Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Montana State University
Position Details Position Information Announcement Number STAFF - VA - 25134 For questions regarding this position, please contact: Lance McNew
lance.mcnew@montana.edu
406-994-6645 Classification Title Postdoctoral Researcher Working Title Post-Doctoral Research Associate Brief Position Overview The Wildlife Habitat Ecology Lab at Montana State University in collaboration with the Montana/Dakotas Office of the Bureau of Land Management is searching for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to lead the development of rigorous spatially-explicit indices of conservation importance and a prioritization framework for conservation activity/policy in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). The candidate will 1) lead the development and testing of species distribution models for rangeland dependent wildlife species in the NGP which will be used to 2) quantify the relative importance of BLM lands for rangeland wildlife conservation, and 3) evaluate the degree to which areas of high wildlife importance overlap with currently identified conservation priority areas and identify priority areas threatened by habitat degradation/loss. Ultimately, the results of this effort will identify and rank new conservation priority areas for wildlife in the NGP, with special focus on federal lands. Position Number 4C0402 Department Animal & Range Sciences Division College of Agriculture/MAES Appointment Type Professional Contract Term Fiscal Year Semester If other, specify From date If other, specify End date FLSA Non-Exempt Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining FTE 1.0 Benefits Eligible Eligible Salary $70,000 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications Contract Type LOA If other, please specify Recruitment Type Open Position Details General Statement The Northern Great Plains (NGP) play a crucial role in supporting diverse and thriving wildlife populations, contributing significantly to the ecological richness of not only the region, but the nation. Rapidly increasing environmental stressors and a chronic shortage of resources to monitor and mitigate them require natural resource conservation organizations to set priorities for investment. Area-based strategies dominate current processes for prioritizing conservation and depends on 1) accurately identifying important areas for maintaining functional habitats for biodiversity, and 2) objective and effective methods to prioritize areas for conservation delivery. This project will develop and test a more comprehensive approach for 1) developing a rigorous and continuous spatially-explicit index of conservation importance of lands in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) by leveraging expansive and recent datasets of rangeland-dependent wildlife distributions, and 2) identify areas of public and private rangelands to prioritize for conservation/management activity and policy. Duties and Responsibilities Build and evaluate distribution models for rangeland dependent native birds, mammals, and herpetofauna in the Northern Great Plains; Identify areas of highest relative importance for rangeland wildlife species and identify biodiversity hotspots within the NGP; Evaluate the degree to which areas of high importance: Intersect BLM lands (i.e., quantify the relative importance of BLM lands for rangeland wildlife conservation in the NGP); Overlap or do not overlap with currently identified conservation priority areas (e.g., US Federal Priority Areas for Conservation, state-designated priority areas) and protected areas (e.g., national monuments, wildlife refuges); Are threatened by rangeland loss to woody encroachment, energy development and other alterations to rangelands Identify and rank new conservation priority areas for wildlife in the NGP; Identify areas for energy development with lowest relative conservation risk on BLM lands. Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills A Ph.D. in ecology, environmental sciences, quantitative ecology, or a related field; Experience with quantitative skills in species distribution modeling, machine learning, and programming in R or Python; Proven experience in acquiring and handling large datasets of species occurrence, abundance, and remotely sensed habitat characteristics is essential. Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills Experience producing high-quality research products; Proven history of publications in peer-reviewed journals. The Successful Candidate Will Excellent communication skills; Autonomous and dependable; Goal-focused; Proficiency in programming with R or Python, geospatial analyses, species distribution; modeling, and artificial intelligence (e.g., machine learning). Position Special Requirements/Additional Information Continuation of employment is contingent upon availability of funding.
This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Physical Demands Walk one flight of stairs, lift 25 pounds
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. This position has supervisory duties? No Posting Detail Information Number of Vacancies 1 Desired Start Date Upon completion of a successful search Position End Date (if temporary) Open Date Close Date Applications will be: Screening of applications will begin on October 29, 2024; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.
Special Instructions EEO Statement Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.
