Announcements > Post-doc opportunity in ecosystem services governance at Brock University (Canada)

Posting: Postdoctoral Fellow in Decision Support Systems for Sustainable Ecosystem Services Management at Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada

Start Date: September 2019 or as soon as possible

Salary: $50,000 per annum + benefits

Duration: 2 years, with possibility of extension

Dr. Julia Baird (Brock University) and Dr. Gordon M. Hickey (McGill University) are seeking an exceptional postdoctoral researcher to conduct research on ecosystem services management and natural resource governance in Canada, with a particular focus on understanding the mental models guiding different actors and the social-ecological relationships that exist in a selection of Canadian resource use landscapes. The postdoctoral fellow (PDF) will have some freedom to define their research focus as long as it aligns with the general focus on (1) developing decision support systems that can enhance the sustainable management of ecosystem services in a sample of typical production landscapes in Canada; and (2) how tradeoffs between various ecosystem services manifest in these different resource management contexts. The position is based in the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre at Brock University and will require close collaboration with a diverse team of scholars from across Canada.

The project is funded by NSERC in partnership with key government agencies and industry partners in Canada. As a result, the successful candidate will be offered a high degree of professional exposure through a range of networking opportunities with people involved in sustainable natural resources and ecosystem services management policy in Canada and internationally.

Essential Duties: The primary responsibilities of the successful candidate will be to conduct innovative research and outreach in collaboration with a diverse group of university scientists as well as their industry and government partners, and co-lead a series of data collection workshops in different landscapes across Canada. The specific duties will include literature reviews; stakeholder liaison activities; project management; data collection, analysis and interpretation (via ethnographic, qualitative and/or quantitative methods, depending on PDF's interest and experience); report writing; workshop organization and the preparation of manuscripts in collaboration with the supervisors. The successful candidate will also be responsible for training graduate students and contributing to the development of competitive research grants as needed.

Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline within the last three years and have primary publications in refereed, English language journals, fluency in written and spoken English, the ability to work cooperatively with the supervisors, and strong organizational skills. The ideal candidate will have expertise in natural resource management and policy, public policy and administration, organization studies, political science, and/or sustainable ecosystem management, excellent communication skills, a desire to immerse in the exciting empirical field of ecosystem services assessment, and the ability to work semi-independently and in an interdisciplinary setting. National and international travel will be required. It is anticipated that the data collected and analyzed will have the potential for significant contributions to literatures on the following topics:
- Sustainable futures and ecosystem services
- Ecosystem-based management systems
- Natural resource governance
- Network governance
- Regulatory science

For more information, or to apply for this position, please send a cover letter describing your research background, interests, and qualifications; a sample publication highlighting your research experience; plus a curriculum vitae and contact information for at least two references to jbaird@brocku.ca.

Application deadline: Open until filled. Only short-listed candidates will be notified.