Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Integrated conservation planning for coastal catchments in northern Australia
Job Level(s): Research Academic Level B, Research Academic Level A
Location: James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Appointment period: 3 years
Closing date for applications: 30 December 2011
Reference: 11295
Position Statement
The appointee will join an expanding research group of researchers focused on conservation planning in marine and coastal environments. The project involves development of innovative tools for spatial analysis and decision support for conservation planning and requires close collaboration with management authorities and other stakeholders in three catchments across northern Australia: the Fitzroy (Kimberley, Western Australia), the Daly (Top End, Northern Territory) and the Gilbert (Gulf Plains, Queensland). The overall objective of the project, aligned with the broad objective of the research group that the successful applicant will join, is to combine cutting-edge conservation science with tangible conservation outcomes.
The specific objectives of the project are to:
- Formulate quantitative conservation objectives for biodiversity, cultural attributes, ecosystem services (especially related to carbon), and river-mouth water quality;
- Formulate quantitative objectives for development and livelihoods;
- Spatially model values of areas within catchments for achieving each objective;
- Model land use change with and without management intervention and model the potential impacts of land use change on achievement of objectives;
- Evaluate the costs and benefits of spatially explicit management actions;
- In collaboration with other members of the research group, develop a prototype decision-support system, linked to a GIS interface, to help managers resolve trade-offs between objectives and explore development and conservation scenarios for the catchments.
We seek applicants with a strong publication record, and an interest in applicable research areas, such as geographic information systems (GIS), spatial modelling, resource economics, multi-criteria trade-off analysis, and conservation planning.
Duties and Accountabilities
The appointee will be required to:
- Conduct research independently and as part of a team that contributes to the achievement of the aims of the ARC Centre of Excellence, particularly Program 6: Conservation planning for a sustainable future;
- Produce publications in high-quality journals;
- Take responsibility for the day-to-day management of data and research activities, liaison with field managers in the three catchments, and liaison with collaborators at Charles Darwin University;
- Participate in a working group on integrated conservation planning supported by the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis;
- Co-supervise graduate students, if appropriate.
Key Selection Criteria
- PhD in related discipline
- Strong modelling and analytical skills and experience in GIS;
- Strong publication record;
- Established interest in scientific areas relevant to spatial modelling and conservation planning;
- Demonstrated effective interpersonal and communication skills.
Desirable Selection Criteria
- Experience in collaboration with conservation managers;
- Experience in using conservation planning software;
- Experience in programming for interactive spatial analysis;
- Experience in marine and coastal environments;
- Experience in resolving tradeoffs between multiple objectives.
Enquiries to
Professor Bob Pressey
61 7 4781 6194
bob.pressey@jcu.edu.au
Employment Type
Appointments will be full-time for a fixed term (research only) of three years subject to a probationary period.
Salary
Academic Level B: $76,767 - $90,581* per annum
Academic Level A: $68,295 - $73,082* per annum
* depending on qualifications and experience
Benefits
Benefits include 5 weeks annual leave, generous employer superannuation contribution and attractive options for salary packaging.
Application Procedure
Please forward a CV, PDFs of recent publications, addresses of three referees, and a covering letter addressing the selection criteria to Recruitment Officer, Human Resources, James Cook University; e-mail jcu.recruitment@jcu.edu.au. Please quote reference number 11295.
Alternatively, the application may be lodged electronically by using the on-line facility. Apply online for this job
James Cook University Recruitment Office telephone: 61 (0)7 4781 6586
Closing date for applications: 30 December 2011
The University reserves the right to appoint by invitation, invite applications or not to make an appointment. Equal Opportunity is University Policy
