Conservation Data Science Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Job Description

The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech, and in particular an interdisciplinary research team led by Dr. Elinor Benami, is seeking a highly motivated Research Associate or Scientist to join us in the Summer or Fall 2026. The position is annually renewable pending availability of continued funding. This is a single search for one research faculty position that may be filled at either rank, depending on the qualifications of the finalist candidate.
Research Associate conducts research under supervision with more limited independent authority, contributes to manuscripts and reports under guidance, and is generally not eligible to serve as principal investigator.
Research Scientist conducts independent research under general supervision, contributes significantly to project conceptualization and management, is expected to lead manuscripts and contribute to proposal and grant development, may supervise project personnel and research assistants, and is eligible to serve as principal investigator.
Our team works at the intersection of agricultural economics, remote sensing, and insurance and finance, with projects spanning how the use of Earth observation can inform agricultural index insurance design, premium ratings, and quantifying the private and public values of conservation agricultural practice adoption.
We are affiliated with NASA Harvest and collaborate with a wide range of academic, government, and practitioner partners, including USDA, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft AI for Good, and multiple public, private, and nongovernmental organizations. The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting the research efforts of our team using a variety of tools and methods. These will include preparing geospatial and administrative data for analysis, applying theory-guided statistical approaches to uncover relationships in the data, generating visualizations and maps, preparing manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals, and presenting findings to academic as well as practitioner audiences. The candidate will also have opportunities to engage directly with policy and industry partners and to contribute to ongoing grant development.
We are especially interested in candidates with a background in agricultural or applied economics/finance and familiarity with remote sensing data and methods, though we welcome applicants from related quantitative disciplines, including economics, earth system or environmental sciences, computational social science, and geography, provided they bring strong causal inference skills and engagement with applied policy questions. Experience with land markets, agricultural finance, or soil and water conservation policy is a plus.
The position is best suited to someone who is comfortable working across disciplinary boundaries, interested in both the scholarly and applied dimensions of the work, and eager to contribute to a collaborative and fast-moving research environment.
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia, with travel to partner institutions domestically or internationally occasionally expected. Some remote work is permissible by mutual agreement.
About NASA Harvest | NASA Harvest is NASA's Global Food Security and Agriculture Program.
Our mission is to enable and advance adoption of satellite Earth observations by public and private organizations to benefit food security, sustainability, agriculture, and human and environmental resiliency worldwide. We accomplish this through a multidisciplinary and multisectoral Consortium of leading scientists and agricultural stakeholders, led by researchers at the University of Maryland and implemented through co-development with our partners across the globe.
About Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech is and has been pursuing a series of cluster hires to complement the strengths of existing faculty in pursuing interdisciplinary research the nexus of digital, biological, social, and physical sciences and engineering with application to agriculture, food, and natural resources. This vision aims to create a state and nation-wide network of interconnected faculty, partners, and resources for scientific discovery and developing and deploying new technologies. The goal is to increase overall efficiency, resiliency, sustainability, and economic value of food, agriculture production systems, and natural resources while expanding Virginia Tech's global influence in this rapidly evolving domain.

Required Qualifications

Requirements for Research Associate Position
Master's degree in agricultural economics, applied economics, or a related quantitative field, or a bachelor's degree and significant relevant experience in the same fields
Strong written and oral communication skills
Demonstrated experience with data analysis in R, Python, or similar language using version control ( e.g., Git)
Experience in evaluating the economic and policy implications of agricultural monitoring techniques, ideally using remotely sensed, Earth observation data
Requirements for Research Scientist Position
PhD in agricultural economics, applied economics, or a related quantitative field with relevant research experience
Strong written and oral communication skills
Demonstrated experience with data analysis in R, Python, or similar language using version control ( e.g., Git)
Experience in evaluating the economic and policy implications of agricultural monitoring techniques, ideally using remotely sensed, Earth observation data

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications for Research Associate Position
Experience with econometric methods applied to administrative or observational data
Familiarity with geospatial analysis and remote sensing data, including cloud platforms such as Google Earth Engine
Prior work in one or more of the team's areas: agricultural/index insurance or risk transfer, conservation agriculture, land markets, or rural finance
Preferred Qualifications for Research Scientist Position
Experience submitting manuscripts to peer reviewed journals and established publications record
Experience with managing sponsored research projects and/or personnel
Experience with econometric methods applied to administrative or observational data
Familiarity with geospatial analysis and remote sensing data, including cloud platforms such as Google Earth Engine
Prior work in one or more of the team's areas: agricultural/index insurance or risk transfer, conservation agriculture, land markets, or rural finance

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Restricted

Salary Information

57,783 - 89,412 (dependent upon rank)

Hours per week

40; M-F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Review Date

07/30/2026

Additional Information

To apply: Please submit (1) a cover letter describing your interests and relevant background, (2) your CV, and (3) a writing sample or link to a coding portfolio (e.g., GitHub profile). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a priority deadline of July 17, 2026. Contact for questions: Elinor Benami, elinor@vt.edu .

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance.  These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.