Job Announcement: Research Ecologist Postdoc @ USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range

Hi,

We are seeking a Research Ecologist to contribute to projects investigating ecological dynamics and resilience on US rangelands. This postdoc will have an opportunity to work with large rangeland datasets, including vegetation and soils monitoring data housed in the Landscape Data Commons, the Rangeland Analysis Platform, SSURGO, and more to identify where US rangelands are resilient and where restoration efforts might be most strategically applied.

This postdoc will have the opportunity to develop research alongside a dynamic, interdisciplinary group of researchers at the Jornada, which will include participating in the Jornada Fellows program (more information coming soon!).  In addition, this position will afford the opportunity to work with our science and land management partners across the US including those at BLM, NRCS, and the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network.

Please find the full job announcement below and attached.

Interested applicants, please contact Dr. Sarah McCord (sarah.mccord@usda.gov). Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

Thank you for helping us spread the word!

Best,
Sarah

Position Summary 

The USDA ARS Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, NM seeks a highly motivated postdoctoral ecologist to contribute to projects investigating ecological dynamics and resilience on US rangelands. The successful candidate will leverage big data, such as large monitoring datasets stored in the Landscape Data Commons, remote sensing products such as the Rangeland Analysis Platform, climate, and soils data to identify where US rangelands are resilient and where rangelands might be at-risk requiring adjustments to land management.  The project involves: 1) using monitoring data to identify where native species communities remain; 2) using remote sensing data to look at trends on rangelands to identify communities that appear to be resilient to state change; 3) identify where restoration actions and other conservation practices might build resilience to known rangeland stressors (e.g., invasive species, drought, fire, climate change). This project will be co-developed under the supervision of Dr. Sarah McCord with our partners at the Bureau of Land Management and the Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Effects Assessment Project Grazing Lands Component.  In addition to published papers, project outcomes include providing products to land managers to help prioritize the application of restoration and conservation practices.

 

Qualifications 

We are seeking applicants with a PhD in ecology, environmental sciences, natural resources, geography, or related fields who have experience in landscape scale processes, soil-vegetation relationships, plant community dynamics, and how they vary across space and time. Qualified candidates will also have experience coding and/or modeling (R, Python). Experience working on rangelands and with Google Earth Engine is preferred. This position is open to only U.S. citizens.

 

Appointment 

 

The anticipated start date is negotiable (preferred first quarter of 2023). The appointment is for 2 years, with renewal after the first year based upon performance and funding. This is a full-time appointment based at the Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. The Jornada Experimental Range is a USDA-ARS laboratory located on the New Mexico State University campus. The incumbent would therefore be expected to work closely with both USDA and University employees. 

 

Salary and Benefits 

 

The position will be hired as a Research Associate at the GS 11/12 level. 

 

To Apply 

 

Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Interested individuals should submit a statement outlining your experience and research interests with respect to the requisite qualifications, a current CV, and the names and contact information of three references. For questions and to apply, contact Dr. Sarah McCord (sarah.mccord@usda.gov).