Research Associate 

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Quantitative Ecologist/Applied Statistician

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Cornell University 

Ithaca, New York

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 and research scientists 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 Information Science and Technology Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology collects and disseminates biodiversity data and information with the goal of enhancing the information and decision-making tools available to conservationists and scientific researchers — methodologies and tools that will augment ongoing research on birds and biodiversity, thereby improving the effectiveness of conservation actions on the ground.

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

 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.
• Experience related to integrated population models in ecology, including estimation of demographic parameters.
• Prior experience with identifying and writing funding proposals preferred.
• Experience in ornithology is a bonus, but not required.

Preferred Qualifications:

We are seeking to hire a Research Associate (RA) to lead the development of an approach to integrate population survey data with citizen science data. The RA will also lead efforts to estimate population size estimates for regions where only citizen-science data is available. The RA will collaborate with agency scientists on incorporating abundance estimates from eBird and eBird Status and Trends products into an integrated population models. The RA will explore the utility of using eBird Status and Trends data to improve wildlife risk assessments for avian populations. While the initial focus of the project will be on raptor populations, we will extend the approaches developed to other species.

Additional activities include participating in weekly analysis meetings; working extensively with avian biologists in the Information Science and Technology and and Conservation Science programs; promoting interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration; participate in writing peer-reviewed publications, disseminating results at conferences, and the preparation of funding proposals. The position requires collaboration with external partners in academia, government, and industry.

Cornell provides great benefits that include professional development, access to a plethora of wellness programs, employee discounts with local and national retail brands, health care options to choose from, generous paid leave provisions:  3 weeks of vacation, 12 holidays (including end of year winter break) and superior retirement contributions.

The application package consists of a cover letter, CV, one representative publication and appendix code, contact information for 2 references, and a Statement of Contribution to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Application materials should be sent to Academic Jobs Online at the following link: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14722.  All application materials must be received by close of business on October 3, 2019. The selection committee is chaired by Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez (Conservation Science Program), in collaboration with Dr. Daniel Find and Dr. Orin Robinson (Information Science Program).

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. Located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and in Doha, Qatar, as well as the new Cornell Tech campus to be built on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.