Job Description
The NYU Wild Animal Welfare Program is currently seeking a Postdoctoral Associate to join an interdisciplinary research project focused on wild animals in highly urbanized environments. The project, called the “Wildlife Inclusive Local Development Lab” (WILD Lab), aims to deepen our scientific understanding of the impacts of urban land use and infrastructure practices on wild animal welfare and provide a basis of evidence to support local policies aimed at improving outcomes for urban wild animals. The position presents an exciting opportunity to contribute to new scientific research and policy development in the field of wild animal welfare science.
The NYU Wild Animal Welfare Program conducts research aimed at advancing our understanding about what wild animals are like, how humans and wild animals interact, and how humans can improve our interactions with wild animals at scale. To learn more about the Wild Animal Welfare Program, visit: https://sites.google.com/nyu.edu/wildanimalwelfare
Responsibilities
The selected candidate will be expected to lead the scientific components of the WILD Lab project, which include:
- developing a scientific protocol for assessing impacts to wild animal welfare in response to specific localized land use, infrastructure and other development choices
- applying the protocol to a set of case studies and developing experimental studies for monitoring welfare impacts
- gathering data on species and environmental conditions in the case study area
- scoping and overseeing the development of GIS maps
- supervising student research assistants (as appropriate)
- serving as an author on reports, articles, and other publications of the project (e.g. outlining and drafting main text)
Position expectations
This is a 12-month position with a start date on or around June 1, 2025 with the possibility of renewal, budget permitting. The successful candidate will be expected to participate in regular meetings with Dr. Jeff Sebo and other members of the Wild Animal Welfare Program, and to contribute to research, outreach, and field building activities at the program. The position is in-person, as the Postdoctoral Associate will attend periodic in-person meetings and events and conduct a portion of the research on campus.
In compliance with NYC’s Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary for this position is $62,500. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) the specific grant funding and the terms of the research grant when extending an offer.
Qualifications
Required qualifications:
- A Ph.D. in Biology, Zoology, Environmental Science, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, or a related field
- At least 1 year of experience in the wild animal welfare science field
- Strong time, budget, and project management skills
- Ability to work on a collaborative, multidisciplinary team
Preferred skills:
- Experience developing and executing experimental studies
- Proficiency in GIS mapping software (e.g. QGIS, ArcGIS)
- Familiarity with urban development and related local policy issues
Application Instructions
To be considered for this position, interested applicants should submit the following by emailing them directly to Audrey Becker (audrey.lynn.becker@nyu.edu):
- a curriculum vitae
- a cover letter summarizing research interests, experience, and goals (max 1 page)
- three professional references
