Postdoctoral Associate Position: Climate Data, Drought, and Hydrologic Modeling of the Everglades at Florida International University, USA (2026)
This research opportunity combines climate-change analysis, hydrological modeling, drought assessment, and water-resources research. The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to projects conducted collaboratively by FIU and Everglades National Park, supporting the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).
Applicants should hold a PhD in hydrology, civil or environmental engineering, climate science, water resources engineering, environmental science, Earth system science, or a closely related discipline. Candidates with strong programming and statistical analysis skills and experience working with climate or hydrometeorological datasets are encouraged to apply.
The application review date is 19 November 2026, and recruitment will continue until the position is filled.
Position Overview
About the Research Project
Florida International University seeks a motivated postdoctoral researcher to investigate how changing hydro-meteorological conditions may affect drought risks, freshwater availability, and hydrological processes in the Greater Everglades and Everglades National Park.
The position involves two closely integrated projects carried out in collaboration with Everglades National Park. The research will combine historical observations, climate projections, water-balance analysis, climate-model evaluation, future scenario development, and regional hydrologic modeling.
A central objective is to understand how changes in precipitation, evapotranspiration, temperature, and sea-level rise may influence drought conditions and the availability and movement of freshwater across the Everglades.
The research will also examine changes in hydroperiods, coastal gradients, wet and dry extremes, and ecosystem-supporting flows. These findings will help inform long-term restoration planning, ecological resilience, and adaptive water management.
The work directly supports the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, a major restoration effort focused on the South Florida ecosystem.
Key Responsibilities
The selected candidate will conduct advanced climate and hydrological research, analyse large datasets, develop future scenarios, and communicate findings to research collaborators.
1. Climate Data Processing and Analysis
The postdoctoral associate will acquire, process, and analyse observational, reanalysis, and statistically downscaled climate-projection datasets for South Florida and the Greater Everglades.
The work will include datasets from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phases 5 and 6 (CMIP5 and CMIP6).
2. Climate Model Evaluation and Selection
The researcher will evaluate global climate model (GCM) performance during historical baseline periods. Based on this evaluation, the candidate will develop a defensible subset of models representing a plausible range of future hydro-meteorological conditions and drought risks.
3. Evapotranspiration and Water-Balance Analysis
The role includes calculating reference evapotranspiration using the ASCE standardized Penman–Monteith method.
The researcher will also evaluate and bias-correct precipitation and evapotranspiration datasets using appropriate observational data and high-resolution reference products. Physically based precipitation-minus-reference-evapotranspiration metrics will be developed to assess water-balance conditions.
4. Drought Characterization
The candidate will investigate historical and future drought events using statistical methods, including run theory, distributional analysis, and clustering or model-selection techniques.
Drought conditions will be characterized according to their:
Duration.
Intensity.
Severity.
The analysis will help establish how drought patterns may change under different climate conditions.
5. Future Climate and Sea-Level Scenarios
The researcher will develop future scenarios incorporating Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), hydro-meteorological uncertainty, and sea-level rise.
The work will include bounding scenarios, such as warm-wet and hot-dry conditions, to investigate a range of possible future environmental outcomes.
6. Regional Hydrologic Modeling
The successful candidate will prepare spatially distributed precipitation and evapotranspiration inputs and conduct simulations using the Regional Simulation Model–Glades LECSA (RSMGL).
Simulations will consider both existing conditions and scenarios associated with Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan restoration measures.
7. Evaluate Hydrological and Ecological Indicators
The researcher will analyse projected changes in:
Water levels and flows.
Hydroperiods and wet–dry extremes.
Freshwater availability.
Coastal hydrological gradients.
Other hydrological indicators relevant to Everglades ecosystems.
8. Publications, Reports, and Research Communication
The position also involves preparing technical reports, peer-reviewed publications, presentations, data products, and reproducible computational workflows.
The candidate will communicate results to collaborators at Florida International University and Everglades National Park.
Required Qualifications
Applicants should demonstrate strong research skills in hydrology, hydroclimatology, climate-change analysis, or water-resources modeling.
The required qualifications include:
PhD degree: A doctoral degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, Water Resources Engineering, Climate Science, Environmental Science, Earth System Science, or a closely related field.
Hydrological expertise: A strong background in hydrology, hydroclimatology, climate-change analysis, or water-resources modeling.
Climate data analysis: Demonstrated experience processing and statistically analysing large hydrometeorological or climate datasets.
Scientific programming: Proficiency in scientific programming and data analysis, preferably using Python and/or R.
Climate and statistical methods: Experience with climate projections, bias correction, statistical modeling, spatial analysis, and time-series analysis.
Research communication: Strong written and oral communication skills.
Independent research: Demonstrated ability to conduct independent, reproducible research.
Candidates should be able to manage complex datasets, apply suitable analytical methods, document their workflows, and communicate scientific findings clearly.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in one or more of the following areas will be highly desirable:
CMIP5 and CMIP6 climate-projection datasets.
