Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering

Job Details

As a top-10 engineering school with the No. 1 program in Texas, the at The University of Texas at Austin has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century.

With 11 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs, over 20 research centers and a faculty community that boasts one of the highest number of National Academy of Engineering members among U.

S. universities, Texas Engineering has launched some of the nation’s most accomplished leaders and pioneered world-changing solutions in virtually every industry, from space exploration to energy to health care.

Situated in the heart of Austin named America’s Coolest City by Expedia and The Best Place to Live in the U.S. by U.S. News and World Report the Cockrell School embodies the city’s innovative spirit.

Major companies with Austin campuses, such as Dell, National Instruments, Apple, IBM, Samsung, Google, and many others, continue to recruit Cockrell School students at a remarkable rate, launching thousands of successful careers and developing Texas Engineers into industry leaders.

A Postdoctoral Scholar position is available in Professor Arvind Ravikumar’s Sustainable Energy Transition lab (SET Lab) in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin.

This position will focus on developing open-source sustainability data analytics tools related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain.

Specific research topics can include (a) developing integrated lifecycle assessment and techno-economic modeling tools to assess emissions mitigation policies, (b) developing analytical tools to aggregate and interpret methane emissions data from networked sensor deployment, (c) developing models to estimate quasi real-time methane emissions from oil and gas operations.

More information about the SET lab can be found here :

General Notes

This is a temporary training position that may be renewed annually, for a maximum of five years, based upon performance review, progress towards research goals, and continuation of funding.

Responsibilities

Designs, implements, and tests models to assess greenhouse gas emissions across the LNG supply chain. Model requirements will be mutually decided based on project needs and interests of the candidate and can include one of the following : (a) developing integrated lifecycle assessment and techno-economic modeling tools to assess emissions mitigation policies, (b) developing analytical tools to aggregate and interpret methane emissions data from networked sensor deployment, (c) developing models to estimate quasi real-time methane emissions from oil and gas operations

Works with collaborators to validate models, develop user-friendly online interfaces, conduct workshops for various stakeholders in industry, finance, and government on the use of the models

Communicates model insights to a variety of audiences of academia, industry, and government through peer-reviewed publications, presentations, policy memos, and other forms of stakeholder engagement

Performs other related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. in Engineering received within the past 3 years or expect to receive the degree by Spring 2022 (Systems, Petroleum, Environmental, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical).

Demonstrated experience in statistical modeling, data analysis, and scientific programming languages (Python, Matlab, or R).

Experience or familiarity with one of the following : life cycle assessment of energy systems, atmospheric dispersion modeling of greenhouse gas emissions, methane emissions from oil and gas operations.

Strong interest in translating engineering research into policy-relevant insights. Ability to work well with cross-functional, and varied teams.

Ability to manage and lead external engagement and collaboration on projects.

Preferred Qualifications

Working knowledge in one or more of the following areas : oil and gas operations, greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel extraction, geospatial analysis of greenhouse gas emissions.

Excellent written and oral communication skills, along with a demonstrable ability to reach a variety of audiences in academia, industry, and government.

Salary Range

$55,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

May work in standard office conditions

Physical Tasks

May require repetitive use of keyboard at a workstation

May require use of manual dexterity

Required Materials

Resume / CV

3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers : You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications.

Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section;

you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.

Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers : As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs.

If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply.

This information will be pulled into your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume.

In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.

that were noted above.

Employment Eligibility :

Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Retirement Plan Eligibility :

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks :

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.