Postdoctoral Fellow ll

Utah State University • Logan, UT

15d • $62,000 - $65,000 • Remote

About The Position

We seek a Postdoctoral Fellow ll in Quantitative Ecology and Data Science to join a interdisciplinary team spanning Utah State University, the U.S. Geological Survey, and Emory University. This position offers an exceptional opportunity to lead cutting-edge research at the intersection of spatial ecology, population modeling, and global change ecology. This position will be available for an initial duration of one year with potential for extension for a second and third year depending on performance. The anticipated start date for this position is between July 1st and the Fall semester. We will begin reviewing on April 30, 2026 and leave open the position until filled. Questions about this position can be directed to: T.J. Clark-Wolf: [email protected] This position is telework eligible within the state of Utah. Telework outside of the state of Utah is subject to review and approval by the University prior to a job offer being extended. The successful candidate will spearhead the development of a novel modeling framework to advance our mechanistic understanding of how climate change drives species range shifts and reshapes biodiversity across landscapes. This framework will emphasize how extrinsic environmental drivers (e.g., climate and habitat) interact with species’ intrinsic traits (e.g., dispersal and demographic) to alter the population dynamics of species and communities in space and time. This work sits at a critical frontier in ecology: translating the wealth of available biological data into process-oriented, predictive models that explain the eco-evolutionary dynamics of range shifts. Furthermore, insights gathered from this work will be used to inform conservation policy and management in a rapidly changing world. While the position has a primary focus on North American birds — integrating trait databases and large-scale survey or citizen science datasets — we are equally enthusiastic about candidates with expertise in other vertebrate or invertebrate taxa, including reptiles, amphibians, mammals, fishes, and insects. Candidates with interests in related ecological and epidemiological processes, such as the spatial dynamics of wildlife disease, are also strongly encouraged to apply. We value intellectual flexibility and welcome candidates who will help shape the direction of this research program.

Requirements

• A Ph.D. in ecology, evolutionary biology, quantitative biology, biostatistics, or a closely related field, completed prior to the start date.
• Demonstrated proficiency in statistical or mathematical modeling, particularly methods relevant to population dynamics, species distribution modeling, or spatial ecology.
• Strong programming skills in R, Python, or equivalent languages, with experience in handling and analyzing large ecological datasets.
• A track record of peer-reviewed publication commensurate with career stage.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• The ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team spanning academia, government agency, and NGOs.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with integrated population models, hierarchical Bayesian models, or state-space models.
• Familiarity with citizen science or large-scale biodiversity databases (e.g., eBird, GBIF, Breeding Bird Survey, BioTIME).
• Experience with species-level trait or demographic databases (e.g., AVONET, Comadre, AmphiBIO, PanTHERIA).
• Knowledge of climate-change ecology, macroecology, or conservation biology.
• Experience with high-performance computing environments.

Responsibilities

• The successful candidate will spearhead the development of a novel modeling framework to advance our mechanistic understanding of how climate change drives species range shifts and reshapes biodiversity across landscapes.
• This framework will emphasize how extrinsic environmental drivers (e.g., climate and habitat) interact with species’ intrinsic traits (e.g., dispersal and demographic) to alter the population dynamics of species and communities in space and time.
• This work sits at a critical frontier in ecology: translating the wealth of available biological data into process-oriented, predictive models that explain the eco-evolutionary dynamics of range shifts.
• Insights gathered from this work will be used to inform conservation policy and management in a rapidly changing world.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree