Postdoctoral Associate

Close All Job Summary The successful candidate will work on a NSF-funded CAREER project that will investigate mechanisms underlying how global change drivers, especially drought and warming, will impact ecosystem functioning through changes in species composition and biodiversity change. The postdoc will Integrate causal inference methods with experimental and observational data to identify direct and indirect effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functions (productivity and belowground functions) and how these effects vary across contexts. Additionally, they will help co-lead a distributed graduate seminar (DGS) focused on global change ecology, inclusive team science, and causal inference. This seminar will span multiple institutions, fostering collaborative research and inclusive teaching practices and provide exceptional networking opportunities and hands-on teaching training for the postdoc. The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Who We Are The Dee lab addresses understanding and designing solutions to two grand challenges of our time: biodiversity loss and climate change. Our research combines global change ecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, and conservation science to: Quantify the impacts of global changes (e.g., climate variability, disturbances) on ecosystems and their contributions to people. Advance understanding of the role of biodiversity in ecosystem functioning and services Inform climate-adaptive conservation strategies through co-produced research with end users and communities Develop and apply cutting-edge methods from multiple disciplines. We use quantitative tools from diverse disciplines, including causal inference, functional trait ecology, and decision science, and tackle complex social-ecological challenges by leading and contributing to collaborative, interdisciplinary teams. The lab's research spans ecosystems including grasslands, forests, and marine environments, and experimental to observational and modeling analyses. The group spans interest and backgrounds in ecology, computer science, math, economics and other areas of social science. While our interests and research topics are diverse, we are unified by the common themes of an interest in quantitative methods, interdisciplinary approaches and topics, sustaining biodiversity and nature's contributions to people, and creating a supportive and inclusive environment. What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be Conduct research to analyze how biodiversity, climate history, and plant traits mediate drought effects across ecosystems, in collaboration with the International Drought Experimental Network. Apply advanced causal inference methodologies to evaluate relationships between drought, biodiversity, and ecosystem productivity, and how these relationships vary across contexts. Help co-lead the year-long DGS, which includes organizing virtual cross-institution trainings, facilitating team-based analyses, and supporting inclusive pedagogy. Collaborate on extending research on warming impacts in alpine tundra ecosystems, leveraging experimental datasets from the Niwot Ridge LTER site. Mentor and collaborate with graduate students in hypothesis-driven research as part of the DGS and related projects. Disseminate research findings through publications and presentations. What We Can Offer The salary range for this position is $66-70k annually. Benefits The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder. Be Statements Be ambitious. Be pioneering. Be Boulder. What We Require A Ph.D. in Ecology, Ecosystem Science, Statistics (causal inference), or a related field by the start date. What You Will Need Demonstrated expertise or interest in causal inference methodologies and their application in ecological research. Strong analytical skills, with proficiency in R for data analysis, statistical modeling, and data visualization. Experience with collaboration. Expertise in plant ecology, global change biology, or biodiversity-ecosystem functioning. What We Would Like You to Have Familiarity with distributed seminar models or team science facilitation. Experience with alpine tundra, drought experiments, and/or grassland ecosystems. Knowledge of inclusive teaching practices and universal design principles. Strong interpersonal and organizational skills for multi-institution collaboration. Experience with grassland field experiments. Interest in mentoring graduate students. Special Instructions To apply, please submit the following materials: Resume or CV Cover Letter describing previous experience related to the position, research interests and fit with the job description, interests related to Dee's NSF CAREER award, and prior teaching experience. Professional Publication(s) If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources department using an approved online vendor. If your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit a translated version as an optional attachment. During the application process you will need to enter contact information for two references. We will request letters of recommendation and additional materials, if needed, as the search progresses. Review of applications will begin immediately and remain open until December 30th, 2024. Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs. In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information. Posting Contact Information Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources Posting Contact Email: Recruitingcolorado.edu