Postdoctoral Research Associate (Coastal Engineering)

Location: Galveston, Texas, United States; field campaigns may require travel to other remote locations and outdoor work on land or water.

Company

A research institute within Texas A&M University focused on disaster resilience, coastal systems, data-driven decision support, and evidence-based solutions for communities and public agencies.

What you will do

• Conduct research and project work in coastal hydrodynamic and morphodynamic modeling, nearshore field data collection, flood risk analytics, and disaster resilience.
• Contribute to research on planned storm surge suppression systems along the U.S. Gulf Coast, with emphasis on beach and dune modeling or hydrodynamic field data analysis.
• Collect, analyze, and summarize research data, including field measurements and numerical modeling results.
• Support the design and analysis of flood-control infrastructure and nature-based flood mitigation solutions.
• Mentor and supervise student and graduate researchers working on related projects.
• Prepare technical reports, publish findings in peer-reviewed journals, present at conferences, and participate in outreach activities.

Requirements

• PhD in Civil, Ocean, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Focus or expertise in coastal systems, coastal numerical modeling, nearshore field data collection, hydraulic engineering, geotechnical challenges, or a similar area.
• Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions, heat, elevated noise, and potential allergens during field campaigns.
• Ability to travel independently to other and remote locations by car or commercial airline.
• Strong written, oral, visual communication, presentation, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Employment is contingent on credential verification and completion of a criminal history investigation.

Nice to have

• Experience with coastal circulation, flooding, wave, or morphodynamic numerical modeling tools.
• Experience collecting and analyzing nearshore field data using topographic and bathymetric surveys, infiltration sampling, acoustic instruments, or piezo-electric instruments.
• Knowledge of coastal sediment transport dynamics and flood-control or storm surge suppression structures.
• Proficiency in Python, Matlab, R, and GIS software such as ESRI ArcPro.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative, multidisciplinary research environment focused on public impact and disaster resilience.
• Health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance, with employee health and basic life premiums supported by Texas A&M.
• Paid annual holidays, sick leave, and vacation leave.
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
• Professional development through LinkedIn Learning, webinars, conference and workshop support, tuition assistance, and educational release time.