Job Posting Title:

Energy Economics Researcher - Postdoctoral Fellow

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Hiring Department:

Bureau of Economic Geology

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Mar 25, 2027

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Location:

PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

The Center of Energy Economics (CEE), a key research unit within the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), plays a critical role in advancing the understanding of energy economics, market analysis, and financial valuation across a variety of energy value chains. The CEE’s mission is to support research that addresses both traditional and emerging energy systems, including oil and gas, low-carbon solutions like hydrogen and CCS, and renewable energy technologies. The Center focuses on providing comprehensive economic assessments that span the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors, enabling a holistic view of energy markets and their transitions.

This position will contribute to a research portfolio, with approximately 50% of effort focused on upstream oil and gas production modeling (supply-side analysis), and the remaining 50% on multidisciplinary research related to large load site selection and energy/resource strategies (demand-side analysis), including emerging topics such as data center energy needs, infrastructure planning, and resource availability.

By combining expertise in economics, technology, and policy analysis, CEE supports cross-cutting research efforts aimed at informing decision-making in energy investments, market dynamics, and sustainable energy solutions for the future.

This position is initially for one year, renewable up to three years depending on funding, project needs, and performance.

Purpose

The postdoctoral researcher will play a key role at the Center of Energy Economics (CEE) at the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), contributing to research on the economic and technological aspects of energy transitions.

The role is designed to support two complementary research directions:

• Upstream oil and gas production modeling (supply-side focus)

• Large load site selection and energy/resource strategy (demand-side focus), including data center-related energy and infrastructure analysis

The postdoc will be responsible for developing production models and analyzing key drivers in unconventional oil and gas plays, while also contributing to multidisciplinary research on energy demand growth, infrastructure constraints, and optimal siting strategies for large energy-consuming facilities.

The researcher will also conduct techno-economic analyses of low-carbon energy solutions (e.g., hydrogen, CCS/CCUS, geothermal), and lead efforts in data mining, market research, and modeling to assess value chains and perform financial analyses, including Net Present Value (NPV) modeling.

In this role, the postdoc will contribute to independent research, including publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting findings to stakeholders. In addition, the postdoc will actively support Industry Affiliate (IA) programs and broader funding activities through both technical contributions and organizational coordination. This includes preparing materials, supporting meetings and deliverables, and contributing to proposal development. These activities are an important component of the role and are intended to build skills essential for a future research-track career.

Responsibilities

• Analyze productivity drivers in unconventional oil and gas plays, applying findings to develop production outlook models for various commodity price scenarios.

• Conduct research on large load growth (e.g., data centers), including energy demand characterization, siting considerations, and infrastructure/resource constraints (power, water, land, and connectivity).

• Develop analytical frameworks to evaluate trade-offs in site selection and energy/resource strategies for large-scale energy consumers.

• Conduct market research and data collection for demand, production, and transportation of hydrogen and other low-carbon energy solutions.

• Review and summarize relevant literature in the energy space.

• Create data analysis frameworks and develop economic models to support ongoing research.

• Conduct independent research and contribute to the development of grant proposals.

• Present research findings to Industry Affiliates (IA) and other stakeholders at IA meetings and short courses.

• Publish findings in BEG Reports of Investigation, peer-reviewed international journals, and informal reports.

• Utilize high-performance computing techniques in simulation studies supporting research efforts.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in engineering, economics, or related field obtained within 3 years of hire.
• Experience with energy markets or energy technology research.
• Expertise in working with large datasets and developing quantitative models.
• Documented experience in programming languages such as Python, R, or VBA.
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience in techno-economic analysis and Net Present Value (NPV) modeling.
• Experience or interest in large-scale energy demand analysis, infrastructure planning, or site selection (e.g., data centers or industrial loads) is a plus.

Preferred Qualification

The ideal candidate will have a PhD in petroleum engineering, energy economics, data science, or industrial engineering, with a strong background in data science and upstream economic modeling. Experience in the energy sector, particularly in the oil and gas value chain, is highly desirable. Familiarity with key topics in energy transition, such as hydrogen, carbon management, and emission tracking, would be beneficial. Additionally, the candidate should have experience applying advanced statistical or econometric methods to energy systems modeling and ideally have prior experience in developing and executing grant proposals.

Salary Range: $65,000

Working Conditions:

• May work around standard office condition.

• Occasional weekend, overtime, and evening work to meet deadlines

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information
• Letter of interest

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Employment Eligibility:

Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.