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Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Geosciences
Posting Number
req26900
Department
Geosciences
Department Website Link
https://geo.arizona.edu/
Location
Tucson Campus
Address
Tucson, AZ USA
Position Highlights
The Atterholt research group in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arizona is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to develop and apply fiber-optic sensing, primarily distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), to address problems in the solid Earth. Our research uses ultra-dense seismic observations to investigate outstanding questions in earthquake dynamics and multi-scale Earth structure.
The successful candidate will work with both existing archives of multi-year deployments throughout California, including in southern Cascadia, the San Andreas, and the Eastern California Shear Zone, as well as new deployments planned in California and Arizona. The candidate will have latitude to develop an independent line of research within this scope, in collaboration with the PI.
This position is a year-to-year appointment, expected to last two years, with possible extension contingent on additional funding. This position has a flexible start date, ideally by summer 2027. Candidates are encouraged to contact atterholt@arizona.edu with informal inquiries.
Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.
The Department of Geosciences is part of the College of Science, a unit aiming to produce knowledge about earth and environmental processes and human-environment interactions at all geographic and temporal scales. Our department focuses on research and education in the nature, genesis, and history of the Earth and its crust, and the evolution of the environment and biota at the Earth's surface. We encourage interdisciplinary approaches to research in the geosciences, both within the department and through interdepartmental programs.
Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, vision, and life insurance; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!
The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.
Duties & Responsibilities

• Conceive, design, and execute research projects that address questions in Earth structure and earthquake dynamics using fiber-optic datasets and complementary observations.
• Prepare and submit first-author manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals and present results at national conferences.
• Participate in field deployments, including instrument installation, data acquisition, and quality control.
• Contribute to proposal development and to the open release of data, code, and derived products.
• Interact with students and contribute to a collaborative research group.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Geophysics, Seismology, Earth Science, or a closely related field by the start date.
• Research experience with seismic or other geophysical time-series data, as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications, thesis chapters, or conference presentations.
• Experience with, and proficiency in, scientific programming in Python or MATLAB.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with distributed acoustic sensing, nodal arrays, or other dense seismic deployments.
• Experience with large-volume data management.
• Experience with seismic imaging or source characterization methods (e.g., ambient-noise interferometry, travel-time tomography, waveform modeling).

FLSA
Exempt
Full Time/Part Time
Full Time
Number of Hours Worked per Week
40
Job FTE
1.0
Work Calendar
Fiscal
Job Category
Research
Benefits Eligible
Yes - Full Benefits
Rate of Pay
NIH Salary Guidelines, Depends on Experience
Compensation Type
salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)
Type of criminal background check required:
Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)
Number of Vacancies
1
Target Hire Date
Expected End Date
Contact Information for Candidates
James Atterholt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Geophysics
atterholt@arizona.edu
Open Date
8/25/2026
Open Until Filled
Yes
Documents Needed to Apply
Curriculum Vitae (CV), Cover Letter, and Two Additional Documents
Special Instructions to Applicant
Please submit the following documents with your application:

1. CV
2. Cover Letter
3. Research statement (1-2 pages)
4. Contact information for 3 references.

Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University's campuses.Thesereports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.
Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at cleryact@arizona.edu.