Postdoctoral Associate - Civil and Environmental Engineering bei Rice University

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume in the supporting documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities. 

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

About George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing:

The George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing ranks among the top 20 undergraduate engineering programs (US News & World Report) and is strongly committed to nurturing the aspirations of faculty, staff, and students in an inclusive environment.

We seek greater representation of women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans in disciplines in which they have historically been underrepresented; to attract international students from a wider range of countries and backgrounds; to accelerate progress in building a faculty and staff who are diverse in background and thought, and we support an inclusive environment that fosters interaction and understanding within our diverse community.

Position Summary:

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University is seeking to fill an immediate postdoctoral research position in Dr. Avantika Gori’s group, focused on the quantification and modeling of hurricane-related hazards. The postdoctoral fellow will develop probabilistic estimates of hurricane hazards—including wind, rainfall, storm surge, and flooding—and contribute to coupling these projections with transportation risk models. This work integrates physics-based modeling, remote sensing, and in-situ observations to produce high-resolution, compound hazard projections that advance the goals of NASA’s Disasters Program and support broader efforts to improve community resilience under changing climate conditions.

The ideal candidate will bring strong analytical and computational skills, curiosity about complex climate and hazard systems, and a collaborative approach to interdisciplinary research. They should be comfortable working with large geophysical datasets, developing or applying numerical models, and translating scientific findings into insights that support real-world resilience and risk reduction efforts. A proactive mindset, clear communication, and enthusiasm for advancing data-driven hazard science are key to success in this role.

More information about Dr. Gori’s research group can be found at: https://gori.blogs.rice.edu

Workplace Requirements: 

This is an on-site position, requiring all responsibilities to be carried out in person at Rice University Campus. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: $60,000 - $65,000

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. 

This is a benefits-eligible, full-time position funded by grant, soft, and/or restricted funds. The initial appointment us for one-year, renewable for an additional year subject to funding continued funding and satisfactory performance. 

Minimum Requirements: 

• PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Earth, Atmospheric, or Ocean Science or related field. 

• No experience required

Preferences:

• Strong analytical and computational skills, particularly in environmental or geophysical data analysis.

• Proficiency in scientific programming or high-performance computing (e.g., Python, MATLAB, or Fortran).

• Familiarity with numerical models used for atmospheric, oceanic, or flood prediction (e.g., ADCIRC+SWAN, SFINCS, or comparable).

• Knowledge of geospatial data processing and integration of diverse data sources, such as sensor data, remote sensing, or model outputs.

• Experience developing clear, well-documented, and reproducible research code using version control tools (e.g., Git/GitHub).

• Strong problem-solving ability, initiative, and interest in collaborative, interdisciplinary research environments.

Essential Functions:

• Conduct independent and collaborative research on hurricane hazard modeling, including the development of probabilistic estimates for wind, rainfall, storm surge, and flooding.

• Integrate physics-based, remotely sensed, and in-situ data to improve compound hazard projections.

• Contribute to the development and application of numerical and geospatial models to assess hurricane and transportation system risks.

• Analyze large environmental datasets, perform computational modeling, and document results for publication and reporting.

• Collaborate with project partners across disciplines and institutions to achieve research objectives and deliverables.

• Prepare manuscripts, reports, and conference presentations summarizing research findings.

• Participate in mentoring graduate and undergraduate students involved in related research activities.

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or [email protected] for support.

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.

Company