Cornell University, Lab of Ornithology

Position ID:Cornell-Lab-POSTDOCASSOCCAP15 [#21764, WDR-00031362]
Position Title: Postdoctoral Associate - Waterfowl eBird Data - Lab of Ornithology
Position Type:Postdoctoral
Position Location:Ithaca, New York 14850, United States [map] sort by distance
Subject Areas: Conservation
Environmental / Environmental
statistical analysis
Computer Science / Statistics
Appl Deadline: finished (2022/05/11, finished 2023/05/13)
Position Description:   Remote  

*** this position has been closed and new applications are no longer accepted. ***

Postdoctoral Associate
Waterfowl eBird Data 
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Ithaca NY


The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. 

About Us:

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the world's leading resource for conservation, research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. The Lab is a vibrant unit within Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), where full-time faculty and other renowned professionals direct twelve world-class, mission-driven programs. Staff at the Lab teach undergraduate courses, advise graduate students, collect and disseminate world-famous digital resources on biodiversity, and engage with partner organizations and citizens around the world to conduct scientific research and conservation actions. Our management and staff are committed to the highest standards of ethics and excellence in all areas of our work, and our Board leadership includes faculty from Cornell and other universities, successful entrepreneurs and managers from the business and non-profit sectors, and conservation-minded citizens from the United States and beyond. 

The Cornell Lab is currently home to a vibrant community of several dozen postdoctoral associates working across all twelve programs, and we strive to provide a supportive and collaborative environment for this community that fosters personal growth and career advancement. The Center for Avian Population Studies (CAPS) is one of the major programmatic units at the Lab and collects and disseminates biodiversity data and information with the goal of enhancing the information and decision-making tools available to conservationists and scientific researchers.  We achieve this by producing scientific, computational, and big data resources that transform how we understand and protect the world around us.  

The Lab is an inclusive community and we recognize that diverse, inclusive communities create more innovative and impactful work to address global challenges and benefit humanity and nature. The Cornell Lab is committed to fostering and sustaining a healthy workplace that values diverse and inclusive perspectives and backgrounds as well as supporting growth and advancement opportunities. The Lab believes that every member on our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions. The Lab welcomes staff who are still learning in their careers and who are motivated to take on new challenges.

Job Description/Position Function: 

We are seeking to hire a Postdoctoral Associate to explore using eBird Status and Trends (S&T) products and eBird raw data to inform waterfowl conservation and management planning in support of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP). Specifically, the project will: 

  1. Evaluate the level of agreement between professionally collected data and eBird or eBird S&T products across multiple geographies, spatial and temporal scales, and species. Use this to assist in evaluating USFWS breeding population and habitat survey.

  2. Evaluate the use of eBird and/or eBird S&T to provide migration chronologies for use in bioenergetics models that inform regional waterfowl conservation planning, such as those employed by migratory bird joint ventures. We will also compare the output of these models to those run with traditionally collected data to determine how management decisions may change depending on the data set analyzed.

  3. Explore any differences in the information provided by each data set and use the lessons learned to integrate the data in distribution, population density, and bioenergetics models.

  4. Explore how the current eBird S&T models perform on species that form large aggregations during the annual cycle. Test alternative models that may provide more accurate predictions than the current eBird S&T modeled product.

  5. Explore methods for integrating eBird S&T and/or estimates from newer models developed under objective 4 with independent data sources for analyses aimed at informing conservation action.

Additional activities include participating in weekly analysis meetings; working extensively with avian biologists in the Information Science and Technology, Bird Population Studies and Conservation Science programs within CAPS; promoting interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration; participate in writing peer-reviewed publications, disseminating results at conferences. The position will require collaboration with external partners in academia, government, and industry.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Develop methods for and applications of eBird, eBird Status and Trends, and professionally collected survey data to meet project goals (50%).

  • Present results at professional meetings, conferences, and popular seminars. Prepare peer reviewed papers and other research products, including reports and relevant information to partners. (20%)

  • Research and identify potential funding opportunities. Engage with potential funders. (10%)

  • Engage in ongoing academic and intellectual life within the Conservation Science and Information Science Programs at the Lab of Ornithology and at Cornell University, Ducks Unlimited, Forbes Biological Field Station, Louisiana State University, and NAWMP Science Support Team. (10%)

  • Participate in general project management and working directly with internal and external project collaborators. (5%)

  • Perform related projects and special duties as assigned. Establish and maintain a safe, productive, and respectful working environment that fosters a culture of inclusivity and teamwork. Create and foster an environment that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion in all endeavors.   (5%)

Term of position

This is a full-time appointment for one year, with the second-year conditional on satisfactory performance. 

Required Qualifications: 

  • PhD in quantitative ecology, applied statistics, or a related field with strong background in statistics and model development.

  • Experience with R and other statistical languages.

  • Ability to apply quantitative methods to answer ecological questions or hypotheses.

  • Strong record of success conducting research and scholarly activities, including publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience related to using wildlife survey data, experience with citizen science data is preferred but not required.

  • Experience in ornithology is a bonus, but not required.

Salary or Rewards/Benefits:

Commensurate with experience.

Cornell provides great benefits that include professional development, access to wellness programs, employee discounts with local and national retail brands, broad range of comprehensive health care options, and generous paid leave provisions:  3 weeks of vacation, 13 holidays (including end of year winter break), paid family leave, and superior retirement contributions.

Application Instructions

Please send a letter of application outlining qualifications and interest in the position, curriculum vitae, 1 example publication and appendix code, and the names and contact details for two references, and a statement of contribution to diversity, equity, and inclusion via Academic Jobs Online at the following link: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/21764. If you have questions about this position, please email Dr. Orin Robinson (orj7@cornell.edu).  Review of applicants will begin June 6, 2022 and continue until the position is filled.






Familiarize yourself with Cornell’s COVID-19 workplace guidance as well as the university’s COVID-19 services and information

Employment Assistance:

For specific questions about the position or application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or for general questions email mycareer@cornell.edu.

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell University's Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at equity@cornell.edu.

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing mycareer@cornell.edu.

Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.

EEO Statement:

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law. 

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

Pay Ranges:

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

  • Prior relevant work or industry experience.
  • Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
  • Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary)
  • Unique applicable skills.


Application Materials Required:
Submit the following items online at this website to complete your application:
And anything else requested in the position description.

Further Info:
email address
607-255-3087
 
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, New York 14850