Postdoctoral Research Associate in Ecology (ERC ResIntegrate)

About the role

The SalGo Team at the University of Oxford, Department of Biology, is recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Associate for the ERC Consolidator project ResIntegrate: Integrating and predicting resilience of ecological systems to multiple disturbances, led by Prof. Rob Salguero-Gomez. The post is full-time for 24 months, available from 1 September 2026. Salary: £39,424 to £40,514 (Grade 7). Deadline: 29 May 2026 at 12:00 noon. Interviews are expected in mid-June 2026.

ResIntegrate aims to understand what makes ecosystems resilient by integrating individual-level data, population dynamics, community composition, and ecosystem function using mathematical theory, global biodiversity databases, and field experiments in grasslands.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and contribute to data integration across nodes of the global DRAGNet disturbance network.
• Use functional traits and hyperspectral UAV imagery to quantify plant performance and community change.
• Develop AI algorithms for automated species identification from drone footage in grassland systems.
• Parameterise structured population models that link individual responses to population dynamics.
• Build reproducible analytical pipelines for cross-scale model-data integration.
• Contribute to manuscripts and present work at international ecological conferences.

Requirements

• PhD in ecology or a closely related field (or near completion).
• Experience integrating empirical ecological data with modelling or computational approaches.
• Strong R programming skills.
• Interest in connecting field data with ecological theory.
• Ability to manage field campaign logistics independently.

Nice to have

• Experience with demographic (integral projection or matrix population) models.
• Background in plant ecology or grassland systems.
• Familiarity with remote sensing, hyperspectral imagery, or UAV data processing.
• Experience working within collaborative, multi-site research networks.

How to apply

Apply online via the University of Oxford e-recruitment system at the link above. Upload a supporting statement (addressing how your experience meets the person specification) and a full CV. Closing date: 29 May 2026 at 12:00 noon (UK time). Interviews are anticipated for mid-June 2026. For informal inquiries, contact the SalGo Team via the Department of Biology website.