Post-doctoral researcher in population ecology

[mato...@gmail.com]

Hi all,

my team is looking for a post-doctoral researcher to work on the population ecology of large carnivores (African leopard and Andean bear) and herbivores (reticulated giraffe). We are looking for someone with strong quantitative skills, in particular with open-population capture-recapture models. This is a fully funded 3-year position based in San Diego. 

Thanks,

Mathias

https://jobs.dayforcehcm.com/en-US/sdzwa/CANDIDATEPORTAL/jobs/22348

The Population Sustainability team at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has an opening for a full-time, 3-year Post Doctoral Associate in quantitative ecology to assess key population dynamics questions across three species that can be identified to the level of the individual from photographic methods: African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus), reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata), and Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus). The Fellow will have access to a combined 20+ years of sorted camera trap data across the three programs and will be expected to lead analyses and publications on population density, population dynamics, and habitat associations. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in Ecology, Mathematical Biology, Wildlife Conservation and Management, or similar field of study, with very strong analytical and quantitative skills. Applicants should have a proven record of population modeling, including spatial capture-recapture models, ideally for closed and open populations, as well as multi-species occupancy models. Advanced knowledge of R and Bayesian modeling (e.g. JAGS or NIMBLE) is required. Ideal candidates will demonstrate a strong record of collaborative research and productivity, be familiar with endangered species conservation, and have demonstrated ability to analyze large datasets to parameterize population models. The Fellow will have opportunities to design and implement field protocols for population models, including the use of cameras and DNA from passive collections, as well as advance new statistical approaches. In this effort, the Fellow will work with a multidisciplinary team within Conservation Science, including population and behavioral ecologists, conservation geneticists, and computer science engineers, as well as a diverse collaborative network of field teams in both Kenya and Peru.