Postdoctoral Fellow, Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Emissions

Job Description

Position Summary:

The Postdoctoral Fellow will lead experimental research leading gas- and particle-phase emissions from burning building materials, vehicles, and household contents found in wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires.

Link to Mechanical Engineering Website: https://www.engr.colostate.edu/me/

Application Deadline: please apply by January 15, 2027, 11:59pm (MT).

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Essential Job Duties:

- Design and execute the experimental design for laboratory-scale (~1 kW) combustion experiments at CSU on legacy, modern, and synthetic WUI fuels, including operation of the combustion furnace, emissions hood, and dilution sampling system.
- Operate and maintain real-time gas and aerosol instruments (gas analyzers, engine exhaust particle sizer, photoacoustic extinctiometer) and supervise collection of filter and sorbent samples.
- Oversee quality assurance and quality control, offline sample analysis, and calculation of fuel-based emission factors using the carbon mass balance method.
- Prepare peer-reviewed manuscripts, conference presentations, and project reports, and curate the public emission factor dataset in line with the project's Data Management Plan.

Conditions of Employment:

- Standard CSU criminal background check (required for all new hires).
- A pproximately 3 weeks of on-site work at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD and attendance at national scientific conferences.
- Long test days during field campaigns, which may include evenings or weekends.
- Completion of CSU Environmental Health Services training for handling regulated materials (e.g., lead-painted and asbestos-containing materials), hazardous waste, and radiation safety; respirator fit testing and medical clearance if required by EHS.

Supervision:

- N/A

Minimum Qualifications:

- Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Atmospheric Science, Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, or a closely related field, completed by the start date.
- Demonstrated experience operating gas-phase or aerosol measurement instruments in a laboratory or field setting.
- Experience analyzing large experimental datasets using a programming language such as Python, MATLAB, or R.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Research experience in combustion emissions, biomass burning, or fire science.
- Hands-on experience with instruments such as gas analyzers, particle sizers, and aerosol mass spectrometers.
- Experience with filter-based sampling and offline analyses (gravimetric PM2.5, OC/EC, XRF, ion chromatography).
- Experience calculating emission factors.
- Record of first-author peer-reviewed publications.
- Experience coordinating multi-institution research projects or field campaigns.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Experience with atmospheric chemical transport modeling, including models such as the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model or similar chemical transport models (CTMs), particularly for evaluating emissions, atmospheric transport, and air quality impacts.

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Additional Information:

- Search Contact: [email protected]

# Salary Range
$60,000 to $70,000 annually

Required Application Documents

To apply, please upload the following applicant documents. Ensure your materials fully address the required and preferred job qualifications of the position. Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
Cover Letter, Resume/CV
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Employee Benefits

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Background Check Policy Statement

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Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.

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EEO

Colorado State University (CSU) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.