Research Associate

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Department

Posting End Date

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

The expected pay range for this position is $68,932 to $78,000 per year.

The Faculty of Land and Food Systems (Applied Biology Program) at the University of British Columbia invites applications for a full-time Research Associate. This is a one-year position with the possibility for renewal for 3 additional years. The start date is open, until a suitable candidate is found (full consideration will be given to applications received by September 15, 2024). The position will report to the PI (Risa Sargent) and the PERCS landscape leadership team (Jeanine Rhemtulla and Matthew Mitchell) and will be based at the UBC Point Grey (Vancouver) campus.

The 'PERCS' (Perennial and Ecosystem Restoration for Carbon Sequestration) partnership grant links four Canadian universities and seven partner organizations to develop a path towards accelerated adoption of perennial plantings (e.g., hedgerows, windbreaks, riparian restoration) in agricultural landscapes, in support of Canada's net zero emissions goal. We are a multi-disciplinary team of ecologists, soil scientists, landscape ecologists, environmental economists, and social scientists working with non-profit and governmental partners to advance research to increase the ability of agricultural landscapes in Canada to sequester atmospheric carbon and provide multiple co-benefits.

The Research Associate (RA) will support the Landscape/Spatial Science component of the project, with a focus on spatial analysis and mapping of landscape structure and perennial plantings in Canadian agricultural lands. We seek candidates with expertise in Landscape Ecology, Spatial Ecology or related fields. The RA will support critical project objectives, including:

1. Designing a novel approach to select experimental research landscapes for the analysis of carbon storage/sequestration and ecological co-benefits;

2. Completing detailed spatial mapping and analysis of agricultural landscapes in BC and Canada;

3. Conducting a comprehensive literature review of the factors that drive the ecological outcomes of perennial plantings;

4. Adapting current ecosystem service decision-support tools to allow them to identify priority areas for perennial plantings; and

5. Coordinating and managing a large number of layered research studies on perennial plantings across the province of BC.

The RA will play a key role in the success of the project through their contributions to the project's core research activities, including: study development & design; creating, compiling, and managing spatial data; statistical analyses and interpretation; synthesis of current scientific evidence; design of decision-support tools for project partners; presentation of findings in community and academic contexts; drafting and publication of scientific manuscripts; and grant writing.

The RA will work both independently and in collaboration with a team comprised of faculty researchers, postdoctoral fellows, research staff, biostatisticians, students, and community partners. The RA will also help to mentor and supervise trainees and undergraduate/graduate students, who are working on these (or related) projects and will have opportunities to present their research findings at relevant conferences as part of the project deliverables.

Please submit your application via Workday, including a cover letter, CV, and names/contact information for 3 references. To find out more about PERCS, please visit our website: https://percs.landfood.ubc.ca/

Position responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to:

· Collaborating with the Principal Investigator (PI) and Team Leads in research study design, study planning, completion and interpretation of data analyses, and publishing studies in high impact peer-reviewed papers

· Leading mapping, spatial analysis (including GIS and remote sensing analysis as needed), and management of project spatial data; and supporting spatial data needs of other team members

· Collaborating with multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional teams to ensure that research goals are met

· Working with non-profit and government partners to co-ordinate project details and share knowledge

· Developing reports and manuscripts for publication

· Preparing and delivering presentations for research meetings

· Participating in team meetings

· Helping to mentor and supervise trainees and students working on related projects

· Providing other support as required by the research team

Preferred Qualifications:

Scientific:

· A PhD degree with expertise in a relevant discipline (landscape ecology, spatial ecology, agroecology, remote sensing, data science/data management)

· Experience working in and knowledge about sustainable agricultural systems/agroecology/agroforestry/ecosystem services/restoration

· Experience accessing, assembling, linking, organizing, and analyzing large spatial datasets in Canada or other regions, and a track record of use of these data to conduct population-based or multi-site studies

· Experience using diverse ecological and social datasets, and spatial approaches and metrics, to characterize and describe landscapes, including with respect to landscape structure and connectivity

· Computer proficiency, including use of statistical software for spatial analyses, such as ArcGIS, QGIS, R, Google Earth Engine, Omniscape, and Python.

· Working knowledge of ecological (especially landscape ecology) research methodology and design, and advanced biostatistics

Communications:

· Experience with manuscript writing and a track record of publishing in excellent journals

· Experience in developing successful grant/funding applications

· Ability to prepare reports and presentations for diverse audiences

· Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills in English

· Experience working in an interdisciplinary group (e.g., across natural and social science)

Collaboration:

· Willingness and ability to positively engage with researchers at multiple sites across Canada/internationally, and to motivate other team members to achieve the study goals in a timely manner

· Experience or willingness to work in an interdisciplinary setting,

· Experience collaborating with social scientists and non-academic partners considered an asset

Work Habits:

· Ability to exercise judgment and make decisions in accordance with broad research objectives

· Ability to independently organize workload, set goals and work effectively towards deadlines

· Appreciation of the importance of agricultural and basic research

· An inquiring and open mind