Position Summary

The Vantuna Research Group at Occidental College is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to assist with its extensive grant-funded field research program. The researcher will be mentored by Dr. Dan Pondella (Occidental College) and Dr. Jeremy Claisse (Cal Poly Pomona) with primary responsibilities associated with a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) investigating the environmental status of offshore artificial structures in California. The goals of this project are to collect, integrate and analyze relevant ecological (e.g., biomass, productivity, biodiversity), habitat complexity, and environmental metrics to develop an improved understanding of local- to regional-scale influence of marine infrastructure and artificial reef habitats in southern California. Research results will support decision-making around decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure, offshore renewable energy development, and reef restoration projects. The researcher must be self-motivated and also eager to participate in team-oriented research on multiple ongoing projects including rocky reef and kelp forest habitat restoration, MPA impacts, and long-term (45+ yr) rocky reef monitoring time-series analysis.

This is a full-time (12 month) appointment that includes a competitive benefits package including excellent health, dental, life, disability, and retirement benefits; tuition benefits for the employee, spouse, domestic partner, and dependents; additional extras including use of gym facilities, use and borrowing privileges at the College Library, and free parking on campus. Employees also receive a minimum of 14 paid holidays and are eligible to accrue 10 days of vacation and 12 days of sick leave per year. The initial appointment will be made for two years, with possibility of extension based on the availability of external grant funding. The annual starting salary for this position is $65,000, with flexibility to increase based on experience. The start date for this position is negotiable but ideally would start prior to October 1, 2022.

Summary of Duties, Responsibilities and Goals

Day-to-day duties include substantive involvement in data analysis, database development and management, and field work (often multiple days per week), including scientific diving, ROV surveys, and/or geophysical (i.e., bathymetric and side scan sonar) surveys. Workdays not in the field are spent on campus in the office and laboratory. The researcher will be expected to write manuscripts as lead author and assist in the preparation of grant proposals and reporting documents. Opportunities will also exist to develop and conduct their own research within the broader context of this position and to mentor junior VRG staff scientists, Occidental College undergraduate students, and Cal Poly Pomona Master’s students.

THE PROJECT

  • PhD degree in a relevant scientific field (degree must be conferred by position start date)
  • Experience with data management, report writing, and manuscript preparation as first-author
  • Programming proficiency in R
  • Experience applying remote sensing data or GIS methods to ecological problems
  • Strong communication skills to build relationships with outside groups including research partners, funding agencies, and government entities, and to work effectively as part of a collaborative and growing team
  • Able to work safely in adverse weather conditions and demanding environmental conditions and have strong swimming abilities for water-based fieldwork
  • Able to travel to off-campus sites, and to work evenings, weekends, or on multi-day trips when necessary

Preferred Qualifications

  • An experienced AAUS certified (or international equivalent) SCUBA diver
  • Experience with collecting data using remote sensing methods (e.g., ROVs, AUVs, sonars)
  • Expertise in spatial ecological modeling, predictive species-habitat modeling, generalized linear models and/or generalized additive models
  • Experience using remote sensing data, bathymetric data, and/or aerial photographs to model habitat and environmental characteristics
  • Experience with community ecology data analysis (e.g., ordination, numerical classification)
  • Interest in implementing open data science tools and practices (e.g., GitHub, RMarkdown)
  • Experience interacting with marine resource management agencies
  • Experience operating and troubleshooting oceanographic and/or hydrographic marine electronics
  • Experience with ArcGIS

Application Instructions

Applications must include a CV and a cover letter describing experience, research interests, and career goals, and two professional letters of reference. Incomplete applications will not be considered. All applications should be sent to vrg@oxy.edu with subject line indicating “Postdoctoral Researcher”; the two letters should be sent directly from your professional references to the same email address. Review of complete applications will begin August 29, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. Any inquiries regarding the position should be sent to vrg@oxy.edu.

Additional Information

Occidental is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Occidental is strongly committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum, and to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and just environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their work are encouraged to
identify their strengths and experiences in this area. Individuals advancing the College’s strategic equity and justice goals and those from groups that are underrepresented in the field are particularly encouraged to apply.

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. A comprehensive benefits package is available that includes: excellent health, dental, life, and retirement benefits; tuition benefits for the employee, spouse, domestic partner, and dependents; additional extras including use of gym facilities and the College Library. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit this link.

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
Occidental College is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with qualifying disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the application or employment process, please contact Human Resources (hr@oxy.edu).

As a condition of hire for a staff position and for appointment to a faculty position, Occidental College requires that all candidates who have received a conditional offer of employment complete an application form (if they have not already done so) and consent to a background check. Satisfactory completion of a background check, along with preemployment verifications and references are required as a condition of employment, but only as permitted by federal, state, and local law, including the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

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