Research Associate

The Research Associate is a full-time position to help implement an NSF-funded project to quantify interconnectedness and systemic risk in coupled human-natural systems. The Research Associate will be based at Lincoln Park Zoo and work closely with a multidisciplinary project team across the country. The Research Associate will be responsible for helping to compile and analyze existing datasets to develop indicators of ecological risk and inform assessment of systemic risk. S/he will assist with project implementation, facilitate connection between ecological datasets and other domains, and help disseminate project results.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Compile, process, and analyze geospatial and species time series data to develop indicators of ecological risk
• Collaborate with data scientists and researchers from other domains (agriculture, energy, finance, and hydrology)
• Provide support for and maintain communication with the collaborating research teams
• Travel to attend team meetings and present project results scientific conferences
• Participate in the Department’s team approach to research and data management
• Perform other tasks and duties as assigned

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Successful candidates will ideally have a strong background in population biology or landscape ecology
• Strong analytical skills, including problem-solving and critical thinking abilities
• Ability to process geospatial or remote sensing datasets; experience working with NDVI or animal movement data in particular is desirable
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office and an ability to quickly learn new methods and software. Experience with software such as ArcGIS or QGIS, programming in R, and/or managing a code repository on GitHub is preferred
• Strong collaborative skills and ability to clearly communicate verbally and in writing to scientific and non-scientific audiences
• Ability to organize and manage multiple tasks to ensure timely completion of all projects
• Available to attend work meetings which may occur outside of regular work schedule as assigned
• Ability to represent the Zoo and the project in a professional manner at all times
• Must be able to work at computer for 8 hours per day

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor’s degree essential, Master’s degree in biology or a related discipline is preferred. Experience in processing large datasets, data visualization, and/or interdisciplinary research is desirable.