Research Scientist

Overview

The Virginia Tech Center for Ecosystem Forecasting is recruiting a Research Scientist with a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Quantitative Ecology, Ecological Statistics, Natural Resources, Environmental Engineering, or a related field. We are seeking to recruit an integral, long-term member of our team who will contribute to environmental modeling and forecasting research across multiple funded projects. Following the mission of the Virginia Tech Center for Ecosystem Forecasting, we seek a team member who is excited to both create and apply innovative environmental models and forecasts that provide actionable forecast insights to guide decision-making and management.

Applicants are encouraged to visit our website to learn more about the Center, its mission and values, current projects, and our highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research team.

The review of applications will begin on Monday, 22 December, with anticipated Zoom interviews scheduled in early January. Funding for this position is available for multiple years, pending satisfactory performance during an initial probationary period and subsequent annual performance reviews. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa for this position at this time.

• Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Quantitative Ecology, Ecological Statistics, Natural Resources, Environmental/Civil Engineering, or a related field
• Significant experience in publishing peer-reviewed journal articles, demonstrated by publication record
• Significant quantitative research experience in ecosystem modeling, environmental forecasting, and/or computational ecology, demonstrated by publications and/or software development
• Significant experience with R and/or Python programming, demonstrated by Git Hub (or other code repository) portfolio
• Significant experience in environmental data analysis, demonstrated by publications and presentations
• Experience with collaborative coding, demonstrated by Git Hub (or other code repository) activity
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary collaborative teams, demonstrated by previous team research experiences

• Postdoctoral research experience
• Experience with water quality models, including developing, calibrating, and applying models for lakes and reservoirs
• Experience publishing data and code products, demonstrated by authorship of published data and code
• Experience in data and forecast visualization, demonstrated by development and dissemination of visualizations
• Experience in mentoring and/or supervising
• Experience working across computational platforms (e.g., command line, Docker, cloud computing and storage, RStudio, etc.)

Exempt:
Not eligible for overtime

Restricted

Commensurate with experience

40 hours - exempt position

December 22, 2025

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check. The review of applications will begin on Monday, 22 December, with anticipated Zoom interviews in early January. Funding for this position is available for multiple years, pending satisfactory performance during an initial probationary period and subsequent annual performance reviews. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa for this position at this time.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College.

The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research…