CIRES/ EARTH LAB Earth and Environmental Data Science Instructor & Curriculum Developer

Job Summary

The University of Colorado Earth Lab and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences (CIRES) are accepting applications for an Earth and Environmental Data Science Curriculum Developer and Instructor with experience working with different types of environmental data using a suite of data science approaches including scientific programming in Python, git and GitHub. We are looking for a go getter who 1) is enthusiastic about teaching and learning, 2) is committed to increasing diversity in STEM fields and 3) has demonstrated that in their career to date. Ideally you work well both independently and collaboratively, have experience supporting students learning technical skills and are quick to learn new technical skills. This is a full-time position with benefits and a market-based salary.

The instructor will teach and keep curriculum up to date for several graduate and undergraduate level courses that comprise a professional graduate certificate in Earth Data Analytics - Foundations. They will also coordinate with industry partners to secure student capstone projects. We are committed to open education so they will also contribute to content which is published on the open education earth data science learning portal. They will also support teaching and developing curriculum for existing and new training for professionals and students. The ideal candidate is interested in research surrounding best approaches to teaching data-intensive topics and also has a commitment to actively increasing diversity in STEM. A PHD is required to teach at the graduate level at CU-Boulder however, a candidate with a Masters degree and significant professional experience will also be considered.

This position will report to the Director of the Earth Analytics Education Initiative. Review of applications will begin on February 15, 2021, applications will be accepted until the position is filled. This position is grant and tuition dollar funded with current funds allocated through June 2022. While we anticipate the position to be longer term, the duration will be dictated by funding availability and performance.
The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

At CIRES, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, more than 800 environmental scientists work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people’s relationship with the planet ( https://cires.colorado.edu/ ). CIRES is a partnership of NOAA and the University of Colorado Boulder, and our areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at the Earth’s poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, and solid Earth sciences. Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable future environment by advancing scientific and societal understanding of the Earth system.

Earth Lab, funded by the University of Colorado Boulder’s “Grand Challenge: Our Space, Our Future” and part of CIRES, seeks post-doctoral researchers to join a dynamic team pushing the frontiers of coupled Earth and social system science ( http://www.colorado.edu/earthlab/ ). 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.

The Earth Analytics Education program is a part of CU Boulder’s Earth Lab. The education program provides 21^st century, collaborative, scientific discovery skills through open online lessons, courses, degree options and tools. We are also committed to increasing diversity in STEM. Our programs focus developing data intensive science skills, teaching students to integrate heterogeneous data, create efficient and reproducible scientific workflows, collaborate on scientific projects, and perform scientific data processing, visualization and analysis. See the Earth Analytics Education online open education portal to learn and explore the topics that we teach in our program.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• Teach courses in the Earth Data Analytics Professional program including the Earth Analytics Bootcamp course (GEOG 4463/5463) and Earth Analytics Applications (GEOG 5663).
• Assist with teaching the Earth Analytics course (GEOG 4563/5563).
• Keep online curriculum current on our open education portal.
• Develop curriculum for and teach data-intensive workshops including training for the NC-CASC.
• Develop relationships and coordinate with industry partners to develop real-world student capstone projects.
• Contribute to collaborative funding proposals and papers.
• Coordinate with a program evaluator to collect data and information related to data-intensive teaching and learning.
• Stay on top of job market demands data science skills and enhance curriculum as need be.

What You Should Know

• For questions about the job, please contact Leah Wasser, Director of Earth Analytics Education, Earth Lab. leah.wasser@colorado.edu.

What We Can Offer

• We can offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package.
• The salary range for this position is $60,000-$90,000.
• Relocation funds are available for this position following CIRES and the University of Colorado’s relocation processes and procedures.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits , including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder .

Be Statements
Be Enlightened. Be Proactive. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• Master’s degree in science, mathematics, or engineering with a strong data-intensive focus.
• 2-5 years experience teaching technical scientific topics at the university or professional level (can include experience gained during graduate studies).
• At least 2 years of experience working with large, heterogeneous, scientific, and other related datasets using GUI and non-GUI based tools.
• Demonstrated proficiency in scientific programming with Python and version control using Git and GitHub (or other version control systems).

What You Will Need

• Excellent ability to troubleshoot data science challenges (often encountered by students).
• Quick to learn new tools and approaches.
• Excellent organization, communication, and writing skills.
• Experience working in a collaborative team environment.
• Personal skills that empower students to build confidence learning new tools and topics.
• Strong design to invest time in working with students in groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

What We Would Like You To Have

• PhD in science, mathematics, or engineering with a strong data-intensive component.
• 2-5 years of professional experience in a STEM related field.
• Demonstrated experience working with spatial and remote sensing data.
• Demonstrated experience creating and teaching online courses and workshops.
• Proven working knowledge of Docker/containerized workflows and Cloud Computing.
• Interest in pursuing research in data-intensive teaching best practices.
• Experience with collaborative workflows and tools (e.g. Google suite, Slack, etc.).
• Expertise in using and teaching various cutting edge data analytics approaches.
• Experience working with spatial data.
• Experience working with students that are in groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. Resume or CV
2. Cover letter addressed to the Search Committee briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position.
3. List of contact information for 3 references who will be willing to write a confidential Letter of Recommendation for you. You don’t need to include letters of recommendation with your initial application. The search committee will request letters of recommendation at a later time If you are identified as a finalist for this role.

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.

Review of applications w ill begin on February 15th, 2021. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

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

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Leah Wasser

Posting Contact Email: Leah.Wasser@colorado.edu