Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Staff Associate; Grant Funded

Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Staff Associate (Grant Funded)

Title:

Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Staff Associate (Grant Funded)

Department:
Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University.

Position Summary:

The Post-Doctoral Associate will coordinate and participate in integrated field and analytical components of a multi-year project in southeastern Massachusetts. The role includes seasonal field implementation (automated trail cameras, small‑mammal surveys, tick collections), data integration, and development of multi‑species, dynamic occupancy and geospatial models for wildlife hosts. The position is an exempt APA unit position supported by a grant for up to five years.

Appointment

Terms:

Grant‑funded APA professional position (five years, potential renewal). Duties Monday–Friday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM with on‑site/field work as needed. Field‑intensive from May to July; remainder flexible for data processing, modeling, writing, and mentoring.

• Plan and conduct repeated field visits to multiple sites in southeastern Massachusetts.
• Deploy and maintain automated trail cameras; conduct small‑mammal surveys.
• Collect ticks and small‑mammal tissue samples following approved protocols.
• Train and co‑supervise graduate and undergraduate students in field methods and safety.
• Develop and implement multi‑species dynamic occupancy models and complementary statistical/geospatial models of host distributions; establish reproducible pipelines for open‑source biodiversity data.
• Disseminate results through national conference presentations and co‑author peer‑reviewed manuscripts.

• PhD in ecology, wildlife biology, epidemiology, quantitative biology, biostatistics, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct field work in variable conditions, coordinate multi‑site sampling, and train/supervise students safely and effectively.
• Evidence of independent research productivity (peer‑reviewed publications), effective scientific writing, and oral communication skills.
• Experience conducting field research in wildlife ecology, including study design, data collection, and adherence to biosafety and animal handling protocols.
• Strong organizational skills and meticulous data management practices; ability to coordinate multi‑site research activities.

• Experience in camera‑trap study design and analysis, small‑mammal/bird live‑trapping, handling, biosafety, tick collection and identification workflows.
• Spatial analysis, GIS, Bayesian hierarchical modeling, advanced occupancy modeling.
• Experience accessing biodiversity data via APIs and integrating heterogeneous open datasets while meeting attribution/terms requirements.
• Experience mentoring graduate or undergraduate students in research.

• Grant‑funded position with salary range $65,000–$70,000.
• APA union representation; exempt APA position with benefits per collective bargaining agreement.
• Opportunities to mentor students and publish research.

Bridgewater State University is an equal employment opportunity employer and counts as an E-Verify employer.

Position is not eligible for H-1B sponsorship.

Bridgewater State University is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability status, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy‑related condition or any other characteristic protected by law.