Mellon Postdoctoral Research Fellow of Environment & Sustainability

William & Mary seeks a Mellon Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Environment & Sustainability for a two-year position starting August 10, 2026. The role involves research in ecosystems, teaching a lecture series, and developing a natural science course. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in an Earth or environmental science discipline and teaching experience. Skills in programming and ecological modeling are preferred. The position is located in Williamsburg, VA.
Job Requisition:
JR101311 Mellon Postdoctoral Research Fellow of Environment & Sustainability (Open)

Department:
CC00082 WM001 | PROV | WM001 Environment & Sustainability

Job Description Summary:
The Environment & Sustainability Program at William & Mary, a public university of the Commonwealth of Virginia, seeks applications for a two-year Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow position that will begin August 10, 2026. The Mellon Environmental Postdoctoral Scholars (MEPS) program supports teaching, research, and advising in the Environment & Sustainability (ENSP) program (https://www.wm.edu/as/environment/mellon-postdoc/).

We seek an individual with expertise in both field and computational methods to examine ecosystems. In this appointment, the postdoc will have substantial amounts of time to focus on their own research agenda. In addition, the postdoc will work with faculty mentors on a project on landscape disturbance and ecohydrology function. The successful applicant will also be required to organize ENSP 250, a 1-credit lecture series, in the Spring semester of their first year and design and teach a new 4-credit natural science with field lab course of their choosing in both the Fall and Spring semesters of their second year, and oversee a 1-credit discussion section of ENSP 250 in the Spring of their second year.

Job Description:

Required Qualifications:
• Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in any Earth and environmental science discipline at the time appointment begins August 10, 2026. Teaching experience and enthusiasm for teaching at the undergraduate level relevant to environment and sustainability.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Skills include programming (e.g., R, Python, Git, etc.), ecological modeling, field measurements in forest ecosystems, or computational methods to analyze and understand spatial data.
• Experience in one or more of the following disciplines/domains: ecosystem science, ecohydrology, watershed dynamics, geomorphology, or ecophysiology.
Conditions of Employment:
• This position may require additional hours beyond the typical work week, including occasional overnight and weekend work as needed to meet the business needs of the operation.
• This is a restricted position, subject to the continued availability of funding and to the term in which it is assigned and hired.
Applicants must apply online at https://go.wm.edu/VphZB3. All applications must consist of the following materials for full consideration; (Please note: No more than 5 individual documents may be uploaded into the upload field provided. Each individual file must not exceed a size limit of 5MB. if necessary, candidates can compress multiple files into individual zip files for upload):
• Curriculum vitae,
• Cover letter;
• A statement of research interests
• A statement of teaching interests
• A reference page with the contact information (including names, email addresses, and phone numbers) for three references.
Applicants are encouraged to reflect on mentoring practices that advance academic excellence and success of all learners/scholars studying the environment in any of the aforementioned required documents.

Candidates who reach the short-list (Zoom) interview stage will be prompted to submit online the names and email addresses of three references who will be contacted by the system with instructions for how to submit a letter of reference.

For full consideration, submit application materials by the initial review date, March 7, 2026. Applications received after the initial review date will be considered if needed. All required supplemental application materials mentioned above must be clearly identified and included with your application for full consideration. Review of applications is ongoing. Applications received after the initial review date will be considered if needed.

Information on the degree programs in the Environment & Sustainability Program may be found at https://www.wm.edu/as/environment/

Benefits

William & Mary offers our full-time employees a full array of benefits including retirement, health insurance with options for expanded dental and vision along with group and optional life insurance with coverage for spouse and children, flexible spending accounts, and an EAP (Employee Assistance Program).

Our employees enjoy additional university benefits such as educational assistance, professional development, wellness benefits, and a robust holiday schedule. All employees have access to fitness facilities on campus. Staff members also have access to the university libraries, and much more. To learn more, go to: https://www.wm.edu/offices/uhr/benefits/index.php?type=none

Additional Job Description:

Conditions of Employment

This position may require additional hours beyond the typical work week, including occasional overnight and weekend work as needed to meet the business needs of the operation.

This is a restricted position, subject to the continued availability of funding and to the term in which it is assigned and hired.

Job Profile:
JP0388 - Postdoctoral Research Associate (Less than 12 months) - Exempt - Salary - S99

Qualifications:

Position Restrictions:

EEO is the Law. Applicants can learn more about William & Mary's status as an equal opportunity employer by viewing the "Know Your Rights" poster published by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. https://www.eeoc.gov/know-your-rights-workplace-discrimination-illegal

Background Check: William & Mary is committed to providing a safe campus community. W&M conducts background investigations for applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include reference checks, a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial (credit) report or driving history check.

Remote Work Disclaimer: Remote work eligibility is not guaranteed and is subject to approval. Employee eligibility depends on the likelihood of the employee succeeding in a remote work arrangement and the supervisor's ability to manage remote workers. Departments and/or Human Resources may amend, alter, change, delete, or modify eligibility.