CIRES/Environmental Data Science Innovation and Impact Lab (ESIIL) Post-Doctoral Associate

Job Summary

The Environmental Data Science Innovation and Impact Lab (ESIIL)
within CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder welcomes
applications for Postdoctoral Associates who are working in the
field of environmental data science (EDS) to address pressing
environmental challenges. ESIIL’s vision is grounded in the
conviction that innovation and breakthroughs in EDS will be
precipitated by a collaborative research community empowered by
open data and infrastructure, cross-sector, and community
partnerships (e.g., academic, non-profit, government, industry),
team science, and engaged learning. ESIIL Postdoctoral Associates
are expected to produce innovative and/or applied environmental
biology research to thrive in the rapidly evolving field of
EDS.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all
applicable federal, state, and local laws governing
nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a
workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and
dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to
apply, including protected veterans and individuals with
disabilities.

Who We Are

At CIRES , more than 900 environmental
science professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system,
including people’s relationship with the planet. CIRES has
partnered with NOAA since 1967, and our areas of expertise include
weather and climate, changes at Earth’s poles, air quality and
atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and
more. Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable
future environment by advancing scientific and societal
understanding of the Earth system.

The Environmental Data Science Innovation &
Impact Lab (ESIIL) is an NSF-funded data synthesis center led
by the University of Colorado Boulder in collaboration with NSF’s
CyVerse at the University of Arizona and the University of Oslo.
ESIIL’s mission is to empower a broad community to accelerate open
Environmental Data Science. ESIIL is part of CIRES and enables a
global community of environmental data scientists to demonstrate
the wealth of environmental data and emerging analytics to develop
science-based solutions to solve pressing challenges in
environmental sciences. ESIIL’s research community generates
discoveries and novel approaches through 1) transformative team
science, 2) innovative tools and collaborative cyberinfrastructure,
3) data-science education and training, and 4) building
collaborative communities. These activities advance the frontier of
environmental data science, a rapidly evolving field bridging
computational, biological, environmental, and social
sciences.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• (80%) Develop and implement an environmental data

science project that uses open data, tools, and cyberinfrastructure
to address frontier research questions in environmental biology.
Examples of data-driven projects may include: cross-scale or
cross-site data harmonization and analysis to explore ecosystem
patterns, artificial intelligence and machine learning applications
in ecology, open science ethics and data sovereignty for
environmental data, data-intensive exploration of evolutionary
processes, data intensive translation to resilience technologies,
or other topical area in environmental biology that crosses the
data, natural, and social sciences.

• Apply open or available spatial and temporal data in creative

ways to develop a data-driven research project. Examples of
environmental data sources include remote sensing, observatories,
biorepositories, citizen science, field-based collections, modeled
and synthetic data, genetic data, social data, or other. Sovereign
and protected data shall be treated with special considerations
that follow the CARE data principles.

• Leverage cloud, or other high-performance computing, resources

to harmonize and analyze big, complex environmental data, and/or
develop open AI-based pipelines.

• Contribute to the open, reproducible science and education

objectives of ESIIL, which include creating and publishing
well-documented datasets and codes, FAIR-compliant code workflows,
or other outputs that will serve the larger EDS community and other
audiences.

• Effectively share research results with colleagues and the

broader science community through peer-reviewed publications,
presentations, and other science products.

• (20%) Work with the ESIIL team and network on

collaborative projects, such as with working group(s), hackathon
teams, or summit participants, to advance environmental data
science.

What You Should Know

• This is a two-year position, and the anticipated start date is

as soon as February 1, 2027, but is negotiable.

• Location: The Postdocs will work in person at ESIIL's main

office on the CU Boulder campus in Boulder, CO. After an initial
onboarding period, a hybrid work modality is possible, following
CIRES and university guidelines and policies. This is not a
fully remote position. The in-person cohort experience and
engagement with the ESIIL community is a key aspect of this
position.

• In the application, candidates are welcome (but not required)

to suggest a mentor who is affiliated with a research institution
in the United States. ESIIL has funds available to support travel
to Boulder for mentors within the U.S.

