Asst. Assoc. and or Specialist in Estuarine Water Quality, Food Web Dynamics and Fish Ecology

Position overview

Salary range:
Asst. Specialist $65,800 - $73,200;
Assoc. Specialist $78,300 - 91,100;
Specialist $96,500 - $201,700.

Open date:
September 2, 2026

Next review date:
Thursday, Sep 17, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date:
Wednesday, Jun 30, 2027 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

The Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California, Davis seeks to fill a non-tenured, academic term appointments as a Assistant Specialist. This position will aid in interdisciplinary studies of abiotic and biotic conditions that affect the ecology of invertebrate and vertebrate organisms in estuaries.

Nature and Purpose

The position of Specialist has a narrow focus in a specialized area and provides technical or specialized expertise with instrumentation, research equipment and analysis for understanding wetland habitats in the San Francisco Estuary. The Specialist stays apprised of emerging issues and problems and maintains technical competence in the designated area(s) of specialization. Within this defined area and when appropriate, the Specialist is expected to provide leadership, facilitate teamwork, and develop collaborative relationships with colleagues and to participate in the planning of research and educational programs.

Normally, Specialists do not have Principal Investigator (PI) status but may obtain permission by exception or collaborate with a PI in preparing research proposals for extramural funding. The Specialist is evaluated for merit and promotion on the basis of three basic criteria outlined below.

Research (90%)

The research objective of this position is to study physical and ecological processes of intertidal wetlands in estuarine environments. Specialized field, laboratory, and analytical techniques will be utilized to ensure data are properly collected and analyzed. The specialist will be expected to work independently with limited supervision and to make substantial contributions to publishable research.

A. Lead field studies at Center for Watershed Sciences to collect aquatic organisms and measure water quality, to laboratory studies of water quality, to the analysis of invertebrate community composition, and to food web or otolith isotopic analyses. Provide expert skills for boat sampling in a dynamic tidal wetland environment, including typical fish sampling methods, otter trawling, beach seining and boat electrofishing.

Collect invertebrate data by trawls, sweeps, and other means. Collect water quality data for lab analysis. Provide knowledge of California native fishes and invertebrates life histories.

B. Provide specialized expertise in data entry, QA/QC, post-processing, data synthesis and statistical analysis. Maintain project databases. Python or R coding skills are essential for statistical and demographic modeling of fish populations. Understand life histories of splittail, salmonids, and Delta smelt to be able to assess restoration outcomes in wetlands.

C. Conduct literature searches, analyze original data, and write annual reports to funding agencies. Actively and significantly involved in creative activities of publishing research and designing future research including reviewing journal articles; engaging in discussions of research to assist in interpreting results; assisting more senior researchers in preparing manuscripts for peer-review journals by writing methods sections and commenting on draft manuscripts;

and participating in design of studies as part of writing research proposals by applying experience to revise study designs.

D. Provide leadership and training for graduate and undergraduate students, and work closely with other specialists to design, implement and maintain long‑term studies.

Professional Competence & Activity (5%)

A. Establish and maintain communication with funding agencies and coordinate with PIs the production of quarterly reports, submission of invoices, and final…