Associate​/Specialist - Forest Carbon MCECO - ESPM Ecosystem Sciences Division - Battles Lab

Associate/Full Specialist – Forest Carbon MCECO – ESPM Ecosystem Sciences Division – Battles Lab

Position Title:

Associate Specialist or Specialist

Salary Range:
The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step  current full-time base salary range for this position is $75,600–$154,200. Off‑scale salaries may be offered to meet competitive conditions.

Percent Time: 50%

Anticipated Start:
Fall / Winter 2025

Position Duration:
One year with the possibility of extension based on performance and availability of funding.

Application Window:
Open on October 24, 2025; final date Sunday, November 23, 2025.

The Forest Ecology Lab, under the guidance of Dr. John Battles (PI), within the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management (ESPM) at the University of California, Berkeley, seeks highly motivated individuals for the role of Associate or Full Specialist. The Lab focuses on understanding forest ecosystems in terms of ecology, management, and policy, using robust quantitative analysis of forest and fuel inventory data.

Long‑term focal area:
Understanding the carbon dynamics of California forests in the era of global change using intensified Forestry Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data.

• Review and revise the current forest ecosystem carbon accounting framework used by Cal Fire.
• Develop statistically sound analytics that leverage the time‑intensified FIA data to improve forest carbon accounting in California.
• Develop analytical workflows using open‑source statistical computing platforms.
• Provide fully reproducible analytics and thoroughly documented code.

• In consultation with the PI and Co‑Investigators develop robust data analysis plans that leverage the temporally intensified FIA inventories using appropriate statistical methods.
• Evaluate empirical results in terms of their ability to produce management‑relevant information at the appropriate spatial and temporal scale.
• Interpret and communicate applied research insights in peer‑reviewed manuscripts, reports, and outreach material.
• Build open‑science workflows that can be shared among collaborators.
• Conduct all research and analyses following best practices in reproducible science.
• Communicate technical program details effectively to a diverse group of fire scientists, resource managers, and forest ecologists to ensure understanding and engagement with domain experts.
• Contribute expertise to the environmental data science workgroup at UC Berkeley.

Basic qualifications (required at time of application):

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent international degree.

Additional Qualifications (required at time of start):

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent international degree plus 5 years of research experience, or Master’s degree or equivalent international degree plus 3 years of research experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A master’s degree or equivalent international degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., fire science, forestry, ecology, natural resource management, data science, statistics).
• Five or more years of experience in a relevant domain expertise (e.g., forest biometry, forest science, natural resource assessment).
• Experience with open‑source programming languages and software used in environmental data science with a preference for R.
• Proficiency with standard methods of tracking, sharing, and updating code and methodology such as Git Hub.
• Experience working with databases of national forest inventories (e.g., FIA) or other large data sets that involve forest inventory data.
• Demonstrated capacity to publish peer‑reviewed articles or non‑peer‑reviewed reports with strong dependency on monitoring data.

• Curriculum Vitae – Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter

• 3 references (contact information only)

Apply link: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./JPF
05192

Help contact: jbattles

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in its public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1‑d). Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring, and humane environment in which these values can thrive.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

For more information, please refer to the University of California's Anti‑Discrimination Policy and the University's Anti‑Discrimination Policy.