The Berkeley Fire Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley is searching for a postdoctoral scholar to work on numerical modeling of wildfires as they spread from vegetation into and within the wildland-urban interface (WUI). The work will primarily focus on uncoupled modeling of fire spread, analysis of past wildfire events, and development and implementation of a WUI spread model into an existing wildland fire spread code. The postdoctoral scholar will be offered the opportunity to develop cutting-edge wildfire simulation technology that will be published and open-sourced at the end of the project, opening wide opportunities for those interested in the field. The position is supported with funding from the Moore Foundation.

This postdoctoral scholar will perform research on a Moore-foundation funded project to develop a submodel for existing wildland fire spread models that will allow for spread through the WUI. The postdoctoral scholar will perform research under the supervision of Professor Gollner.

The Postdoctoral Scholar will be responsible for:
• Running existing wildland fire spread models (ELMFIRE)
• Programing an algorithm for fire spread in the WUI in FORTRAN
• Performing data analysis between simulation results and past fire data
• Working with project partners (Reax Engineering) on code development
• Preparing reports for project sponsors
• Overseeing day to day laboratory activities
• Mentoring students
• Presenting at conferences
• Preparing results for publication
• Assisting with grant writing

Labor Contract: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/px/index.html

Lab: https://firelab.berkeley.edu/

• PhD (or equivalent international degree) or enrolled in a PhD (or equivalent international degree) program.

• PhD (or equivalent international degree).
• No more than four years of post-degree research experience by start date.

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering, or a related field.

Candidates must have the numerical expertise to develop and implement the proposed model. Previous experience in wildland fire modeling is therefore not required but could be beneficial with a strong numerical modeling background.

Candidates should have experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Development of numerical simulation codes (e.g., fluids or combustion CFD, fire spread, weather, natural hazards, etc.)
• Landscape-scale fire spread modeling
• Statistics and analysis of risk (e.g., natural hazards risk analysis)
• GIS analysis of data, including remotely sensed data

An ideal candidate need not have experience in all the above areas but should have a strong background in at least one area with strong numerical methods and code development skills. We will also consider candidates that have a strong background from fields other than engineering (e.g., physics, natural resource management, ecology, etc.).

• 3 required (contact information only)

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values at UC Berkeley. Our excellence can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and academic and non-academic staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates for our academic positions will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality (http://apo.berkeley.edu/ucb-confidentiality-policy) prior to submitting their letter.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Policy https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/5000695/SARS-CoV-2_Covid-19. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of Full Vaccination or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, and/or Religious Objection) or Deferral (based on pregnancy) no later than the applicable deadline. For new University of California employees, the applicable deadline is eight weeks after their first date of employment. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.)