[Job] Orange County Water District Postdoctoral Research Associate
March 11, 2025
Postdoctoral Research Associate (One Year Limited-Term Contract)
Research & Development (R&D) Department,
Anaheim and Fountain Valley
A Postdoctoral Research Associate position is available in the Research and Development (R&D) Department of the OrangeCounty Water District (OCWD; the District). The mission of the R&D Department is to conduct applied research that supportsthe District’s operational, regulatory, and water quality objectives.
With oversight from the R&D Department Director, the Postdoctoral Research Associate will carry out studies related toprimarily per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with an emphasis on treatment and destruction across multipleenvironmental and engineered matrices. Additional projects may be identified not related to PFAS such as groundwaterrecharge optimization and potable reuse treatment technology evaluation. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will beresponsible for field, laboratory, and office work, designing and implementing experiments, and managing project/tasktimelines and deliverables including necessary for awarded grants. Additional responsibilities include identification andpursuit of grant funding such as proposal writing under the direction of R&D scientists and Director; assigning andcoordinating tasks completed by interns; preparation of project reports; and presenting at conferences and internalmeetings.
The District’s R&D scientists focus primarily on the evaluation of new technologies and approaches that the District couldconsider implementing, including for PFAS, ranging from pilot-scale testing to laboratory-scale investigations, often incollaboration with technology providers and academic collaborators. This position will report to both office locations of theR&D Department as needed depending on the project and location that day or week. These offices are the Field ResearchLaboratory (FRL) located in Anaheim, CA near OCWD’s groundwater recharge operations, or main OCWD office at Districtheadquarters in Fountain Valley, CA co-located with the District’s Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) AdvancedWater Purification Facility (AWPF). At FRL, R&D scientists carry out applied research largely in two domains: addressing
PFAS contamination in the region’s primary drinking water supply (groundwater), and separately, optimization ofgroundwater recharge (e.g., monitoring advances; soil column studies). At Fountain Valley related to the GWRS AWPF, R&Dscientists evaluate strategies for optimizing water purification for potable reuse (e.g., alternative chemical additions anddisinfection methods) and monitoring methods, often at pilot-scale (or full-scale, such as in the case of trialing new sensorsor data processing approaches). FRL is currently staffed by one full-time R&D scientist and two student interns. FountainValley is currently staffed by seven R&D scientists/other positions and three student interns.
In general, R&D work requires a willingness to maintain a range of fast-paced projects and work in sometimes challengingand laborious field conditions. A typical week could include troubleshooting a malfunctioning pump, clogged columns,and/or leaky test systems with assistance from District maintenance staff or R&D Department personnel; coordination withOCWD main laboratory for the collection and analysis of water samples; maintaining outdoor test systems impacted byheavy wind, rains and nuisance vegetation and algae; meetings with other District staff to make project decisions andreview findings; data analysis and manuscript writing. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will take ownership of their ownwork such as managing their task timelines and deliverables, while working under the oversight and mentorship of the R&DDirector as well as key R&D personnel that lead each research project that the incumbent will support.
Examples of PFAS projects that the Postdoctoral Research Associate may support include: media adsorbent column pilotskid monitoring and operation; second phase of study to evaluate PFAS removal in-situ during managed aquifer rechargeusing adsorbents; lab-scale method trials to assess IX media performance; external partner-led pilots of supercritical wateroxidation (SCWO) or UV-based destruction of PFAS. Non-PFAS related project support will depend on the qualifications andinterests of the candidate along with the project needs of the GWRS AWPF such as related to potable reuse treatment,monitoring, digitalization, and aquifer recharge.
Application Deadline: March 11, 2025
Estimated Start Date: April 2025, pending approval by the Board of Directors.
Applicants must provide a résumé, a 1–2-page research statement/cover letter (highlighting research accomplishments,current research interests and goals, research experience relevant to OCWD and this job description, and long-termcareer aspirations), and the names, emails, and phone numbers of three references.