Junior Research Associate

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

The UNC Institute for the Environment (IE) has a multifaceted mission: (1) To strengthen environmental research capacity across UNC by supporting a multi-disciplinary community of scholars that enhances collaboration, increases sharing of knowledge, and identifies solutions to the world's critical environmental problems. (2) To work in partnership across UNC and with external partners to coordinate and deliver 21st century educational programs that provide students with the experience and skills to thrive in a growing global economy. (3) To put new environmental knowledge into action by engaging and serving communities, here in North Carolina and around the world. (4) To fuel and harness the university's sustainability activities through the Sustainable Carolina Initiative

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.

The Junior Research Associate will report to the Director of the Center for Environmental Modeling for Policy Development, within the Institute for the Environment. The Junior Research Associate will develop airport-level aircraft emissions inventories and assist with model evaluation activities. The duties and responsibilities will include acquiring datasets related to aircraft operations at airports, and observations from multiple networks, performing quality assurance of datasets and processing them for use in emissions models and model evaluation software respectively. In addition, this position will involve performing literature review and extracting information for use in projects as needed. Further, the Junior Research Associate position will develop documentation of procedures and protocols for future implementation, develop professional reports and assist with preparing manuscripts for broader dissemination.

As a member of IE- CEMPD, the incumbent will work with other teammates on CEMPD internal projects and activities, identify and resolve problems, and contribute to CEMPD internal process improvement.

Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required (or foreign degree equivalent); for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity, will accept a relevant Bachelor's degree (or foreign degree equivalent) and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. May require terminal degree and licensure.

- Experience and proficiency with processing air quality data from networks of observations
- Proficiency in statistical methods for analyses of large-scale observations and modeled datasets
- Proficiency in developing aircraft emissions inventories using AEDT, and airport-related air quality literature

- Experience with processing data from model outputs
- Proficiency in R, Python and shell scripting

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.