Post-Doctoral Associate

The Walsh Lab in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology is recruiting a postdoctoral research associate to join a team studying ecological relationships between zooplankton, lake water quality, and fisheries in the state of Minnesota. This work is in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR). The team will work closely with agency staff to leverage multiple statewide datasets for management relevant analyses related to zooplankton ecosystem service provisioning and zooplankton as biological indicators of lake health.

Responsibilities will include:

• Leading research related to the importance of zooplankton in Minnesota lakes (65%). This responsibility includes all aspects of the research process, co-developed alongside the team and agency partners (defining questions and analytical approaches, collating datasets, conducting data analysis and visualizations, publishing manuscripts, and presenting results).
• Collate available statewide zooplankton data from interested county and local governments and nongovernmental organizations (20%). This effort will include 1) helping create a centralized database, 2) building and maintaining a network of organizations and staff interested in zooplankton related research and 3) exploring sustainable workflows to update and expand the dataset into the future.
• Participating in project coordination and communication with the project team, MN DNR partners, and statewide stakeholders (10%). This will include meetings to design research, provide research updates, and communicate findings as well as assist with state data collation and management where needed.
• Collaborate with Walsh Lab members on this and other projects (5%), including grant writing, analytical support, field and lab work, and student mentoring to support lab activities. Since this is a foundational research project grounded in developing tools to support additional research, helping to prepare proposals is a likely responsibility and will help provide additional opportunities for research positions in the lab.

Required

• The successful candidate must have (by the position start date) a PhD in aquatic ecology, limnology, fisheries science, or a related field; a publication record that demonstrates quantitative skills; an interest in the co-creation of science with government agencies or nongovernmental organizations; and the ability to work both independently and on a team

Preferred

• A background in holistic, ecosystem-level understanding of lake ecology that connects multiple ecological processes and biological communities with informative quantitative approaches
• Experience working with state, local or federal government agencies or nongovernmental organizations

Pay Range: $61,000 - $65,000 annually; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Please visit the Benefits for Postdoctoral Candidates website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training
• Medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost

Student positions are a form of financial support while pursuing an education at the University of Minnesota.

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will have the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

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