In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile. Applicant Documents Required Documents Resume Cover Letter Optional Documents Supplemental Questions
lance.mcnew@montana.edu
406-994-6645 Classification Title Postdoctoral Researcher Working Title Post-Doctoral Research Associate Brief Position Overview The Wildlife Habitat Ecology Lab at Montana State University in collaboration with the Montana/Dakotas Office of the Bureau of Land Management is searching for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to lead the development of rigorous spatially-explicit indices of conservation importance and a prioritization framework for conservation activity/policy in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). The candidate will 1) lead the development and testing of species distribution models for rangeland dependent wildlife species in the NGP which will be used to 2) quantify the relative importance of BLM lands for rangeland wildlife conservation, and 3) evaluate the degree to which areas of high wildlife importance overlap with currently identified conservation priority areas and identify priority areas threatened by habitat degradation/loss. Ultimately, the results of this effort will identify and rank new conservation priority areas for wildlife in the NGP, with special focus on federal lands. Position Number 4C0402 Department Animal & Range Sciences Division College of Agriculture/MAES Appointment Type Professional Contract Term Fiscal Year Semester If other, specify From date If other, specify End date FLSA Non-Exempt Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining FTE 1.0 Benefits Eligible Eligible Salary $70,000 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications Contract Type LOA If other, please specify Recruitment Type Open Position Details General Statement The Northern Great Plains (NGP) play a crucial role in supporting diverse and thriving wildlife populations, contributing significantly to the ecological richness of not only the region, but the nation. Rapidly increasing environmental stressors and a chronic shortage of resources to monitor and mitigate them require natural resource conservation organizations to set priorities for investment. Area-based strategies dominate current processes for prioritizing conservation and depends on 1) accurately identifying important areas for maintaining functional habitats for biodiversity, and 2) objective and effective methods to prioritize areas for conservation delivery. This project will develop and test a more comprehensive approach for 1) developing a rigorous and continuous spatially-explicit index of conservation importance of lands in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) by leveraging expansive and recent datasets of rangeland-dependent wildlife distributions, and 2) identify areas of public and private rangelands to prioritize for conservation/management activity and policy. Duties and Responsibilities Build and evaluate distribution models for rangeland dependent native birds, mammals, and herpetofauna in the Northern Great Plains; Identify areas of highest relative importance for rangeland wildlife species and identify biodiversity hotspots within the NGP; Evaluate the degree to which areas of high importance: Intersect BLM lands (i.e., quantify the relative importance of BLM lands for rangeland wildlife conservation in the NGP); Overlap or do not overlap with currently identified conservation priority areas (e.g., US Federal Priority Areas for Conservation, state-designated priority areas) and protected areas (e.g., national monuments, wildlife refuges); Are threatened by rangeland loss to woody encroachment, energy development and other alterations to rangelands Identify and rank new conservation priority areas for wildlife in the NGP; Identify areas for energy development with lowest relative conservation risk on BLM lands. Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills A Ph.D. in ecology, environmental sciences, quantitative ecology, or a related field; Experience with quantitative skills in species distribution modeling, machine learning, and programming in R or Python; Proven experience in acquiring and handling large datasets of species occurrence, abundance, and remotely sensed habitat characteristics is essential. Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills Experience producing high-quality research products; Proven history of publications in peer-reviewed journals. The Successful Candidate Will Excellent communication skills; Autonomous and dependable; Goal-focused; Proficiency in programming with R or Python, geospatial analyses, species distribution; modeling, and artificial intelligence (e.g., machine learning). Position Special Requirements/Additional Information Continuation of employment is contingent upon availability of funding.
This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Physical Demands Walk one flight of stairs, lift 25 pounds
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. This position has supervisory duties? No Posting Detail Information Number of Vacancies 1 Desired Start Date Upon completion of a successful search Position End Date (if temporary) Open Date Close Date Applications will be: Screening of applications will begin on October 29, 2024; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.
Special Instructions EEO Statement Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.
In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile. Applicant Documents Required Documents Resume Cover Letter Optional Documents Supplemental Questions
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