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University of California, Santa Barbara
4 days ago
Postdoctoral Researcher in Wildlife Ecology at the Wildland-Urban Interface University of California, Santa Barbara in United States
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Fully funded for two years by the UCSB Schmidt Environmental Solutions Program; additional funding is available to support related research questions. Salary range at 100% time is $71,491 to $85,736.
Deadline
Apr 30, 2027
Country
United States
University
University of California, Santa Barbara
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About this position
The University of California, Santa Barbara is recruiting a postdoctoral scholar to launch a new research program on wildlife ecology at the wildland-urban interface. The project focuses on the Santa Barbara foothills near Los Padres National Forest, where mountain wildlands meet developed coastal landscapes, creating a valuable natural laboratory for studying how animal communities respond to development, habitat fragmentation, and human presence.
The successful researcher will help develop and lead a collaborative program exploring questions about species richness, community composition, activity patterns, edge effects, nocturnality, diet, trophic interactions, and the ecological role of protected lands at the boundary of wildlands and development. The postdoc will have substantial intellectual freedom to shape the scientific direction of the project and to build independent publications and future funding ideas from the resulting datasets.
The project integrates field, molecular, and analytical approaches, with methods tailored to the candidate’s expertise and interests. Possible approaches include camera-trap deployment and analysis, wildlife scat surveys, environmental and scat DNA work, non-invasive genetic identification and genotyping, dietary DNA metabarcoding, passive acoustic monitoring, AI-assisted classification of image and sound data, and spatial analyses of wildlife occurrence, behavior, diet, and community composition.
The postdoctoral scholar will work closely with UC Santa Barbara professors, additional UCSB researchers, and external collaborators, while spending regular time in the field in the Santa Barbara foothills. The position is embedded in a research environment that connects ecological baseline data with future long-term monitoring, allowing later studies to examine wildlife responses to wildfire, drought, vegetation change, restoration, invasive-species management, and other environmental disturbances.
The role is designed for a researcher who wants to connect fundamental ecological questions with applied biodiversity conservation in a dynamic urban-edge landscape.
Funding details
Fully funded for two years by the UCSB Schmidt Environmental Solutions Program; additional funding is available to support related research questions. Salary range at 100% time is $71,491 to $85,736.
What's required
Applicants must have completed all requirements for a Ph.D. program (or equivalent), except the dissertation, in ecology, wildlife biology, conservation biology, environmental science, or a related field at the time of application. By the time of appointment, applicants must hold a doctoral degree in ecology, wildlife biology, conservation biology, environmental science, or a related field. Preferred preparation includes a strong background in field ecology, wildlife ecology, conservation biology, community ecology, spatial ecology, molecular ecology, or related areas, with useful experience in camera trapping, vertebrate field ecology, eDNA, non-invasive genetics, DNA metabarcoding, acoustic biodiversity monitoring, GIS, occupancy modeling, movement ecology, analysis of large ecological datasets, hierarchical/mixed-effects/Bayesian statistics, and reproducible analysis in R or Python. Candidates should have strong presentation and publication records for career stage, effective communication skills, strong organization, and an interest in independent yet collaborative research.
How to apply
Submit the application through the UC Santa Barbara recruitment portal using the provided application link. Upload a current CV and a cover letter describing your research background, relevant experience, interest in the position, and any research questions you would like to pursue. Provide contact information for three references; the committee will contact top candidates after interviews.
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