Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering

Job Posting Title:

Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering

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Hiring Department:

Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Feb 02, 2023

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

As a top-10 engineering school with the No. 1 program in Texas, the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century. With 11 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs, over 20 research centers and a faculty community that boasts one of the highest number of National Academy of Engineering members among U.S. universities, Texas Engineering has launched some of the nation’s most accomplished leaders and pioneered world-changing solutions in virtually every industry, from space exploration to energy to health care. Situated in the heart of Austin — named “America’s Coolest City” by Expedia and “The Best Place to Live in the U.S.” by U.S. News and World Report — the Cockrell School embodies the city’s innovative spirit. Major companies with Austin campuses, such as Dell, National Instruments, Apple, IBM, Samsung, Google, and many others, continue to recruit Cockrell School students at a remarkable rate, launching thousands of successful careers and developing Texas Engineers into industry leaders.

A Postdoctoral Scholar position is available in Professor Arvind Ravikumar’s Sustainable Energy Transition lab (SET Lab) in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin. This position will focus on developing open-source sustainability data analytics tools related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain. Specific research topics can include (a) developing integrated lifecycle assessment and techno-economic modeling tools to assess emissions mitigation policies, (b) developing analytical tools to aggregate and interpret methane emissions data from networked sensor deployment, (c) developing models to estimate quasi real-time methane emissions from oil and gas operations. More information about the SET lab can be found here: www.arvindravikumar.com

General Notes

This is a temporary training position that may be renewed annually, for a maximum of five years, based upon performance review, progress towards research goals, and continuation of funding. 

Responsibilities

• Designs, implements, and tests models to assess greenhouse gas emissions across the LNG supply chain. Model requirements will be mutually decided based on project needs and interests of the candidate and can include one of the following: (a) developing integrated lifecycle assessment and techno-economic modeling tools to assess emissions mitigation policies, (b) developing analytical tools to aggregate and interpret methane emissions data from networked sensor deployment, (c) developing models to estimate quasi real-time methane emissions from oil and gas operations

• Works with collaborators to validate models, develop user-friendly online interfaces, conduct workshops for various stakeholders in industry, finance, and government on the use of the models

• Communicates model insights to a variety of audiences of academia, industry, and government through peer-reviewed publications, presentations, policy memos, and other forms of stakeholder engagement

• Performs other related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. in Engineering received within the past 3 years or expect to receive the degree by Spring 2022 (Systems, Petroleum, Environmental, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical).  Demonstrated experience in statistical modeling, data analysis, and scientific programming languages (Python, Matlab, or R).  Experience or familiarity with one of the following: life cycle assessment of energy systems, atmospheric dispersion modeling of greenhouse gas emissions, methane emissions from oil and gas operations.  Strong interest in translating engineering research into policy-relevant insights.  Ability to work well with cross-functional, and varied teams.  Ability to manage and lead external engagement and collaboration on projects. 

Preferred Qualifications

Working knowledge in one or more of the following areas: oil and gas operations, greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel extraction, geospatial analysis of greenhouse gas emissions.  Excellent written and oral communication skills, along with a demonstrable ability to reach a variety of audiences in academia, industry, and government.

Salary Range

$55,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• May work in standard office conditions

Physical Tasks

• May require repetitive use of keyboard at a workstation

• May require use of manual dexterity

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled into your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin 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. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English) [PDF]
• E-Verify Poster (Spanish) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.