Postdoctoral Associate, BirdFlow Quantitative Ecologist - Lab of Ornithology

Postdoctoral Associate - BirdFlow

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University's second largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: We believe that achieving next-generation scientific breakthroughs requires an understanding of the world's complex, interlocking systems. We believe that access to nutritious food and a healthy environment is a fundamental human right. We believe that ensuring a prosperous global future depends on the ability to support local people and communities everywhere. By working in and across multiple scientific areas, CALS can address challenges and opportunities of the greatest relevance, here in New York, across the nation, and around the world.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the world's leading resource for conservation, research, education, and participatory science focused on birds. The Lab is a vibrant unit within Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Staff at the Lab publish research, teach courses, advise students and postdocs, collect and disseminate world-famous digital resources on biodiversity, and engage with partner organizations and citizens around the world to conduct scientific research and facilitate conservation actions.

The Cornell Lab is an inclusive community and we recognize that a diverse workforce creates more innovative and impactful work to address global challenges. We are committed to fostering a healthy workplace that values diverse perspectives and backgrounds as well as supporting growth and advancement opportunities. The Lab welcomes staff who are still learning in their careers and who are motivated to take on new challenges.

This position resides with the Lab's BirdCast team in the Center for Avian Population Studies. The BirdFlow team is an interdisciplinary group of ecologists and computer scientists based at the Cornell Lab and University of Massachusetts Amherst. The overarching Postdoctoral Program at the Cornell Lab is currently home to a vibrant community of several dozen postdoctoral associates working across all Lab units, and we strive to provide a supportive and collaborative environment for this community that fosters personal growth and career advancement.

Position Function

Migratory birds are important indicators of ecosystem health that connect peoples and places in ways few phenomena can. To understand and monitor migratory birds, their numbers, and their responses to global change, data and methods are urgently needed that can capture their movements at population scales. BirdFlow is an innovative, NSF-funded project that uses the Cornell Lab's eBird database to infer the movements of migratory birds across the annual cycle. The Postdoctoral Associate will lead research that utilizes BirdFlow models to expand our knowledge of bird movements, including studying migratory connectivity and its associations with population trends, investigating species' resilience to climate change and environmental fluctuations, and exploring BirdFlow models for providing real-time information on species' movements in the context of the BirdCast public website. The postdoc will also work on integrating additional data sources, such as BirdCast radar data, individual tracking data and banding data, to improve and validate BirdFlow models. With the BirdFlow team, the postdoc will have an opportunity to contribute to products and software that will be released for scientists, conservation practitioners, industry, and the public to explore and investigate the phenomenon of avian migration. Specific research topics include:

• Calibrate, validate and apply BirdFlow models to investigate key open questions in migration biology, including the estimation of migratory connectivity for large numbers of species and its relationship with migrant population trends.
• Explore the usefulness of BirdFlow in providing near real-time information on migratory movements in the context of the BirdCast project (www.birdcast.info), including a comparison with radar-based estimates of migration.
• Develop and validate BirdFlow models that incorporate multiple data modalities (e.g. citizen science, radar, tracking, and banding) to estimate large-scale movements of migratory birds.

Anticipated Division of Time

• Conduct independent research to meet project goals. (50%)
• Present results at professional meetings, conferences, and popular seminars. Prepare peer reviewed papers and other research products. (30%)
• Engage in ongoing academic and intellectual life within the Lab of Ornithology and at Cornell University including with research peers and earlier-career students. (10%)
• Participate in general project management and working directly with internal and external project collaborators. (5%)
• Perform related projects and special duties as assigned. (5%)

Other position-related responsibilities:

• Establish and maintain a safe, productive, and respectful working environment that fosters a culture of inclusivity and teamwork.
• Create and sustain an environment that advances diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in all endeavors.
• Model, communicate, and champion the Lab's values and culture.

Requirements

• PhD in (quantitative) ecology or biology, applied statistics, or a related field with strong background in data science, statistics and model development aligned with the Lab's mission.

• Ability to conduct original research, from conception to completion.
• Strong record of success conducting research and scholarly activities, including publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Multi-disciplinary skills to effectively bridge fields, including population ecology, movement ecology, computer science and geospatial statistics.
• Ability to work effectively both in a team and independently.
• Experience with R, Python, and/or other programming languages.
• Experience working with large datasets.
• Experience in ornithology and affinity with birds (preferred, not required)
• Respect for and sensitivity to differences of culture, identity, and background in the workplace and with external stakeholders.
• Must have strong communication skills and be proficient in spoken and written English.

This position will be located in Ithaca, New York with the potential of working a hybrid schedule from their local home and in the Lab.

Supervision Exercised

Opportunities exist for informal mentoring of graduate and undergraduate research students.

To apply:

Please apply via Academic Jobs Online (https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27782)

Qualified candidates should submit a short cover letter, curriculum vitae, 1 example publication, a recent coding example or analytical script used in your research, contact information for three references, and a statement supporting diverse communities (this can be a stand-alone document (preferred) or the information can be embedded in other parts of the application materials) outlining how, through research, teaching, service, mentoring, extension, and/or outreach, the candidate has and will contribute to support Cornell's historical mission of "any person ... any study," via the website.

If you have questions about this position, please email Adriaan Dokter (amd427@cornell.edu). Applications will be reviewed as received, continuing until a suitable applicant is identified.

CALS hiring range for this title is University minimum $61,008 to $68,000.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Life. Changing.

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League and Land-grant university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement.

Cornell's regional and global presence includes state-wide Cornell Cooperative Extension programs and offices in all counties and boroughs, global partnerships with institutions and communities engaged in life-changing research and education, the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, and the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University's heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual's genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

Pay Range:

Pay Ranges:

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience.

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.

• Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary)

• Unique applicable skills.

Familiarize yourself with Cornell's COVID-19 workplace guidance as well as the university's COVID-19 services and information.

Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email mycareer@cornell.edu.

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell University's Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX at voice (607) 255-2242, or email atequity@cornell.edu.

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing mycareer@cornell.edu.

Notice to Applicants:

Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.

EEO Statement:

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University's heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual's genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.