunity to expand their research agenda by securing extramural competitive grants. These are non-tenure track research appointments housed within IWRRI with no formal teaching responsibilities.

Position Overview:

Serves as an independent researcher, or a collaborator on a multi-scholar research initiative. May have lead responsibility for discrete components of a larger project under the general direction of a senior or principal researcher.

Duties may include:

• Perform complex scientific analyses
• Adjust experimental designs as necessary based on experimental data analysis
• Direct the development of recommendations for project solutions
• Perform peer review of scientific projects, studies, or applications and making recommendations
• Prepare peer reviewed publications or presentations
• Resolve complex project specific technical and regulatory issues
• Establish work priorities and performance standards, hiring, training, evaluating staff, assigning, and reviewing work
• May be responsible for technical project management to include developing the scope of work, budgeting, scheduling, reporting, implementing field projects, and approving scientific documents
• Participate in the development of grant proposals as named project contributor
• Other duties as assigned

Required Experience:

Three years of research experience related to the domain of this position

Required Education:

Doctoral Degree in Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Engineering, Environmental Science or other related discipline; Master’s Degree plus an additional two years of research experience (5 years total) may be substituted for a Ph.D.

Required Other: None

Additional Preferred:

• Demonstrated expertise in hydrogeology, numerical groundwater flow modeling and experience developing MODFLOW models for groundwater systems
• 2 years of experience beyond PhD, or MS with 4 years’ experience
• Technical proficiency with quantitative data analytics and workflows (e.g. R, Python, GIS, Modflow, GitHub)
• Experience with experimental design and complex data analysis
• Demonstrating ability to work independently
• Experience conducting research that across multiple disciplines and a record of success working effectively in collaborative, cross-disciplinary teams
• Strong written and oral communication skills including peer-reviewed journals and experience communicating with non-academic audiences
• Record of 2 or more lead-author publications in peer reviewed journals

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions: None

Degree Requirement: Listed degree qualification is required at time of hire

FLSA Status: Exempt

Employee Category: Exempt

Pay Range: $70,012.80 annually or higher commensurate with experience

Type of Appointment: _of_Appointment

FTE: 1.0

Full Time/Part Time: Full Time

Funding: This position is contingent upon the continuation of work and/or funding.

A visa sponsorship is available for the position listed in this vacancy: No

Posting Date: 09/12/2025

Closing Date:

Open Until Filled: Yes

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Applications received by September 26, 2025, will receive first consideration. First round of interviews will occur the week of October 13, 2025. Start date is flexible, goal is this fall.

Along with your online application, please provide:

• CV including contact information for 3 professional references
• 1-page Cover Letter describing your research interests, how you meet the required and preferred qualifications and how you envision contributing to the applied research mission of IWRRI
• A 1 paragraph response to the following questions: (upload as PDF)
• Please describe your experience developing a hydrogeologic model. In your response, outline the assumptions you typically make, the data sources you rely on, and the tools or software you use.

For questions, please contact: Kendra Kaiser, Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, Email: kkaiser@uidaho.edu

Background Check Statement: Applicants who are selected as final possible candidates must be able to pass a criminal background check.