Post Doctorate Research Associate - Controlled Environment Agriculture

The Post Doctorate Research Associate position at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Phoenix, AZ, involves research in controlled environment agriculture, including measuring daylight characteristics and analyzing far-red radiation effects. The role requires a recent PhD, knowledge of agricultural systems, and programming skills for data analysis. Responsibilities include field measurements, report writing, and collaboration with teams. Benefits include health insurance, flexible schedules, and paid time off.
About the position

The Post Doctorate Research Associate position at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) focuses on conducting research in controlled environment agriculture. The role involves measuring daylight characteristics, analyzing the effects of far-red radiation on productivity, and energy modeling related to agricultural practices. The successful candidate will collaborate with scientists and engineers, contribute to technical papers, and support project management tasks while ensuring high-quality research output.

Responsibilities
• Conduct research related to controlled environment agriculture.
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• Measure daylight characteristics before and after transmission through glazing.
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• Analyze the effect of far-red radiation on productivity.
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• Perform energy modeling related to controlled environment agriculture.
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• Conduct field measurements and data analysis.
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• Write reports on research findings.
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• Collaborate with principal investigators on current work.
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• Contribute technical content for proposals and support project scoping, scheduling, and budgeting.

Requirements
• PhD received within the past five years or within the next eight months from an accredited college or university.
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• Existing knowledge of controlled environment agriculture systems.
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• Experience or interest in analyzing energy use of controlled environment agriculture facilities.
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• Basic programming skills for data analysis (e.g., Python, R).
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• Ability to work collaboratively with geographically distributed and interdisciplinary teams.
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• Demonstrated ability to write concisely and clearly.
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• Passion for learning and innovation to advance energy efficiency and sustainability.
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• Willingness to travel domestically for field work.

Nice-to-haves
• Experience in energy modeling related to agricultural practices.
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• Familiarity with data analysis tools and techniques.
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• Interest in sustainability and energy efficiency innovations.

Benefits
• Health insurance
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• Flexible work schedules
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• Dental insurance
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• Vision insurance
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• Health savings account
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• Flexible spending accounts
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• Basic life insurance
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• Disability insurance
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• Employee assistance program
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• Business travel insurance
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• Tuition assistance
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• Supplemental parental bonding leave
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• Surrogacy and adoption assistance
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• Fertility support
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• Company funded pension plan
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• 401k savings plan
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• Vacation hours accrual (up to 120 hours per year)
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• Paid holidays (ten per year)