Job Opportunities

The Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia invites applications for a 1-year Postdoctoral Fellow to act as an Ecosystem modeler with UBC for a project on modelling ecosystem impacts of oils spills in the Salish Sea, starting between October and December 2020 (with the option to work part-time for a longer period), at standard postdoc salary rate. This role is part of an international project, funded through the Multi-partner Oil Spill Research Initiative (MPRI), which is developing and using an implementation of the Atlantis end-to-end ecosystem model to explore scenarios for the ecosystem-level impacts of oil spills in the region, in support of risk mitigation and management.

The main role of the postdoc will be to work as an ecosystem modeller using the Atlantis ecosystem model that has been developed by CSIRO and UBC for the Salish Sea ecosystem. Key tasks for the successful candidate will include undertaking training in the use of the Atlantis model, and then working in collaboration with stakeholders, as well as the CSIRO and UBC modelling teams, to implement and evaluate realistic scenarios of possible oil spills on the Salish Sea ecosystem. Outputs and outcomes from the position will include assessments of the ecosystem consequences of potential spill events, evaluation of alternative management strategies to mitigate these impacts, and the development of papers for publication in peer reviewed journals.

This position is an exciting opportunity for an early career researcher with a quantitative/ecosystem or biogeochemical modelling background to gain first-hand experience with the Atlantis model – including through dedicated training with the model’s developers at CSIRO – as well as to work with a leading, multidisciplinary modelling team in the Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Colombia.  Candidates should hold a PhD in Marine Ecosystem Modelling, Quantitative Marine Science, Ocean Biological Modelling or a related discipline with a background in statistics, modelling of marine populations, and programming experience (e.g. in C, Python; R, or Matlab).

The role will be co-supervised by Dr Susan Allen (UBC) and Dr Javier Porobic (CSIRO, Australia), with input from Drs Beth Fulton (CSIRO) and Jess Melbourne-Thomas (CSIRO).

Applications including CV; names, e-mails and phone numbers of three referees; and a short statement (up to 500 words) of research interests and suitability for the position should be sent to Dr. Susan Allen (sallen@eoas.ubc.ca) and Dr. Javier Porobic (Javier.Porobic@csiro.au). The new application deadline is October 9, 2020 but will be extended if a suitable candidate has not been found.

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We especially welcome applications from visible minority group members, women, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

EOAS seeks two highly-motivated graduate students who are passionate about scientific communication for a 2-year commitment to produce and manage critical content on the EOAS website and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Youtube).  The successful candidates will work with the EOAS Webmaster  and the Public and Internal Relations Committee.

The EOAS website serves two populations. The internal website delivers and archives critical information that affects the day-to-day operations of the EOAS community, and highlights noteworthy events and activities, such as seminars, public talks, and discussions.  The external website communicates our discoveries, innovations and achievements in research and teaching to broad audiences, and promotes Earth Sciences to learners of all demographics.  Our website projects real-time information about the department that defines who we are and what we do.

The positions have an anticipated time commitment equivalent to 6-hour / week TAships, although hours will be flexible, and may not be equally distributed across the different academic terms. Hires will collaborate on a schedule for weekly content updates for both the internal and external parts of the EOAS website and social media, as appropriate. Hires will engage with EOAS faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students and staff members to actively solicit and produce new content for the website and social media channels in the form of written narratives, videos, and images.  Successful candidates will have the opportunity to engage broadly with members of EOAS across disciplinary boundaries, to better understand, and help promote the outstanding research and teaching accomplishments of our department. 

To apply, please send a one-page statement of interest, a CV, one letter of reference and up to 4 examples of science communication you have produced (ideally in various formats - written narrative, video, blog, etc.). Please articulate in plain language why you want this position, what you think you can bring to the role and what you hope to learn through this experience. Please also identify one challenge that you anticipate and discuss your strategy for its navigation.

Application materials should be sent to Hazel Evangelista no later than Sept 15, by email to headsec@eoas.ubc.ca.