Postdoctoral Scholar in Urban Resilience, Disaster Risk, and Engineering at Stanford University
The Stanford Urban Resilience Initiative (SURI) at Stanford University is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar to join its interdisciplinary team focused on disaster resilience in urban environments. SURI's research addresses global challenges related to urban and regional risk analysis, multi-hazard risk assessment, modeling human impacts, post-disaster recovery, and the use of novel technologies to enhance resilience. The initiative collaborates with stakeholders such as private firms, city governments, and international development institutions.
The postdoc will be based in the Blume Earthquake Engineering Research Center and will contribute to project management, strategic research development, grant writing, and stakeholder engagement. Research activities include developing science-based metrics and methodologies for urban resilience assessment, collaborating with SURI students, and pursuing personal research aligned with SURI's focus areas. Additional responsibilities involve coordinating outreach activities, workshops, seminars, and networking events on campus, with some travel required for stakeholder meetings and conferences.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. in engineering, geosciences, urban planning, sustainability, or data science, with experience in disaster risk reduction research or practice. Strong communication skills, teamwork, and interest in interdisciplinary research are essential. Desired skills include supervising researchers, grant writing, proficiency in R, Python, Matlab, and GIS tools, facilitating workshops, and familiarity with urban resilience literature and catastrophe risk modeling.
The position offers a competitive salary (minimum $76,383 for FY26), university benefits, and access to Stanford's Postdoctoral Association resources. The initial appointment is for one year, with possible renewal for up to three years. Stanford University encourages applications from diverse backgrounds and is committed to equal opportunity and affirmative action.
Interested candidates should apply by submitting their CV, references, and a cover letter via the provided Google Forms link. Applications will be reviewed starting February 2nd, 2026, and will be accepted until the position is filled.