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CIRES / Earth Lab Professional Research Assistant

University of Colorado Boulder -
Boulder, CO

Job Details

Full-time
$67,000 - $78,750 a year

Benefits

Health insurance
Dental insurance
Tuition reimbursement
Paid time off
On-the-job training
Career development plan
Retirement plan

Qualifications

Managing scientific research projects
Project reporting
Data Integration (Data management)
Field studies
Outdoor work experience
Scientific research papers
Master's degree
Programming languages
Environmental data analysis
Team management
Collaborative technology platforms
Leading team collaboration initiatives
Digital project management boards
Managing projects
Data visualization
Manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals
Data visualization projects
Data analysis software
Scientific reports

Full Job Description

Requisition Number:

72630

Location:

Boulder, Colorado

City

Boulder

State

Colorado

Employment Type:

Research Faculty

Schedule:

Full-Time

Posting Close Date:

17-Jun-2026

Date Posted:

15-Jun-2026

Job Summary

Earth Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) seeks a full-time professional research assistant (PRA) to provide support for a project related to invasive plants, fuel structure and moisture, and the influence on fire regimes. The PRA will conduct field work to measure fuel moisture and structural characteristics of invasive species across the Great Plains to inform wildland fire fuel models. They will then use models to simulate fire activity in different seasons to characterize how and when invasive species might change fire regimes if they invade the eastern slope of the Colorado Front Range and the grasslands of Northeast Colorado. The professional research assistant will work with Dr. Chelsea Nagy and Dr. Alison Post at CU Boulder, as well as colleagues at USDA-ARS and the University of Illinois.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

CIRES is an internationally recognized leader in innovative environmental science and research and is located at the University of Colorado Boulder. At CIRES, more than 900 environmental science professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people’s relationship with the planet. CIRES has partnered with NOAA since 1967, and our areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at Earth’s poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and more. Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable future environment by advancing scientific and societal understanding of the Earth system.

Earth Lab’s mission is to harness the data revolution through research, analytics, and education to accelerate understanding of global environmental change to help society better manage and adapt. Research strengths of our group include invasive plants, wildfire, and global environmental change.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

(40%) Leading manuscript writing.
(20%) Planning, coordinating, and conducting field campaigns.
(20%) Integrating and analyzing existing and derived data sources.
(10%) Reporting: Tracking project milestones and deliverables and drafting project reports.
(10%) Organizing team meetings and collaboration efforts.

What You Should Know

This appointment is expected to last until 5/31/2028. An extension beyond that day may be possible.
The Associate Scientist will work in person at Earth Lab's main office on the CU Boulder campus in Boulder, CO. A hybrid work modality is possible, following CIRES and university guidelines and policies. This is not a fully remote position. The in-person experience and engagement with the Earth Lab community is a key aspect of this position.
The field season will run from Apr-Oct, requiring 1-4 days in the field each week.
Visa sponsorship is not offered for this role. Candidates who may require visa sponsorship now or in the future or who are working in the U.S through a visa or a working permit, are not eligible for hire in this role.

What We Can Offer

CIRES offers a generous compensation and benefits package.
The annual hiring salary for this position ranges from $67,000 - $78,750. Salary is commensurate with education and experience and determined based on our CIRES internal career track classification.
Relocation is not offered with this position.
This position can accommodate a hybrid work modality.
CIRES and the University of Colorado boulder offer a robust training curriculum, opportunities for professional development, and a Mentorship Program.
Boulder is a vibrant community with access to mountain parks, dog parks, miles of trails, rivers, lakes, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, theaters, museums, and sports venues.
As an employee at CU Boulder, you will have free access to the regional public transit system, an outstanding network of buses, and light rail systems that service Boulder and connect to Denver, the Denver airport, and surrounding communities.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be daring. Be willing. Be Boulder.

What We Require

A master’s degree in ecology, environmental sciences, natural resources, or a related field is required.
At least 3 years of experience leading field campaigns and managing field crews working in a wilderness setting.
Experience with simultaneous management of multiple projects.
Experience with data integration, analysis, and visualization.
Experience with project management tasks, including organizing meetings, hiring, tracking achievements, reporting, and meeting deadlines.
Experience authoring scientific manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals.

What You Will Need

Proficiency (5+ years of experience) in R and/or python programming languages for ecological research.
Demonstrated ability to create high quality figures for scientific presentations and publications.
Familiarity with collaboration software (e.g., Google docs and sheets, Asana, Slack).
Attention to detail.
Strong communication and collaboration skills.

What We Would Like You to Have

Please note that while the position details both required and preferred skills and experience, we invite applicants to apply even if they do not have the preferred skills and experience outlined in this section. If you meet the requirements and have passion for the work, you are encouraged to apply. We encourage on the job training for any additional skills or knowledge that become relevant to the position.

Advanced knowledge of inferential statistics.
Documented experience leading scientific publications.
Experience conducting field work related to fire ecology.
Experience with both statistical and process-based models.
Experience managing and using gridded environmental datasets.
Proven ability to develop workflows using complex datasets from diverse sources.
Experience developing and applying machine learning models to real-world datasets.
Experience working with large spatial datasets in Google Earth Engine.
Experience working with remote sensing data, such as drone or satellite imagery.
Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., git and/or Subversion).
Commitment to open science.

Special Instructions

To apply please submit the following materials with your application:

Resume or CV.
Cover letter addressed to the Search Committee briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position.
Although not needed at the time of application, if you are identified as a finalist for the role, the hiring committee will request professional references at a later time.

If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources department using an approved online vendor. If your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit a translated version as an optional attachment.

Please apply by June 17, 2026 for consideration

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Chelsea Nagy

Posting Contact Email: [email protected]

Job Summary

Who We Are

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

What You Should Know

What We Can Offer

Benefits

Be Statements

What We Require

What You Will Need

What We Would Like You to Have

Special Instructions

Posting Contact Information

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