Postdoc or Data Scientist: Biodiversity Synthesis

Applications are invited for a 2.5-year postdoc or data scientist position to conduct and coordinate biodiversity-related synthesis research in the Biodiversity Exploratories, under the supervision of Prof. Markus Fischer in the Plant Ecology Group at the University of Bern in Switzerland.

The Biodiversity Exploratories program comprises more than 50 research groups and examines the relations between environmental change (mainly in land-use intensity), biodiversity and ecosystem functioning/services in forests and grasslands. The Synthesis core team catalyses and fosters synthesis work by groups of researchers to realise the huge added value of this large integrated and interdisciplinary program with its common research questions, design and datasets, combining information on various land uses and all kinds of organisms and ecosystem functions.

We are seeking highly motivated applicants interested in the causes and consequences of biodiversity change. In addition to conducting synthesis research, the postdoc/data scientist is expected to provide data-and synthesis-related scientific support for the Biodiversity Exploratories, including for synthesis working groups within the Biodiversity Exploratories, e.g. by organising regular meetings, workshops, and curating synthesis datasets.

Applicants with different backgrounds are welcome (preferentially in Ecology or related fields), provided that they have strong analytical skills, including familiarity with statistical analyses and manipulation of large datasets (preferably using R). They should enjoy project coordination and frequent interactions with scientists from different disciplines.