Ecosystem Scientist

Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), a non-profit organization in Portland, ME, seeks a broadly trained scientist to conduct research and development and technical support for international nature-based terrestrial carbon sequestration projects. The candidate will work collaboratively as a BRI partner with CarbonSolve, a for-profit company that has previously developed the research tools and operational expertise to establish large scale soil carbon projects that conduct improved grazing and/or fire management. These projects are designed to enhance productivity of degraded ecosystems, conserve wildlife, and improve human livelihoods in the process of sequestering greenhouse gases in soil and plant biomass. Successful candidates must possess a genuine interest in supporting the mission of this joint endeavor and a strong desire to be part of a dynamic and purpose-driven work environment.

The Ecosystem Scientist will join the Center for jobshiringnearme.org and Climate Change and expand its capacity for landscape-level quantitative ecological assessments and carbon modeling. This position will collaborate with other BRI environmental scientists in the Quantitative Wildlife Ecology Research Lab (QWERL). The Ecosystem Scientist will work with existing teams in the BRI-CarbonSolve partnership to design and conduct carbon project monitoring activities, modeling, and carbon accounting. Such activities will feature computer modeling of carbon dynamics, field measurements of soils, vegetation, fire, and/or livestock grazing development. The position will include periodic wngagement with local stakeholders that manage fire and/or livestock grazing. Multiple opportunities will exist for original research and software design in a research and development context that employs interpretation of remotely sensed data. The Ecosystem Scientist will also support carbon project collaborations with local stakeholders, such as pastoralist communities, government and non-governmental conservation organizations, and private land livestock producers, to successfully implement management practices that sequester carbon in soil and aboveground woody biomass.

Responsibilities:

• Modify, calibrate, and validate existing models of soil and aboveground biomass dynamics, and design new models, for a global range of grassland, savanna, shrublands, and grassy woodland ecosystems across the variety of climates and soil types these encompass;
• Design, supervise and conduct various field measures of soils, vegetation, wildlife and livestock numbers and spatial locations associated with different carbon projects;
• Engage in significant international travel to project sites and professional meeting venues in Africa, Europe, and elsewhere as needed.
• Use and further develop training programs for locally hired in-country field crews for monitoring;
• Evaluate, using the literature, modeling and remote sensing tools, the potential for newly proposed project areas to sequester carbon;
• Use R and ArcGIS and/or Python to analyze monitoring data, formalize model versions, and perform model sensitivity and uncertainty analyses, and develop interfaces between carbon accounting and modeling and remotely sensed data;
• Engage with local stakeholders to develop and implement management plans for appropriate grazing and or fire management plans;
• Write and publish papers in scientific journals;
• Travel to give presentations at meetings and communicate project results;
• Work with a collaborative team of colleagues to achieve project objectives, where this position will often play the role of analytical lead or support staff;
• Coordinate collaborative working groups to achieve research goals; and all other duties as directed or assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required:

The successful candidate should be independently motivated, detail-oriented, methodical, highly organized, a strong communicator, a collaborative team member, and a creative analytical thinker. Essential qualifications include:

• A Ph.D. in environmental science, ecology, range management, wildlife biology, agronomy, agroecosystems, earth science, or related field;
• Strong proficiency in either/or python or R coding, with experience and the ability to analyze large databases;
• Research experience with evidence from peer-reviewed publications in measuring carbon or nutrient cycling in ecosystems, such as grasslands, savannas, shrublands, grassy woodlands;
• Experience developing, implementing, calibrating, validating and/or troubleshooting carbon or nutrient dynamic models;
• Competence in generating databases and spreadsheets and scientific evidence to demonstrate that projects meet regulatory criteria;
• Experience with data visualization and mapping for scientific reports and publications and/or online resources;
• Strong scientific and technical communication skills, including published work in scientific journals;
• Strong work ethic and ability to effectively prioritize and address needs as they arise;
• Current passport and ability to travel internationally (10-25% of time);
• Capacity to work independently as well as collaboratively with US-based and international project teams primarily in Africa; and
• An ability to learn and integrate new information into logical or statistical frameworks.

Additional Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with vegetation and soil measurements in remote field locations;
• Experience with git workflow for collaborative code sharing and/or other QA/QC processes;
• Ability to learn and compare multiple types of biogeochemical process models;
• Adeptness at facilitating working groups, stakeholder engagement activities, decision science efforts, and other collaborative efforts focused on coordinating individuals to set and achieve goals;
• Experience living for extended periods in remote locations outside the US, especially tropical environments;
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional work and/or travel outside of normal business hours; and
• A valid US driver’s license.

Compensation and Employee Benefits: BRI is committed to salary equity. We strive to meet federal Grade-Step (GS) levels that align with education and experience. BRI offers a fully paid employee health insurance premium, optional dependent coverage, dental, LTD, life insurance, 401k with match, and generous PTO and paid holidays. Costs associated with work travel are reimbursed. Ultimately, BRI’s benefits package, workplace flexibility, international travel options, professional development opportunities, and ability for vertical movement within the organization create an unparalleled workplace culture. BRI is a member of the United Nations Global Compact and as such meets Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) interests in the US.