Postdoctoral Scholar

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East Carolina University ( ECU) is consistently ranked among the nation's top public universities for its commitment to research, innovation, social mobility, and public service. Classified as a R1 institution by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, ECU is among the top 5% of research universities in the United States, an elite designation reflecting the highest levels of research activity, funding, and doctoral output.

Founded in 1907, ECU is a public, four-year university located in Greenville, N.C., which and is widely regarded as the cultural, educational, economic, and medical hub of eastern North Carolina. Through education, research, healthcare, community engagement, athletics, cultural enrichment, and service, ECU enhances the quality of life for its students, the state and communities around the world. It is a great place to work, teach, and learn.

ECU's commitment to impactful scholarship is further demonstrated through its repeated Carnegie Community Engagement Classification (2010, 2015, 2024), as well as its 2024 designation as a Carnegie Leadership for Public Purpose institution. These distinctions recognize the university's leadership in translating research into meaningful community partnerships and measurable societal benefits.

The university supports its workforce through a wide range of professional development opportunities designed to foster career growth and skill advancement. Eligible employees also benefit from a comprehensive benefits package that promotes a healthy work-life balance.

Academic Affairs, led by the Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, comprises the university's colleges, schools and libraries, along with other academic support and administrative units. Academic Affairs works collaboratively to strengthen ECU's culture of academic excellence in line with our mission to be a national model for student success, public service and regional transformation.

The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences advances access, knowledge, and opportunity through high-quality undergraduate and graduate education, innovative research and creative activities, and meaningful community engagement, all grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. We equip our graduates to address complex challenges, contribute meaningfully to their communities, and lead fulfilling lives.

The Department of Earth, Environment and Planning is an interdisciplinary community of scholars working to understand the Earth, its environments, and the people and places that depend on them. Our work spans the natural and social sciences. We connect field experience, geospatial technology, and community-engaged research to the challenges facing eastern North Carolina and the wider world, from coastal change and water resources to hazards, climate, and the future of our communities.

The postdoctoral scholar is responsible for independent and collaborative development, implementation, and analysis of scientific research in the discipline of coastal engineering and adaptation alternatives including living shorelines. Responsibilities include management of all aspects of coastal engineering analyses, including design of adaptation alternatives and modeling their effectiveness.

Duties include: hypothesis development, literature review, collection of pilot data, report writing, and supervising of undergraduate research students and graduate research students, overseeing data collection procedures, supervising experimental procedures, developing engineering designs for adaptation alternatives, setting up, calibrating, and running numerical models to test various alternatives, review of data for quality control, supervision of data entry/data analysis, analysis of research hypothesis using descriptive and multivariate statistics, and the development of independent and collaborative presentations and publications.

Approximately 90% of the postdoctoral scholar's time will be devoted to conducting the coastal engineering analyses and assessments of hazard adaptation alternatives at 3-5 sites in eastern North Carolina.

Approximately 10% of the postdoctoral scholar's time will be devoted to managing the day-to-day activity of undergraduate and graduate research students in the laboratory.

Scholars are expected to demonstrate compliance with established guidelines and regulatory standards for research including biosafety, responsible conduct of research and human subjects training.

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East Carolina University requires applicants to submit a candidate profile online in order to be considered for the position. Candidates must also submit a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references, including contact information, online.

At the time of employment two to three letters of reference, official transcripts, a criminal background check, and proper documentation of identity and employability are required. Please be aware that if selected as a candidate of choice, an automatic e-mail will be sent to the individuals entered by the applicant in the References section in the PeopleAdmin applicant tracking system. Letters of reference submitted via the PeopleAdmin applicant tracking system will be verified and considered towards meeting this requirement.

This is a temporary appointment and limited to a maximum period of five years, including any periods already completed in any ECU Postdoctoral Scholar position.

In order to be considered for this position, applicants must complete a candidate profile online via the PeopleAdmin system and submit any requested documents. Additionally, applicants that possess the preferred education and experience must also possess the minimum education/experience, if applicable.

Unless otherwise identified in the applicable job posting and consistent with University policy, the University will principally employ individuals who reside in the State of North Carolina to the greatest extent practicable. As such, most positions at East Carolina University require employees to live and work in North Carolina (or live within a reasonable daily commuting distance from their duty station) after hire. Candidates should be prepared to relocate within a reasonable, agreed-upon time after an offer of employment has been made and accepted to meet this requirement.

East Carolina University is committed to workforce success and cultivating a culture of care for our employees. ECU prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment based on race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation, and veteran status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their protected veteran status or disability.

Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act ( ADAAA) should contact the ADA Coordinator at (252) 737-1018 (Voice/ TTY) or ADA-Coordinator@ecu.edu.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. ECU participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Department for People Operations, Success, and Opportunity at (252) 328-9847 or toll free at 1-866-489-1740 or send an email to employment@ecu.edu. Our office is available to provide assistance Monday-Friday from 8:00-5:00 EST.