Postdoctoral Research Associate / Fellow in Conservation Biology

About the role

The Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy at the University of Exeter (Penryn Campus, Cornwall) is hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate or Fellow to work on a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship project led by Dr. Rachael Miller. The project is titled “Understanding the role of individual cognitive variation in reintroduction biology” and combines captive and field-based studies, primarily with birds. Contract runs to 30 August 2030. Deadline: 5 June 2026. Start date: 7 September 2026.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct captive and field-based behavioural and cognitive experiments, primarily with birds.
• Collect and analyse data on individual cognitive variation and its relationship to survival and fitness outcomes in reintroduced populations.
• Use RFID, GPS tracking, and GIS tools to monitor animal movements and behaviour.
• Apply mixed-effects models and other statistical approaches to large ecological datasets.
• Co-supervise junior researchers and contribute to Open Science outputs.
• Write manuscripts, contribute to grant reports, and present findings at international conferences.

Requirements

• PhD in conservation biology, ecology, comparative psychology, animal behaviour, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated research experience with animals in captive and/or field settings, ideally birds.
• Strong data management and statistical analysis skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to travel for field campaigns and manage logistical complexity.

Nice to have

• Experience with RFID, GPS tracking, GIS, or automated behavioural monitoring.
• Background in reintroduction biology or wildlife management.
• Familiarity with Open Science practices (pre-registration, open data).
• Mixed-effects modelling experience in R or Python.

How to apply

Apply through the University of Exeter careers portal via the link above. Download and read the Job Description and Person Specification before submitting. For informal inquiries contact Dr. Rachael Miller at r.miller7@exeter.ac.uk or visit her website. Applications close 5 June 2026.