Postdoctoral Research Associate - Water Resources

Requisition Id16016

Water and energy systems are deeply intertwined, and advancing science at their intersection is critical to the nation’s future. We are seeking two Post-doctoral Research Associates to apply their hydrological and water resources expertise toward cutting-edge water power and engineering research in the Water Resources Sciences and Engineering Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

This is an opportunity to develop novel tools and techniques across scales (river basin to national), publish in top-tier journals, collaborate with industry and academic partners, and access world‑leading research computing facilities—​all while working on problems of genuine national significance.

We seek outstanding candidates with broad knowledge of hydrology and water resources and demonstrated ability in applying numerical techniques to water‑energy research. Strong candidates will have advanced knowledge and skills relevant to one or more of the following areas:

• River simulation and flood inundation modeling.
• River basin planning and operations modeling, including reservoir simulation and optimization.
• Hydrodynamic modeling of water temperature and quality constituents.
• Related fields, including hydropower and power grid modeling, hydraulic engineering, and sediment transport.

The successful candidates must demonstrate an ability to work independently, evidenced by scientific outputs that may include peer‑reviewed publications in top‑tier water journals, professional scientific code/software contributions, and high‑quality datasets. Candidates must also be willing to develop and apply interdisciplinary teamwork skills, as they will be expected to work with researchers in water resources engineering, computation, informatics, ecology, and environmental economics.

Experience interacting with industry (e.g., utilities, power producers) is an asset.

The Water Resources Science and Engineering Group works on water‑energy problems of national significance with direct relevance to clean energy, climate resilience, and infrastructure planning. Postdocs benefit from access to world‑leading high‑performance computing facilities and a deeply interdisciplinary research environment. They are supported with mentorship, conference travel, and opportunities to develop independent research directions and build professional networks. Oak Ridge and the greater Knoxville area offer an affordable cost of living, vibrant outdoor culture with proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains, and a growing scientific community.

• Develop, improve, and implement novel water power theories and techniques to promote the growth and resilience of domestic power generation.
• Perform numerical experiments at various spatial scales, from individual reservoirs to river basins and national scale.
• Lead and participate in research partnerships with industrial and academic partners.
• Lead or contribute to proposals for future research related to clean and renewable energy development.
• Publish high‑quality, impactful, peer‑reviewed journal articles and reports.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace — in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

• A PhD in Hydrology, Water Resources, Engineering, Physics, Environmental Science, or related discipline completed within the last 5 years.

Strong candidates will have depth in at least one and breadth across several of the following areas. You are not expected to have experience in all of them.

• Flood inundation modeling and mapping using 1D/2D hydrodynamic models.
• River basin planning using operation model development, either through development of bespoke simulation/optimization tools, or through application of tools like River Ware, WEAP, WRAP, State Mod, OASIS, WRIMS, and HEC-Res Sim.
• Hydrodynamic and water quality simulation using tools such as CE-QUAL-W2, Delft3D, and SNTEMP.
• Hydrologic modeling and…