What We Can Offer

• CIRES offers a generous compensation and benefits package.
• The annual hiring salary for this position ranges from

$65,000.00 to $70,000.00. Salary is commensurate with education and
experience and determined based on our CIRES internal career track
classification.

• Some relocation funds are available for this position following

CIRES and the University of Colorado’s relocation processes and
procedures.

• This position can accommodate a hybrid work modality.
• CIRES and the University of Colorado boulder offer a robust

training curriculum, opportunities for professional development and
a Mentorship Program. ESIIL provides training for postdocs in
technical data skills, open science and education, translational
science, and collaborative team science, along with other career
development opportunities.

• Boulder is a vibrant community with

access to mountain parks, dog parks, miles of trails, rivers,
lakes, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, theaters, museums, and sports
venues.

• As an employee at CU Boulder, you will have free access to the

regional public transit system, an
outstanding network of buses, and light rail systems that service
Boulder and connect to Denver, the Denver airport, and surrounding
communities.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder , we are
committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our
employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical,
dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition
assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local
transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder
offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class
outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of
Forbes' America's Best
Large Employers , ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado
and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and
programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be courageous. Be willing. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Ph.D. in environmental, biological, social, computer science, or
data science field (including but not limited to Biology, Ecology,
Ecosystem Science, Forestry, Geography, Sociology, Psychology,
Anthropology, Economics, Geoscience, Space Engineering, Computer
Engineering, Math, Environmental Studies, Remote Sensing Science).
Candidates must have successfully defended their dissertation and
completed all thesis requirements by their start date.

What You Will Need

• Knowledge of open-source programming languages (e.g., R,

Python).

• Commitment to open science (i.e., available and findable data,

reproducible and transferable codes to run on public
cyberinfrastructure and open publications) and open education.

• Effective project management skills (e.g., self-directed,

independent).

• Knowledge of ethical and reciprocal research practices.
• Eagerness to collaborate and contribute to large teams,

including working with ESIIL postdocs, staff, and network.

What We Would Like You to Have

Please note that while the position details both required and
preferred skills and experience, we invite applicants to apply even
if they do not have the preferred skills and experience outlined in
this section. If you meet the requirements and have passion for the
work, you are encouraged to apply. We encourage on the job training
for any additional skills or knowledge that become relevant to the
position.

• Experience with multi-source, big data gathering, curation, and

publication.

• Experience and/or knowledge of cutting-edge data and analytics

(e.g., AI/ML models).

• Experience and/or knowledge of notebooks and

cyberinfrastructure.

• Experience with collaborative team science.
• Experience with writing and publishing robust science.
• Experience and/or knowledge of open-source tool development and

publication.

• Experience working with community partners to co-develop usable

science.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

• Resume or CV.
• A cover letter describing your relevant experience, knowledge,

skills, and any experience with innovation in open science. Please
provide information in your cover letter regarding the prospective
mentor's affiliation, research background, and potential
contributions to the planned research project, if suggested by the
candidate. Please note that an identified mentor is not necessary
as part of the application.

• A 2-page Research Statement that outlines your planned research

project for ESIIL and how it aligns with your past research
experience and ESIIL’s mission and goals.

• A Data Description (1 page or less) that provides information

on the data intended to be used for the project, including a basic
description of the data, a link to any accessible data source(s),
anticipated data harmonization or analysis challenges, and any
limitations on the use of protected or proprietary data. Please
note that ESIIL does not support the collection of new data.

• List of contact information for three professional references

(name, title, professional relationship, email). You do not need to
include letters of recommendation with your initial application. If
you are selected as a finalist for this role, the search committee
will request 3 letters of recommendation at a later time.

• Please be prepared to be interviewed if you are selected as one

of the finalists.

If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified
by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources department using an
approved online vendor. If your degree was obtained outside of the
United States, please submit a translated version as an optional
attachment.

Please apply by November 20, 2026 for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For
consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs .

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in
any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying
information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school
attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting
or removing this information.

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Chelsea Nagy

Posting Contact Email: chelsea.nagy@colorado.edu