Closing date:

Postdoctoral Scholar, Economics of Flood Risk & Nature-based Solutions

City/location:
Santa Cruz, California, USA
Organization:
University of California, Santa Cruz

This job posting has closed

The Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) invites applications for a postdoctoral scholar to work on the economics of flood risk & nature-based solutions. The postdoctoral scholar will work under the direction of Professor Michael Beck in the Coastal Resilience Lab and will help assess flood risk and the risk reduction benefits of nature-based solutions such as reefs and wetlands at local to global scales. The incumbent will join a team of ecologists, engineers, geologists and spatial analysts to advance several collaborative projects with partners from the insurance industry (e.g., AXA), the World Bank, United States Geological Survey (USGS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).

The incumbent will advance the economic data used on a variety of flood risk analyses that consider past, present and future flood risk with and without habitats. The incumbent will have opportunities to work in and oversee components on projects that include nature in risk industry models; FEMA Benefit: Cost Analysis for coral reef restoration in the US Virgin Islands; development of risk analyses that consider the socio-economic impacts of floods and flood reduction benefits of marshes in south San Francisco Bay; and support the development of innovative financing tools that leverage the benefits of nature for flood risk reduction.

Applicants with experience or expertise in the following areas are strongly encouraged to apply:

  • Experience in economic assessment of flood risk and risk reduction benefits of mitigation and adaptation projects.
  • Experience in the valuation of flood reduction benefits from habitats.
  • Experience in environmental or ecosystem service valuation.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work and develop partnerships across a suite of academic research groups, industry partners, Non-Governmental Organizations, and government agencies.
  • Excellent communication skills and strong interest in translating work into peer-reviewed publications in academic journals and other popular communication outlets.

Academic title

Postdoctoral Scholar

Salary

Commensurate with qualifications and experience with a minimum annual salary of $55,000. Minimum annual salary rates are made based on the individual’s Experience Level, which is determined by the number of months of postdoctoral service at any institution. See current salary scale for Postdoctoral Titles at https://apo.ucsc.edu/compensation/salary-scales/index.html

Basic qualifications

Ph.D. (or equivalent foreign degree) in economics or environmental & natural resource economics or similar discipline.

Position available

As soon as possible after initial review of the applications. Ph.D. must be in hand at time of the initial appointment. The duties of the position will be completed remotely, but once the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted, work will resume on campus.

Maximum duration of service in a postdoctoral title

Postdoctoral Scholar appointments are full-time; the initial appointment is for a minimum of one year, with the possibility of reappointment. Reappointment will be contingent upon positive performance review and availability of funding. The total duration of an individual’s postdoctoral service may not exceed five years, including postdoctoral service at any institution. Under limited circumstances, an exception to this limit may be considered, not to exceed a sixth year.

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