Research Scientist - Hydrology, Water Management, & Water Quality

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Job Title:
Research Scientist - Hydrology, Water Management, & Water Quality

Department:
FAES | Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

A Research Scientist position is available at the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering (FABE) in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at The Ohio State University (OSU). The Research Scientist will conduct research in the field of agricultural water management, drainage, irrigation, and sustainable agriculture systems. They will provide leadership in studying and modeling the impact of subsurface drainage and irrigation on hydrology, water quality, and crop production in Ohio and the Midwest Region. The successful candidate will primarily coordinate the ongoing research activity funded through a diverse extramural sources, and track and ensure the timely completion of project deliverables, progress reports, and final reports. The position is fully funded for the duration of 2 years after which the candidate will be expected to be more instrumental in bringing about 25 to 50% of the salary support through their own research scholarship. The candidate will supervise and/or mentor a group of staff, undergraduate and graduate students and help coordinate the onboarding process for new team members such as postdocs and other support staff. The Research Scientist will collaborate with agricultural consultants, Extension agents and other faculty members to generate progress updates and final reports of various projects; write peer reviewed journal articles; assist with training on experimental procedures, and publications; assist with proposal writing and the other administrative work. Given the Extension and International outreach mandate of the program, the candidate is expected to be involved with outreach activities.

Minimum Education Required:

• PhD Degree in Agricultural, Civil, or Environmental Engineering, Agricultural or Environmental Sciences, or other related field
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience required.

Desired Qualification

• Proven experience writing peer-reviewed manuscripts
• Proven experience of coordinating and organizing Extension/Outreach programs and activities or managing large research projects and teams
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and demonstrated ability to work with interdisciplinary teams
• Strong administrative skills and attention to detail
• Ability to manage and organize data and to use programming languages such as R, MATLAB, or Python for data processing and analysis
• Ability to geospatial techniques using ArcGIS or other GIS software
• Candidates with experience in environmental monitoring, modeling with DRAINMOD, and/or laboratory analytical techniques will be viewed favorably

Location The is located in Columbus Ohio. Hybrid work may be considered after a period of time and based upon the candidate's ongoing performance. In-person attendance will be expected during Extension/Research activities.

Additional Information:

Responsibilities:

RESEARCH:

• Investigate the influence of different drainage systems on crop yield using field experiments and the models such as DRAINMOD, RZWQM, SWAT.
• Investigate the benefits of water management practices (drainage water management, drainage water recycling, subirrigation) to crop production and water quality
• Lead and contribute to site instrumentation and data collection
• Manage, organize, and analyze data of on-going research projects
• Write peer-reviewed and non-technical manuscripts, publications, and reports
• Disseminate findings at  local, regional, international meetings and conferences
• Manage project activities and personnel
• Lead or assist in writing grant proposals

EXTENSION/OUTREACH:

• Coordinate Extension and Outreach activities such as the Overholt Drainage School, Field days, and other formal/informal trainings.
• Write or assist with preparation of Extension factsheets, bulletins and similar media content.
• Help administer the activities for International Drainage Hall of Fame and the Advisory Committee for the Overholt and IPWMA programs.

Location:
Agricultural Engineering Building (0298)

Position Type:
Regular

Scheduled Hours:
40

Shift:
First Shift

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check.  A drug screen or physical may be required during the post offer process.

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