[Coral-List] Job Ad: Postdoctoral Fellow, Marine Socio-environmental Systems

[Helen Fox]

Please circulate this great opportunity to your networks! (apologies for
cross-posting; queuing it up in anticipation of the coral-list opening
again soon...)

Thank you,

Helen



*Luc Hoffmann Institute / SESYNC Postdoctoral Fellow, Marine
Socio-environmental Systems. *

* *

Two-year fellowship available immediately to work with an interdisciplinary
team to evaluate the impacts of marine conservation interventions, focusing
on analyzing monitoring data for marine protected areas. Fellow will be in
residence at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC)
facilities at the University of Maryland in Annapolis, MD, and will also
spend significant time at WWF-US offices in Washington, D.C. For earliest
consideration, apply by October 20, 2013. Full ad below and attached.  For
additional information, see www.sesync.org/opportunities/mpa-postdoc and
http://luchoffmanninstitute.org/fellows/current-calls/



*TO APPLY*:  Preference will be given to applications received by October
20, 2103. Please submit cover letter, CV, and two professional references
to: Sandrine Jimenez, Assistant to the Director, Luc Hoffmann Institute:
sjimenez at wwfint.org<sjimenez at wwfint.org?subject=Luc%20Hoffmann%20Institute%20Fellowship%20Programme>
..



* *

*Luc Hoffmann Institute / SESYNC Postdoctoral Fellow *

*Marine Socio-environmental Systems *



Two-year fellowship available immediately to work with an interdisciplinary
team to evaluate the impacts of marine conservation interventions, focusing
on analyzing monitoring data for marine protected areas. Fellow will be in
residence at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC)
facilities at the University of Maryland in Annapolis, MD, and will also
spend significant time at WWF-US offices in Washington, D.C. For earliest
consideration, apply by October 20, 2013. For additional information, see
www.sesync.org/opportunities/mpa-postdoc and
http://luchoffmanninstitute.org/fellows/current-calls/



The Luc Hoffmann Institute, based at WWF International, Switzerland, in
partnership with the National Social-Environmental Synthesis Center
(SESYNC), seeks a postdoctoral fellow to work with an interdisciplinary
Pursuit <http://www.sesync.org/node/75> /Collaborative Research Team (CRT)
to evaluate the impacts of marine conservation interventions by
synthesizing and analyzing monitoring data for marine protected areas
(MPAs). The goal of the fellowship is to demonstrate an interdisciplinary
approach to monitoring MPAS, evaluating impacts, and analyzing data that
builds upon established MPA monitoring protocols and questions, which
inform decisions through assessment and modeling of ecosystem services,
including fisheries, tourism, etc.



This is a 24-month position that can begin as early as November 1, 2013. It
is based at the University of Maryland’s SESYNC offices in Annapolis, MD,
with mentor(s) to be identified from the Pursuit / CRT participants. The
fellow will be a full participant in SESYNC’s postdoctoral mentoring
program and interact with a large group of current postdocs at the Center,
and be a full participant in the Luc Hoffmann Institute’s Fellowship
programme, and will thus be co-mentored by a conservation specialist at the
WWF-US offices in Washington, D.C., and will spend time working
collaboratively with other Luc Hoffmann Institute Fellows.



*Major Duties & Responsibilities*

In collaboration with the mentoring team, the fellow will:

1.            Assume leadership for the day-to-day management of the SESYNC
and Luc Hoffmann Institute Pursuit/CRT partnerships and results delivery.

2.            Develop and refine conceptual models and analytic approaches,
and implement practical methods for documenting and explaining variation in
the social and biological impacts of conservation interventions (initially
focusing on existing MPA monitoring datasets, as well as relevant global
data).

3.            Develop, test, and analyze databases, building off ideas from
workshop(s), judicious consolidation, and synthesis of large, potentially
incomplete secondary datasets.

4.            Analyze data and synthesize results from the above, using
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as warranted, in order to document
conservation impacts and to explore relationships among MPA governance, as
well as social and ecological context and conservation impacts.

5.            Explore ways to incentivize data sharing to increase the
statistical power of that data and to facilitate collaboration, including
the possibility of a publicly available database and data management system
that would aid practitioners and agencies in producing reports and other
outputs.

6.            Document ongoing results, key findings, short and long term
goals of the project. Work with the communication managers of SESYNC and
the Luc Hoffmann Institute on how best to communicate results from the
above and other related work for target audiences, peer-reviewed
publications and other relevant communication products and outlets

7.            Participate in other activities at SESYNC and the Luc
Hoffmann Institute, through their fellowship programmes and other
opportunities, to foster intellectual exchange on the dynamics of
socio-environmental systems.



*Required Qualifications, Skills, & Competencies  *

•      PhD in the natural, environmental, or social sciences, or related
discipline

•      An interest in, commitment to, and proven ability to using
data-driven, quantitative approaches to solving real-world conservation
problems

•       Strong research and writing skills

•       Excellent command of English; other languages an asset

•      Ability to work both independently and in a team



*Strongly Preferred*

·                  Competence in R, Matlab, or other programming
environments.

·                  Experience in statistics, modelling, and GIS.

·                     Experience with relational database design,
construction, management, and/or analysis.

·                     Experience working with large, incomplete (i.e., with
missing data), and/or heterogeneous datasets.

·                     Adheres to WWF’s values, which are: Knowledgeable,
Optimistic, Determined and Engaging.



*   Eligibility*

This fellow opportunity is open to candidates of all nationalities, gender
and age.  We are specifically interested in hearing from those who have
deep roots in the regions of the globe where conservation-science
leadership is most needed, such as Africa and Madagascar, the Asia-Pacific
region, Latin America and the Caribbean.  Regardless of background, we are
looking for highly skilled, interdisciplinary, action oriented
candidates.For more information on the research associated with this
position, visit www.sesync.org/mpa-performance.



*Support*

The SESYNC postdoctoral fellowship provides an annual stipend, full
University of Maryland employee benefits, and a small annual travel
allowance to attend meetings or to meet with collaborators.



For more information on SESYNC, visit www.SESYNC.org

For more information on the Luc Hoffmann Institute, please visit
www.luchoffmanninstitute.org



*TO APPLY*:  Preference will be given to applications received by October
20, 2103. Please submit cover letter, CV, and two professional references
to: Sandrine Jimenez, Assistant to the Director, Luc Hoffmann Institute:
sjimenez at wwfint.org<sjimenez at wwfint.org?subject=Luc%20Hoffmann%20Institute%20Fellowship%20Programme>
..



*The Luc Hoffmann Institute Mission*

The Luc Hoffmann Institute was created by WWF <http://www.panda.org/>, the
world’s largest conservation organization, to respond to the most important
questions facing conservation and sustainable development. A boundary
organization by design, the Luc Hoffmann Institute connects research
capacity and multi-disciplinary thought leaders from around the world with
WWF’s global network of practitioners and scientists. Together, we
synthesize existing knowledge, create new ideas and support collaborative
innovation. In co-creating evidence-based solutions, we link the best
available science to better policy planning and more effective field
practices, to enable people and nature to thrive together on a living
planet.**





*The University of Maryland is an Equal Opportunity Employer*

*Minorities and Women Are Encouraged to Apply*