Job Details

Postdoctoral Scholar, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Position Number: 7214374
Location: Reno, NV
Position Type: Engineering - Civil and Environmental

Postdoctoral Scholar, Civil and Environmental Engineering

R0151937
University of Nevada, Reno - Main Campus

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.

If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or jobs@unr.edu. For UNR Med professional job postings, please contact the Office of Professional Recruitment at (775) 784-6778.

Job Description

The Wildfire Science and Engineering Lab at University of Nevada, Reno invites applicants for multiple Postdoctoral Fellow positions to conduct research in the emerging field of Wildfire Engineering across the Pre-Fire and Active-Fire domains. We seek dynamic individuals with knowledge of fire science (or related fields) who are willing to work within a multidisciplinary team in a fast-paced research and development environment, learn new skills, and produce high-quality research products. The candidates will interact with other research members at the Lab as well as faculty members at UNR and other partnering institutes and agencies. The Lab is committed to postdoctoral mentorship and supports independent career development for successful candidates.

For Pre-Fire domain, we seek candidates with strong background in probability, engineering risk, reliability, and stochastic simulation concepts with experience in wildfire modeling and loss assessment and mitigation design for communities at the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Successful candidates will contribute to the development of solution platforms for integrating spatial and temporal information, harnessing remote sensing data, using climate information, understanding fuel modeling and mapping, and running physics-based or data-driven wildfire simulations to design and assess scenarios for risk mitigation.

For Active-Fire problem domain, we seek candidates with strong background in analytical and computational methods for physics-based wildfire simulation and atmospheric modeling, artificial intelligence, and near real-time applications. The successful candidates will contribute to the development of high-performance and GPU-enabled modeling tools for wildfire simulations.

Required Qualifications

- Ph.D. in Engineering, Physics, Computational Science, Atmospheric Science, or a closely related field.

- Programming and computational skills.

- Proven ability to publish in peer-reviewed journals.

- The doctoral degree must have been completed within the five years immediately preceding the first date of appointment as a postdoctoral fellow at the University.

- The individual cannot have held previous positions in the professional ranks.

Preferred Qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in:

- Uncertainty quantification and stochastic simulation

- Scientific software development in C/C++, Fortran, and Python.

- HPC/GPU computing

- GIS, remote sensing, and geospatial analysis

- Machine learning and deep learning

Department Information

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) is a research-active department with over 550 B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. students, 20 tenured/tenure-track faculty, seven research faculty, and various technical staff. The department offers ABET-accredited B.S. degree programs in both Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering, and graduate programs in five sub-disciplines that are nationally ranked by US News and World Report. In 2023 the department had annual research expenditures of over $9 million funded by external grants. It actively promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its programs and activities.

College Information

Join the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno

We value faculty and staff as partners in our mission to deliver outstanding education, research and engagement. Our college seeks individuals committed to:

Engaging in impactful outreach
Providing state-of-the-art education
Fostering respect, inclusiveness and diversity

Nevada Engineering is a fast-growing college, with research expenditures that have doubled over the past eight years. Supported by an Engineering Research Office, the college secured $27.9 million in research awards in FY25 and offers professional development resources to ensure success. We offer bachelor's, graduate degrees and certificates through five departments:

Chemical & Materials Engineering
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Computer Science & Engineering
Electrical & Biomedical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

Our specialized facilities include the Center for Civil Engineering Earthquake Research, Cybersecurity Center, the Nanofabrication Lab in the Davidson Foundation Cleanroom and the Nevada Water Innovation Institute. Located near the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center and offering ready access to the bustling California economy, Nevada Engineering collaborates with leading tech firms and advance research in robotics, AI, battery technology, aerospace, water systems and sustainable energy.

In Reno, you will find world-class outdoor recreation opportunities - including skiing, hiking, biking and water sports - in nearby Lake Tahoe and throughout the northern Nevada region. Learn more at unr.edu/engineering.

Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply immediately and provide all required attachments to receive full consideration. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled.

Department Contact

Questions should be addressed to Professors Hamed Ebrahimian (email to hebrahimian@unr.edu or wildfirehub@unr.edu). Visit www.wildfirehub.org for more information.

Exempt
Yes

Full-Time Equivalent
100.0%

Required Attachment(s)

Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review. To request updates to attachments, prior to review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at jobs@unr.edu.

Attach the following attachments to your application

1) Resume/CV

2) Cover letter describing qualifications and research experience.

3) Contact Information for Three Professional References

4) Statement of your career interests and goals

5) Graduate transcripts

This posting is open until filled

Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply immediately. This search will close without notice when a sufficient number of applications are received or a hiring decision has been made.

Posting Close Date
07/6/2026

Note to Applicant

A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.

HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member's first day of employment.

References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.

Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E-Verify.

As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.

For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver's license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment.

Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person's age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).

About Us

The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada's original land-grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries.

Classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 ("Very High Research") university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the "Best National Universities" and "Best National Public Universities." It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times' "Top Colleges for Economic Diversity."

Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada's first medical school - the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the Wayne L. Prim Campus at Lake Tahoe, where education, research, and creative work thrive in a stunning mountain setting. The University delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics.

The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. The University's physical infrastructure is expanding with ongoing construction of the newly named John Tullock Business Building, set to open in fall 2025. Groundbreaking is also planned for a new State Public Health Laboratory Building on campus, alongside the recent acquisition of 16 parcels near campus, known as "University Village," to provide affordable housing for graduate students and early career faculty.

Collaborating with world-renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple, which ensures equitable access to technology for students, providing new incoming freshman or transfer students with an iPad Air and accessories. Google's TechWise initiate is an 18-month program that fully supports undergraduate students in becoming entry-level software engineers by graduation.

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that Nevada - led by the University of Nevada, Reno - was named one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs). Nevada was selected from a competitive pool of 489 applicants from across the United States and its territories. Nevada's Tech Hub will strengthen America's lithium batteries, critical elements and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state.

Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that's transforming Nevada's communities and businesses, the University continues its 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world.

The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience.

Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students' cognitive growth and academic achievement - all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education.

For more information, please visit the University's website.

University of Nevada, Reno

To apply, visit https://nshe.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UNR-external/job/University-of-Nevada-Reno---Main-Campus/Postdoctoral-Scholar--Civil-and-Environmental-Engineering_R0151937?workerSubType=dddb2e55fbdf014cc806bd19c034ed08&workerSubType=dddb2e55fbdf011e7533c019c034ee08&workerSubType=dddb2e55fbdf0125f832c319c034ef08

Founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno is the State of Nevadas land grant institution with a statewide mission and presence. The University of Nevada, Reno is a Carnegie I Research Institution and has been recognized as a "Top Tier" Best National University by U.S. News & World Report. With an enrollment of nearly 21,000 students we offer 145 Tier 1 accredited degree programs. Located in the picturesque Truckee Meadows the University of Nevada, Reno is surrounded by numerous state and national parks, is 45 minutes from beautiful Lake Tahoe, and four hours from San Francisco.

The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. We are an inclusive and engaged community and recognize the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience.

The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a persons age, disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race, or religion.