Postdoctoral Fellow - Cockrell School of Engineering

Job Posting Title:

Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Energy and Environmental Systems Analysis, Cockrell School of Engineering

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Hiring Department:

Center for Energy and Environmental Systems Analysis

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt from FLSA

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Apr 15, 2027

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Location:

PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

The Postdoctoral Fellow will join a growing group of interdisciplinary experts in energy systems, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy policy within the Center for Energy and Environmental Systems Analysis (CEESA). CEESA operators across multiple engineering departments at UT Austin and routinely collaborate with stakeholders in government agencies, industry, and non-profit organizations. 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. 

Position Purpose

The Postdoctoral Fellow will conduct research on developing physics-informed models of the gas-electric interconnection network with applications in voluntary carbon markets, risk assessments, and energy transition planning under the supervision of Dr. Arvind Ravikumar. The recent National Petroleum Council report on Gas-Electric Coordination highlighted the critical importance of understanding the interconnecting dependencies between the natural gas system and the electric grid. Yet, a physical model that tracks the flow of natural gas from production regions to power plants do not exist. Such a physical model, if developed, could unlock a range of new applications in energy system research including traceability of carbon intensity of delivered gas, quantitative risk assessments associated with gas grid disruptions, and long-term planning to repurpose natural gas pipelines to carry carbon dioxide or hydrogen. The postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for developing the model and illustrating its use across several application areas. This position will initially focus on developing a gas-electric integration model for the Southeast US, followed by an expansion to other regions.

Responsibilities

• Model Development: Develop a physics-informed model of integration of the natural gas pipeline system and electric power generation units in the US to probe interdependencies of the gas system and the electric system

• Case Studies and Application Areas: Use the gas-electric integration model to answer questions related to low-emissions gas certification, risk assessments in the electric system, and re-purposing pipelines to lower carbon solutions including CO2 transport

• Writing and Documentation: Leading peer-reviewed manuscripts, white papers, and project reports summarizing the findings of the research

• Performs other related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Energy System Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Atmospheric Sciences or a closely related field received within the last three years

• Demonstrated research experience in energy system modeling, greenhouse gas emission inventories, or engineering-based risk assessment models

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in communicating technical information to varied audiences in industry, government, and non-profit organizations

• Experience mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in research

• Strong track record of peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations

• Strong programming skills in Python

• Ability to work collaboratively with other research staff, post-doctoral scholars

Salary Range

$63,573 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Repetitive use of keyboard at workstation

• Repetitive use of standard office equipment

• Limited travel (2-3 trips per year to conferences and other meetings)

Required Materials

• CV that includes a full publication record

• Letter of interest

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

• Up to 2 relevant publications (peer-reviewed or pre-prints)

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume in the first step of the online job application process. Then, any additional Required Materials will be uploaded in the My Experience section; you can multi-select the additional files or click the Upload button for each file. 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 Jobs. Before you apply though, 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. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will need to click the Upload button multiple times in order to attach your Resume, References and any additional Required Materials 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 and 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.