Postdoctoral Associates - Sea Level Rise Projections and Climate Risk Assessment & Management

Rutgers University is seeking Postdoctoral Associates in Sea Level Rise Projections and Climate Risk Assessment & Management within the Earth & Planetary Sciences Department. The role involves research on past and future sea level changes, their economic impacts, and supporting climate risk management. The position offers a salary of $65,000 and includes comprehensive benefits. The job is located in Piscataway, NJ, indicating it is not remote.
Position Details



Position Information








Recruitment/Posting Title


Postdoctoral Associates - Sea Level Rise Projections and Climate Risk Assessment & Management






Department


Earth & Planetary Sciences






Salary Details


65,000






Offer Information


The final salary offer may be determined by several factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and expertise, and availability of department or grant funds to support the position. We also take into consideration market benchmarks, if and when appropriate, and internal equity to ensure fair compensation relative to the university’s broader compensation structure. We are committed to offering competitive and flexible compensation packages to attract and retain top talent.






Benefits



Rutgers provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. The specific benefits vary based on the position and may include:


Medical, prescription drug, and dental coverage
Paid vacation, holidays, and various leave programs
Competitive retirement benefits, including defined contribution plans and voluntary tax-deferred savings options
Employee and dependent educational benefits (when applicable)
Life insurance coverage
Employee discount programs







Posting Summary



The Rutgers University Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences invites applications for highly motivated, creative postdoctoral associates with interests in (a) sea-level rise projections and/or (b) climate risk assessment and management. The candidate will join the Rutgers University Earth System Science & Policy Lab (earthscipol.net), under the direction of Professor Robert Kopp, and its collaborators in the Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH), the NASA Sea-Level Change Team, and the Climate Impact Lab.


Research in the Earth System Science & Policy Lab addresses four interrelated questions: First, how has sea level changed in the past? Second, how may sea level change in the future in response to climate forcing? Third, how do climate and sea-level change impact the economy and human well-being? Finally, how can climate and sea-level science more effectively support climate risk management under deep uncertainty? The Lab’s sea-level projections are highly used; the Framework for Assessment of Changes To Sea-level (FACTS; https://www.fact-sealevel.org/), an open-source sea-level projection framework initially developed by the lab, supported the integration of projections for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report.


Working in coordination with the FACTS development team at the Climate Impact Lab and with collaborators in the NASA Sea-Level Change Team, the postdoctoral associate may have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the scientific community’s next generation of sea-level rise projections, following a workplan to be developed at the June 2026 AGU Chapman Conference on Updating Usable Projections of Sea-Level Rise (https://www.agu.org/chapman-sea-level). In this context, the integration into global, relative, and extreme sea-level projections of knowledge related to potential high-impact events of poorly-known likelihood, such as ice-sheet or AMOC collapse, is of particular interest, as is the integration of observational constraints. Interest in or experience with the development of emulators of complex models is also valuable.


The postdoctoral associate may also have the opportunity to work with colleagues in MACH and the Climate Impact Lab on topics such as the valuation of coastal climate risk information, the use of market mechanisms such as insurance to manage coastal climate risk, and the simulation of adaptation decision-making under deep uncertainty.




The position will be based at Rutgers-New Brunswick. The position is a grant-funded annual position. Renewal for up to three years is possible subject to performance and availability of funding.







Position Status


Full Time






Posting Number


26FA0059






Posting Open Date


01/26/2026






Posting Close Date










Qualifications








Minimum Education and Experience



PhD in oceanography, atmospheric science, geophysics, economics, computer science, statistics, or a related discipline at time of appointment;


Familiarity with literature relevant to sea-level projections and/or coastal climate risk;


Strong coding skills, including experience in Python;



Excellent organizational and communication skills.



Familiarity with high-performance computing is a plus.







Certifications/Licenses







Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities







Preferred Qualifications







Equipment Utilized







Physical Demands and Work Environment







Overview







Statement


Rutgers University provides equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we encourage all qualified applicants to apply. For additional information please see the Non-Discrimination Statement at the following web address: http://uhr.rutgers.edu/non-discrimination-statement









Posting Details








Special Instructions to Applicants


Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, contact information for three references, a C.V., a writing sample, and a link to a GitHub repo or other coding sample at [URL]. Review of applications will begin about February 21.






Quick Link to Posting


https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/267794






Campus


Rutgers University-New Brunswick






Home Location Campus


Rutgers University - New Brunswick






City


Piscataway






State


NJ






Location Details










Pre-employment Screenings




All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of all pre-employment screenings.









Immunization Requirements
Under Policy 100.3.1 Immunization Policy for Covered Individuals, if employment will commence during Flu Season, Rutgers University may require certain prospective employees to provide proof that they are vaccinated against Seasonal Influenza for the current Flu Season, unless the University has granted the individual a medical or religious exemption. Additional infection control and safety policies may apply. Prospective employees should speak with their hiring manager to determine which policies apply to the role or position for which they are applying. Failure to provide proof of vaccination for any required vaccines or obtain a medical or religious exemption from the University will result in rescission of a candidate’s offer of employment or disciplinary action up to and including termination.







Equal Employment Opportunity Statement




It is university policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we encourage all qualified applicants to apply. For additional information please see the Non-Discrimination Statement at the following web address: http://uhr.rutgers.edu/non-discrimination-statement








Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).






Applicant Documents

Required Documents


Resume/CV


Cover Letter/Letter of Application


Writing Sample 1


URL


List of Professional References (contact Info)

Optional Documents