Post-Doc Research Associate - Exposure Modeler

Company: UNC-Chapel Hill
Location: Chapel Hill
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

Position Summary This position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement that may include a partially remote work location, consistent with System Office policy. UNC Chapel Hill employees are generally required to reside within a reasonable commuting distance of their assigned duty station. Postdoctoral research project training opportunities are currently available at the Institute for the Environment with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These appointments will be in the Institute’s Center for Environmental Modeling and Policy Development (IE- CEMPD ). The selected candidate will work with Dr. Sarav Arunachalam in IE- CEMPD , to a) apply reduced form models such as C- TOOLS , INMAP , etc. to develop high resolution estimates of air pollution exposures at census tract scales or finer over multiple domains, and b) develop quantitative estimates for air quality and health risk assessments. The candidates will work on a range of tasks including: a) Perform literature review to assess current state-of-the-art in reduced form modeling approaches and assess limitations and gaps b) Develop model applications of C- TOOLS , INMAP , etc. for assessing sector-specific exposures c) Perform model evaluation by comparison with observations from routine observations or field studies, d) Assess air quality and health benefits of policy scenarios, e) collaborate with other stakeholders, and f) develop peer reviewed publications and project reports. Beyond these tasks, the chosen candidates will also have an opportunity to work with other ongoing projects within IE- CEMPD in the field of emissions, air quality and climate modeling, to be mentored by the PI to lead the development of new project ideas and develop grant proposals, and provide support to junior staff / graduate students on related tasks. Extension beyond year 1 subject to funding availability and performance reviews. Required Qualifications, Competencies, And Experience Background in air quality modeling with an understanding of physical and chemical processes from multiple emissions sources as represented in current models, and quantitative analysis of models and observational data using Python, R, etc. Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, And Experience Desired qualifications are a) atmospheric and aerosol chemistry, b) proficiency in HPC , and working in a cloud computing environment ( AWS , Azure, etc.), c) strong communication skills – written and oral, d) software skills needed to work with multiple observed and model datasets, e) a strong desire/motivation to develop scientific analyses of environmental problems for decision-making in support of national and international policies, and f) ability to work in a large multi-disciplinary team environment. At least 1 – 3 years of post-graduate experience will be considered a plus

Keywords: UNC-Chapel Hill, Fayetteville , Post-Doc Research Associate - Exposure Modeler, Science, Research & Development , Chapel Hill, North Carolina