Postdoctoral Fellow - Quantitative Ecologist

Position Summary

We seek multiple Postdoctoral Fellows in ecological research, mentored by Julie Heinrichs at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University and co‑mentored by Cameron Aldridge (U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, and NREL-CSU). Fellows will collaborate within an interdisciplinary team to develop decision‑support tools, spatial models, and actionable science for conservation and wildlife management across western U.S. landscapes.

Projects include developing spatial conservation prioritizations using PReSET, integrating integer linear programming with ecological data and partner engagement to produce management‑ready outputs across regions such as Wyoming, Colorado, and the Sonoran Desert; and simulating Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) management strategies using Hex Sim to evaluate harvest scenarios and prion exposure thresholds, producing decision‑support tools that balance disease mitigation with hunting opportunities.

Additional opportunities include analyzing links between pinyon–juniper ecosystem productivity and wildlife populations by applying hierarchical Bayesian models to large‑scale avian monitoring data, integrating remote sensing, temporal resource dynamics, and future climate scenarios to inform habitat mapping and management across Four Corners landscapes; mapping wild horse densities using spatio‑temporal point‑process models that synthesize diverse survey datasets to generate time‑series density surfaces and web‑accessible tools for monitoring and ecological assessment;

and advancing climate‑informed fire risk modeling in arid and semi‑arid systems, developing spatial metrics of ecosystem integrity under shifting fire regimes, simulating post‑fire ecosystem change, and delivering operational decision‑support products to guide fire management strategies under increasing climate uncertainty.

Full consideration date is June 30, 2026.

• Research – The postdoc will participate in the co‑production of actionable science in support of federal agencies and funding partners, by leading one or more of the five analyses outlined in the position description. They will also support analyses led by other team members.
• Communication – Briefing supervisor and team on analysis plans/results/changes, weekly mentoring meetings and team project meetings. Attending NREL Writes, preparing communications for project partners and funders, drafting presentations and manuscripts.
• Project Planning/Organization – Developing and revising research plans, shared project notes, managing and updating project‑management software, time and resource planning.

• Pre‑employment criminal background check

• Supervises GIS Analyst (0.5 FTE) or student volunteers if needed (0.5 FTE/wk)

• PhD in ecology, conservation, geography, or related discipline
• Experience in statistical analyses or simulation modeling

• Strong spatial and quantitative and/or simulation modeling skills
• Understanding of landscape and wildlife ecology
• Experience working on team science projects
• Collaborative project planning and execution experience
• Strong communication, project, and time organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability to interact successfully with an interdisciplinary team and with project partners, including federal agencies
• Experience with analysis and software such as:
  Fire simulation modeling;
  Vegetation state and transition approaches;
  Population and demographic modeling approaches;
  Individual‑based modeling models (Hex Sim);
  Geographic Information Systems (GIS); R coding;
  Prioritization/optimization analysis (e.g. integer linear programming);
  Frequentist and Bayesian statistics;
  High‑performance computing/AI

$63,000 – $73,000

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