Sustainability Engineer - Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions

Updated: over 2 years ago
Location: Fort Collins, COLORADO
Deadline: 27 Sep 2021

Posting Details
Working Title Sustainability Engineer - Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions
Position Location Fort Collins, CO
Research Professional Position Yes
Posting Number 202101002AP
Position Type Admin Professional/ Research Professional
Classification Title Resch Sci/Scholar I
Number of Vacancies
Work Hours/Week 40
Proposed Annual Salary Range $90,000-$100,000
Employee Benefits
Colorado State University (CSU) is committed to providing employees with a strong and competitive benefits package that supports you, your health, and your family. Visit CSU’s Human Resources website for detailed benefit plan information for permanent full-time and part-time faculty and administrative professional employees in the following University benefit areas: https://hr.colostate.edu/hr-community-and-supervisors/benefits/benefits-eligibility/ & https://hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-perks/ .
Desired Start Date
Position End Date (if temporary)
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on 09/27/2021
Description of Work Unit
As one of the nation’s top public research universities, Colorado State University is a land-grant institution, with enrollment of more than 34,000 students. CSU offers 76 undergraduate degree programs, 114 graduate degree programs, 21 professional master’s degree programs, and a Professional Veterinary Medicine program. CSU’s world-class research and scholarship attract more than $370 million in research funding every year, ranking second nationally in federal research funding for universities without a medical school. Fort Collins is an attractive community of approximately 170,000 located along the Colorado Front Range at the base of the Rocky Mountains, 65 miles north of Denver. The city is routinely recognized as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. It consistently ranks high on quality of life measures by numerous publications; see https://www.fcgov.com/visitor/awards for the complete list. The Front Range has developed into a high-tech hub with companies such as Woodward, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, IBM, Intel, Keysight Technologies, Broadcomm, AMD, Xilinx, Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman located in or near Fort Collins. The city offers a pleasant climate with excellent schools and abundant cultural and recreational opportunities nearby. For more information on Fort Collins, check out the City’s website: www.visitftcollins.com. 
 
The Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at Colorado State University (CSU) offers a curriculum that integrates exceptional classroom learning and in-depth engineering practice for an unparalleled educational experience. Made up of 46 faculty members, 13 staff members, 1,000 undergraduate students, and 150 graduate students, ME is one of the largest departments on CSU’s campus. State-of-the-art labs provide unmatched, hands-on experience to help undergraduate students conceptualize industry environments, and $7.5M in annual research funding provide groundbreaking opportunities focusing on health, materials, and energy, for graduate students to enhance their educational concentrations. Award-winning faculty offer industry and academic perspective and equip each graduate with the tools needed to obtain leading positions in advanced technology fields. The Mechanical Engineering program at CSU includes majors in both Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering-Mechanical Engineering; both curricula combine classroom learning with engineering practice. Our goal is to give our graduates the engineering skills they need to obtain leading positions in advanced technology fields. Our students are integral members of our research groups and their thesis and dissertation topics focus on cutting-edge research. Further information about the Department can be found at www.engr.colostate.edu/me/.
Position Summary
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University (CSU) is seeking a Research Scientist in Sustainability Analysis. The selected individual will work with the Principal Investigator at CSU. The position is multi-faceted and will include the following:
 
Research: The research will focus on sustainability assessment of various technologies with the following description being a core part with additional projects to be identified. The incumbent will communicate and work with team members to develop a toolset that is capable of identifying promising combinations of production pathways and performance targets for bioenergy and co-product systems in the desert southwest. The work will include continued work on the Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR) project which is funded through USDA. The scope includes modeling agricultural and processing of desert southwest cropping systems. This foundational modeling will be used to assess the system in terms of economic viability and environmental impact. Work will include integrating experimental data and other dynamic modeling work into the foundational integrated model. Other research topics will be identified.
 
Mentoring: The position includes mentoring of graduate students in collaboration with the PI. This includes working with graduate students to achieve not only research but professional development goals. 
 
Dissemination: Journal articles, conference publications, and internal presentations will be generated and disseminated. 
 
This is 12-month full-time position (with appropriate benefits: healthcare, medical, dental, vision, retirement.).
Required Job Qualifications
• PhD in STEM field, with experience in sustainability;
• Demonstrated ability to produce publications; and
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Preferred Job Qualifications
• MS in STEM field, with a strong understanding of system modeling; 
• Experience with life cycle inventory; 
• Experience with appropriate software;
• Experience in Techno-economic modeling; and
• Statistical and analytics background.
Diversity Statement
Ability to advance the department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion through research, teaching and outreach with relevant programs, goals and activities.

Essential Duties


Job Duty Category Research and Mentoring
Duty/Responsibility
• Develop modular engineering process models; 
• Develop concurrent and spatially explicit sustainability models; 
• Optimize and evaluate favorable configurations; and 
• Reduce data and evaluate results.
Percentage Of Time 80%
Job Duty Category Documentation and Reporting
Duty/Responsibility
• Write manuscripts to disseminate research findings; and 
• Support grant reporting and future proposals by compiling data and summarizing results.
Percentage Of Time 20%

Special Instructions to Applicants
Interested applicants must submit a cover letter which addresses how professional experiences align with identified required and preferred qualifications of the position, a current resume, a list of publications (submit under Other), and the names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of three (3) professional references.  References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates.  If you have questions, please contact Jason Quinn, [email protected].
Conditions of Employment Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires)
Search Contact Jason Quinn, [email protected]
EEO Statement
Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or pregnancy in its employment, programs, services and activities, and admissions, and, in certain circumstances, marriage to a co-worker. The University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. The Office of Equal Opportunity is located in 101 Student Services.
The Title IX Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Title IX Programs and Gender Equity, 123 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-1715, [email protected] .
The Section 504 and ADA Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, [email protected] .
The Coordinator for any other forms of misconduct prohibited by the University’s Policy on Discrimination and Harassment is the Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, Co. 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, [email protected] .
Any person may report sex discrimination under Title IX to the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education .
Background Check Policy Statement
Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.


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