Open Postdoctoral Position: Fletcher Lab

Stanford Impact Labs is an initiative at Stanford University that invests in highly motivated teams of scholars and practitioners—impact labs—to generate new insights and solutions to persistent social problems. To begin in the Fall of 2025, Stanford Impact Labs is now accepting applications to the two-year postdoctoral fellowship program in collaboration with four research teams. 

The Fletcher Lab is seeking a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join a team-based, collaborative community and who value the different skills, expertise, and perspectives necessary to design, conduct, sustain, and disseminate public impact research. We encourage applications from individuals from a broad diversity of PhD-granting institutions, backgrounds, and life experiences. 

The Fletcher Lab at Stanford University uses computational systems modeling to advance resilient and equitable water resources management for an uncertain future. Current research topics in the lab include: adaptive planning approaches to address climate uncertainty; urban drought resilience; and water affordability. The postdoctoral fellow will work with Prof. Sarah Fletcher to design a research project of mutual interest and also collaborate on other projects in the lab. Prof. Fletcher and the postdoctoral fellow will align on a specific project related to the fellow’s interest and experience during the interview process. 

Mentorship Structure

The postdoctoral fellow will be supervised by Prof. Fletcher and will collaborate with other members of the lab. Mentorship of the postdoctoral fellow will be structured according to research and professional interests and will include weekly one-on-one meetings and quarterly professional development check-ins. Lab practices for mentorship and collaboration are described in the Fletcher Lab Manual.  

In addition, a goal of the Stanford Impact Labs Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is to create a diverse community of scholars who are motivated and equipped to pursue academic careers focused on partnership and solutions-oriented research. Postdoctoral fellows will have the opportunity to engage with one another and with the broader Stanford Impact Labs team and community, and will participate in professional development, cohort-building, and other programming activities.

Qualifications

• Completion of all doctoral requirements within the past three years and no later than September 1, 2025
• Research experience in simulation and/or optimization method
• Research experience in water resources management or a related discipline
• Demonstrates excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Committed to advancing solutions to social problems through rigorous research, and communicating research findings to diverse audiences, including non-academic audiences
• Wishes to grow their collaborative research skills and ability to partner with organizations

Candidates will be evaluated according to their:

• Scientific record and potential
• Commitment to pursuing scholarship that can impact public policy or social outcomes
• Potential contribution to the research team
• Potential contribution to the Stanford Impact Labs Postdoctoral Fellowship program and the educational activities, goals, and community of Stanford Impact Labs

Timeline

• The priority deadline to submit applications is February 15. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the application will be kept open until the position is filled.
• Those advancing will be notified and may be asked to submit additional materials, including letters of recommendation, and may be invited to interview. Please do not send emails asking about your status; you will be contacted by the faculty lead if you are advancing in the review process.

How to Apply 

To be ensured of full consideration, please send your complete application by February 15, 2025 in a single PDF to SILpostdoc@stanford.edu with the subject line: “SIL Postdoc_Fletcher”.

Complete applications should include:

1. Letter of interest explaining your motivation to become a postdoc with the Fletcher Lab through the Stanford Impact Labs postdoctoral fellowship program (500 words max).
2. Short responses to the following three prompts, in 300 words or less for each:
   1. Please provide a short description of your dissertation research and broader research agenda.
   2. How does your research training and expertise prepare you to make progress towards understanding and identifying practical solutions to social problems?
   3. The Fletcher Lab is committed to creating inclusive research spaces that focus on diverse perspectives. What lived experiences, demonstrated values, perspectives, and/or activities have shaped you as a scholar and would help you to make a distinctive contribution to the disciplinary fields represented by our project?
3. CV: Provide a curriculum vitae of no more than 5 pages.
4. One representative writing sample such as a journal article or dissertation chapter.

The expected base pay for this position is $82,278. The pay offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors including (but not limited to) the qualifications of the selected candidate, budget availability, and internal equity.

Stanford is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.