Global climate model evaluation and downscaling.
Evapotranspiration modeling.
Drought analysis and nonstationary hydroclimatic analysis.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and gridded spatial datasets.
High-performance computing.
Regional hydrologic modeling.
Regional Simulation Model (RSM) or RSMGL.
Everglades hydrology.
Sea-level-rise analysis.
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan research or planning.
These are preferred areas of expertise. Applicants should review the full vacancy and clearly explain how their experience aligns with the required qualifications and the research objectives.
Research Collaboration and Academic Environment
The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. Jayantha Obeysekera at Florida International University and Dr. Rajendra Paudel of the South Florida Natural Resources Center, Everglades National Park.
This collaboration provides an opportunity to contribute to research directly relevant to long-term Everglades restoration, ecosystem resilience, and adaptive management.
Florida International University is a public research university located in Miami, Florida. It serves students from across the United States and more than 140 countries and offers more than 200 degree programmes. FIU is a Carnegie R1 research institution, with research activities spanning environmental resilience, health, technology, and innovation.
The university’s environmental research strengths provide a setting for interdisciplinary work addressing climate change, water resources, and ecosystem sustainability.
Salary and Employment Benefits
The supplied vacancy description does not specify the salary, contract duration, or detailed benefits package for this postdoctoral position. Applicants should consult the official FIU recruitment page for the latest employment terms.
The position is listed as full-time at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus.
How to Apply
Qualified candidates should apply through the Florida International University recruitment portal.
Required application materials
Applicants should prepare the following:
Cover letter: Describe your research background, relevant technical expertise, and interest in climate data, drought, and hydrologic modeling of the Everglades.
Curriculum vitae (CV): Include your academic qualifications, research experience, publications, programming skills, and relevant technical expertise.
References: Provide the names and contact information of at least three referees. The search committee will contact them as determined during the recruitment process.
Applicants should complete the online application and attach the required documents. FIU recommends preparing electronic documents in Microsoft Word or PDF format and notes that combining the cover letter and CV into one attachment is recommended.
Application deadline and review date
Review date: 19 November 2026
Applications and required materials should be received by this date for full consideration. The review process will continue until the position is filled, so candidates are encouraged to apply early.
Official application link
Apply through Florida International University Careers
Contact for enquiries
Applicants may contact Dr. Obeysekera with questions about the research position.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the postdoctoral position at Florida International University about?
The position focuses on climate data analysis, drought risk, and hydrologic modeling in the Greater Everglades and Everglades National Park. The research will investigate how changing climate conditions and sea-level rise may affect freshwater availability, water flows, hydroperiods, and ecosystem-supporting processes.
2. What is the application deadline?
The review date is 19 November 2026. Applications received by this date will receive full consideration. Recruitment will continue until the position is filled.
3. What degree is required?
Applicants must hold a PhD in Civil or Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, Water Resources Engineering, Climate Science, Environmental Science, Earth System Science, or a closely related discipline.
4. Is programming experience required?
Yes. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in scientific programming and data analysis. Python and/or R are preferred.
5. What research experience is required?
Candidates need a strong background in hydrology, hydroclimatology, climate-change analysis, or water-resources modeling. Experience with large climate or hydrometeorological datasets and statistical analysis is also required.
6. Is experience with CMIP5 or CMIP6 necessary?
Experience with CMIP5 and CMIP6 datasets is listed as highly desirable under the preferred qualifications, rather than as a separate mandatory requirement.
7. What modeling techniques will the researcher use?
The work includes climate-model evaluation and selection, evapotranspiration calculations, water-balance analysis, drought characterization, future climate scenario development, and simulations using the Regional Simulation Model–Glades LECSA (RSMGL).
8. What is the salary for this position?
The supplied job description does not state the salary. Candidates should check the official FIU recruitment listing for compensation details.
9. Who will supervise or collaborate on the research?
The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. Jayantha Obeysekera at FIU and Dr. Rajendra Paudel of the South Florida Natural Resources Center, Everglades National Park.
10. What documents are required to apply?
Applicants should submit a cover letter and CV and provide the names and contact details of at least three references.
11. Is the position full-time?
Yes. The position is listed as full-time at Florida International University’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus in Miami, Florida.
12. How do I apply?
Visit the FIU Careers website, search for Job Opening ID 538341, and complete the online application with the required materials.
Final Thoughts
The Postdoctoral Associate position at Florida International University offers an opportunity for researchers with expertise in hydrology, climate science, environmental engineering, or related fields to contribute to an important environmental challenge: understanding future drought risks and protecting the hydrological functioning of the Everglades.
The work combines climate projections, statistical drought analysis, evapotranspiration modeling, and regional hydrologic simulations. Applicants with strong programming skills and experience analysing climate or hydrometeorological data may find this role particularly relevant.
Interested candidates should review the official vacancy and submit their applications before 19 November 2026 for full consideration.
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