Benefits:

Paid time off

Summary:

We seek a motivated plant ecologist for a Seasonal Research Assistant position in the Plant Ecology Program of Dr. Aaron David at Archbold Biological Station, located in south-central Florida. This position is for 6 months with an ideal start date of April 14, 2025.

Archbold is a not-for-profit biological field station devoted to ecological research, conservation, and education. Archbold’s 20,000-acres of natural areas have outstanding examples of central Florida ecosystems and endemic, imperiled species. We have a staff of about 50 with many visiting scientists, an active seminar program, and a relaxed biological station atmosphere. We also work within an extensive regional network of managed areas, both publicly and privately owned.

In the Plant Ecology Program, we study nearly two dozen rare species of endemic plants in endangered Florida scrub and related communities, and have unique, multidecadal demographic datasets coupled with detailed fire records. Our research emphasizes conservation biology, plant demography, plant-microbe interactions, restoration ecology, fire ecology, landscape ecology, and fire management. Our group consists of 3-4 full time scientists together with interns, graduate students, and collaborators, and is a stimulating and enjoyable workplace. Plant Ecology Seasonal Research Assistants are generally tasked with managing or assisting with research, conservation, and collections projects, and supervising interns in the field and laboratory. Prospective applicants can learn more about Archbold, and the Plant Ecology Program (http://www.archbold-station.org/html/research/plant/plant.html) on our website (https://www.archbold-station.org/).

Duties include:

• Leading field data collection, field experiments, and laboratory work
• Supervising interns
• Data management and data analysis
• Collections curation

The Research Assistant will have several professional development opportunities, including attending stakeholder and/or conservation meetings, participating in prescribed burns, and organizing educational outreach activities.

Candidate requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree plus 1 year of research experience. Degree should be in ecology, biology, or a related field with a focus in field research
• Experience collecting ecological data
• Willingness to work both as part of a team and independently
• Stamina to work in a subtropical climate

Ideal candidate may also have specific training or experience in plant population biology, botany, fire ecology, Florida ecology, conservation, or land management. Experience using ArcGIS and/or R is strongly desirable.

Application instructions To best ensure all documents are received, please use the web portal and NOT the 'Apply with Indeed' link to attach the following application documents:

(1) Cover letter describing research or career interests and availability (2) Resume or CV including contact information for (3) three professional references and either an unofficial transcript or a list of relevant coursework

After clicking the initial 'Submit application' button, you will be prompted with a second page to complete. You should receive a confirmation email once your entire application is complete. Review of applicants will begin February 11, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Questions about the position can be emailed to Dr. Aaron David at adavid@archbold-station.org