Postdoctoral Associate: Nutrient Sorption Treatment Technologies

Job No: 537743

Work Type: Full Time

Location: Palm Beach

Categories: Biology/Life Science, Agricultural Sciences

Department:  - AG-EREC-BELLE GLADE

Classification

Title:

Postdoctoral Associate

Classification

Minimum Requirements:

The appointee shall have received the doctorate in a field appropriate to the assigned duties and responsibilities.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences welcomes applicants who can contribute to our environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call  or the Florida Relay System at  (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF.

The University of Florida (UF) Soil, Water, & Nutrient Management Laboratory is looking to hire a Post-doctoral Associate who will provide overall leadership and direction in the field of Nutrient Sorption Technologies for Water Quality Improvements within the state of Florida. The Post-doctoral Associate will be part of a multi-year research project funded by Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and in coordination with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) that will evaluate phosphorus and nitrogen removal enhancement in Taylor Creek Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) discharging into Lake Okeechobee, Florida, using innovative technology.

The incumbent will assist in the overall project coordination, including leading field-based assessment of sorption studies, monitoring of water quality and weather data, reporting, and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students.

Responsibilities include:

• Routine water quality monitoring from study site;
• Facilitate lab analyses for analyzing water for nutrients and suspended solids, and data interpretation;
• Geostatistical assessment of treatment technology based on water quality data;
• Cost assessment of per pound (lb) TP/TN removal for the technology.

The incumbent will be based at the UF/IFAS Soil, Water, & Nutrient Management laboratory, located at the Everglades Research & Education Center in Belle Glade, Florida. The applicant will also be part of a larger NSF-funded Science & Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) center assisting with ongoing research activities related to fate and transport of phosphorus from agricultural ecosystems. This will include formulating study hypotheses, analyzing results, writing reports and manuscripts, identifying and applying for grant proposals, being a leader in the lab helping direct graduate students, interns and visiting scientists.

The incumbent will be expected to drive to potential field locations and stakeholder meetings and conduct independent field work in hot humid conditions.

The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students. UF is a member of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties.

The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on campus. UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the state. IFAS, one of the nation’s largest agricultural and natural resources research and education organizations, is administered by a Vice President and four deans: the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the…