Post-Doc Research Associate

The successful candidate will conduct research at the intersection of water and health as part of the UNC Water Institute at the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Depending on the specific appointment, research may focus on the development and evaluation of novel disinfection technologies, new methods in environmental health microbiology, and quantitative microbial risk assessment, applied to drinking water, wastewater, and other environmental matrices. Work will be conducted in the context of field- and laboratory-based studies and trials in the United States and internationally, in collaboration with faculty, students, and partner institutions and communities. The postdoctoral researcher will work closely with an interdisciplinary team that may include engineers, microbiologists, epidemiologists, and public health practitioners, and will interact with the broader UNC Water Institute community.

Specific activities will include, but are not limited to, experimental design and execution, environmental sample collection and microbiological/analytical characterization, data analysis, and manuscript and proposal preparation. In addition to research activities, the successful candidate is expected to contribute to the mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students, and to other academic activities, as part of their postdoctoral training.

The specific project, start date, and appointment length will depend on the funding source and supervising faculty member. Postdoctoral appointments are typically for one year, renewable annually based on satisfactory performance and funding availability, for up to three years.

Well-organized, detail-oriented, able to work independently and with groups, and interested in working on interdisciplinary team science. Valuable background and skills include international field experience in impact evaluation of water and sanitation programming, environmental health microbiology, risk assessment, and environmental epidemiology. The ideal candidate will also have experience designing, conducting, analyzing, and publishing research, as well as publications in relevant environmental journals. Additionally, the ideal candidate will have interest/experience mentoring junior researchers, including undergraduate and graduate students, and supporting faculty in co-instructing course-based research experiences.

Preferred qualifications include: demonstrated skills in environmental microbiology (e.g., pathogen detection and quantification, culture- and molecular-based methods, microbial source tracking); experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desired: disinfection technologies, environmental health risk assessment, or water quality and wastewater surveillance. Experience conducting field-based research or trials, including in international and/or low-resource settings, will be viewed favorably. A record of research productivity (e.g., peer-reviewed publications) and strong written and oral communication skills are expected.