Post-doctoral position (1 year): Ecosystem modeller for assessing the impacts of oil spills in the Salish Sea - University of British Columbia

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, from October 2020 to October 2021 (but 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 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, Stock assessment or a related discipline with a background in statistics, modelling of marine populations, and programming experience (e.g. in C; R; Matlab; Python).

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). Applications will be received until 20^th September 2020.

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