Postdoctoral Fellow, Plant Sciences
Primary Purpose: The Agronomic Crop Imaging Lab (ACI Lab), University of Saskatchewan invites applications for a three-year postdoctoral fellowship (PDF) under its Research Grant Programs. The selected candidate will contribute to a number of ongoing research projects.
Nature of Work: Combination of desk and fieldwork
Accountabilities: The PDF will play a key role in connecting a dynamic team of soil and crop scientists, GIS specialists, remote sensing experts, and computer programmers. They will be responsible for:
- Conducting fieldwork using UAVs (drones) to capture high-resolution imagery and environmental data
- Processing and analyzing large-scale remote sensing datasets from UAV, satellite, and ground-based sensors
- Leveraging artificial intelligence, e.g. machine learning, reinforcement learning to develop data-driven, space-time explicit precision agronomic solutions
- Utilizing high-performance computing (HPC) systems for large-scale geospatial data processing, model training, and validation
- Designing and managing scalable ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) pipelines to integrate multi-source, multimodal datasets
- Applying big-data analytic, including spatio-temporal modeling and deep learning techniques
- Collaborating with an interdisciplinary team of soil scientists, agronomists, and computer scientists
- Presenting research findings at national and international conferences and contributing to peer-reviewed publications
- Being part of the new Nutrien Centre for Digital and Sustainable Agriculture
Education: Ph.D. in Plant Science, Environmental Science, Soil Science, Geography, Bioresources, Computer Science, or related discipline
Licenses: A valid class 5 driver’s license is a necessity.
Experience: The candidate should have extensive experience in handling big geospatial datasets, remote sensing, and quantitative research techniques. Strong scientific communication and writing skills are essential. Additionally, the candidate must demonstrate the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a team.
Skills: Expertise in varying disciplines, with strong proficiency in programming languages such as R, Python or Javascript is required. Experience in big data analytics and deep learning using time series analysis and spatial interpolation of landscape features in the Canadian Prairie would be considered an asset.
To Apply:
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. The University of Saskatchewan is committed to the principles of employment equity. The University encourages applications from qualified Aboriginal people, persons with a disability, racially visible persons, and women.
Please include your curriculum vitae, cover letter, academic transcripts, degree certificate(s), and contact information in your application.
Department: Plant Sciences
Status: Term
Employment Group: Postdoctoral Fellows - PSAC
Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 1.0
Salary Information: The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Posted Date: 6/27/2025
Closing Date: Open until filled
Number of Openings: 1
Work Location: On Campus
The University is committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion, and are proud to support career opportunities for Indigenous peoples to reflect the community we serve. We are dedicated to recruiting individuals who will enrich our work and learning environments. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. We are committed to providing accommodations to those with a disability or medical necessity. If you require an accommodation to participate in the recruitment process, please notify us and we will work together on the accommodation request. We continue to grow our partnerships with Indigenous communities across the province, nationally, and internationally and value the unique perspective that Indigenous employees provide to strengthen these relationships. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship at the University of Saskatchewan is led and determined by the deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin: Indigenous Truth policy and Standing Committee in accordance with the processes developed to enact the policy. Successful candidates that assert Indigenous membership/citizenship will be asked to complete the verification process of Indigenous membership/citizenship with documentation. The University of Saskatchewan’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respects to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another. Together, we are uplifting Indigenization to a place of prominence at the University of Saskatchewan. 