Position Summary:

The San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Department of Conservation Biology.

The Postdoctoral Researcher will contribute to two related initiatives: (1) Urban Nature Alliance, and (2) Healthy Canyons.  

Urban Nature Alliance– Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and San Diego are California’s major urban areas. These areas also have significant amounts of urban green space which creates a major opportunity to engage communities in scientific monitoring and conservation. The Urban Nature Alliance is a network of institutions in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego that will come together to share and unite ideas and best practices for research and community engagement focused on urban biodiversity.  

Healthy Canyons– San Diego canyons are a primary type of greenspace throughout the county and provide important benefits for people and nature. This project aims to conduct multidisciplinary biological surveys to determine the current state of biodiversity in canyons, engage local communities to build conservation capacity and connect people with nature, increase the accessibility of data on canyons to researchers, decision makers, and local communities, and contribute to urban greenspace conservation policy and action.

The Postdoctoral Researcher will lead the Urban Nature Alliance and work closely with the Research Project Manager to coordinate the Healthy Canyons Initiative. They will collaborate closely with external partners and The Nat’s science and education staff.

Location:

The Postdoctoral Researcher will be based at The Nat in San Diego and work under the supervision of the Director of Conservation Biology. There is some flexibility for remote work. The position will involve some travel within California.

Responsibilities:

• Organize and lead quarterly Urban Nature Alliance meetings.
• Make significant contributions to Urban Nature Alliance goal development and tracking.
• Lead communications with Urban Nature Alliance partners.
• Develop and conduct research compatible with the goals of the Urban Nature Alliance and/or Healthy Canyons Initiative. 
• In collaboration with the Research Project Manager, lead biological and/or socio-ecological surveys in San Diego urban greenspaces.
• Develop and conduct outreach efforts.
• Spearhead the dissemination of results to a diverse range of audiences.
• Lead data management, assuring reproducibility and open data practices.
• Lead manuscript and technical document writing, data analysis, and visualization.
• Mentor student

Qualifications: 

• A PhD degree obtained within the past six years focused on Ec, Environmental Justice, Human Dimensions of Conservation or a related biology or social science field. Soon-to-graduate PhDs may apply, but all formal requirements for a PhD must be completed before the start of the appointment.
• Demonstration of excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstration of excellent organizational and project management skills 
• Experience working with local communities and other stakeholders (e.g., land managers, policy makers), especially in relation to research and conservation projects.
• Ability to lead collaborative efforts.
• Bilingual (Spanish) is not a requirement but is preferred.
• In compliance with the San Diego Natural History Museum’s mandatory vaccination policy, the Museum requires proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Accommodations based on medical and religious exemptions will be considered.

Compensation and Benefits:

Annual compensation is $66,560 

The appointment will be made for three years contingent on satisfactory progress in year one.

This is a full-time, exempt position with benefits such as health insurance, vacation, 15 paid holidays, reciprocal free admission to all of Balboa Park’s museums, as well as to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.