Tenure Track Scientist

Tenure Track Scientist

The Department of Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (http://www.whoi.edu/main/aope) invites qualified candidates to apply for one or more tenure-track or tenured scientific staff position to initiate new and expand existing programs in field robotics and machine learning with applications to marine environments. Areas of particular interest include but are not restricted to:

• marine robotics
• simultaneous localization and mapping
• multi-robot coordination and path planning
• adaptive exploration and sampling
• underwater manipulation
• development of novel in-situ biological, chemical and physical sensors
• data exploration and visualization
• machine learning applied to oceanographic data and models
• machine learning applied to robotic systems
• computer vision
• life-long learning
• autonomy
• scene understanding and perception

We invite candidates interested in developing new robotic/machine learning systems as well as more foundational robotics/machine learning research. An ideal candidate will have demonstrated research experience in marine environments or challenging atmospheric, terrestrial or space environments. WHOI operates two sea-going vessels and a coastal research vessel, in addition to a variety of moored, towed, remotely operated, and autonomous platforms and vehicles. Its facilities support rapid prototyping, testing and deployment of new instrumentation and robotic systems.

Applicants should have a doctoral degree, postdoctoral experience, and a record of a record of scholarly publications commensurate with their career stage. Scientific Staff members are expected to develop independent, externally-funded, and internationally-recognized research programs. They also have the option of advising graduate students and teaching courses through the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography and Oceanographic Engineering (http://www.whoi.edu/jointprogram).

Opportunities for interdisciplinary research exist through collaborations with colleagues in the other science departments (Biology, Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Marine Geology and Geophysics, and Physical Oceanography; www.whoi.edu/main/departments-centers-labs), centers, and labs as well as with researchers in the broader Woods Hole scientific community. WHOI’s Scientific Staff are expected to provide for their salaries from grants and contracts. The Institution provides salary support when no other funding is available, as well as significant internal funding opportunities for developing innovative research projects. Candidates hired at the junior level will receive an initial appointment for four years.

WHOI is the largest private, non-profit oceanographic institution in the world, with staff, postdocs, and graduate students numbering approximately 1,000. Its mission is to advance our understanding of the ocean and its interaction with the Earth system, and to communicate this understanding for the benefit of society. The Institution is located in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, a world-renowned center of excellence in marine, biomedical, and environmental science. An additional 500 affiliates are associated with the scientific endeavors of the Institution, many of whom are foreign nationals from the international community.

WHOI is committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.  WHOI believes diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential components that support our academic excellence.   We strive for a diverse and inclusive workforce, and encourage women, minorities, veterans and those with disabilities to apply.

WHOI offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical and dental plans, child care subsidy, an employer contribution retirement plan, vacation time, flexible scheduling, and family illness days. WHOI also provides dual career services for assisting your spouse or partner should they be impacted by your career decision. We have a dedicated team who will work with applicants to identify and explore available options within WHOI or the broader community.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please visit http://careers.whoi.edu and respond to Job Reference 19-10-14. Applications should include: a cover letter, CV, 3-page research statement that clearly describes your research interests and future research aspirations, names and contact information for four references, and copies of three relevant publications. A single PDF document, containing the above, should also be sent separately to the chair of the AOPE Department at aope-chair@whoi.edu.  Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

WHOI is a member of the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC). Please visit HERC for more information.

WHOI is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.  Applicants that require accommodation in the job application process are encouraged to contact the EEO Officer at eeo@whoi.edu or at 508-289-2705 for assistance.