The Pinsky Lab in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural
Resources is searching for an organized, enthusiastic, and skilled
individual to work as a data science technician on a three-year project
modeling the future of coral reefs and the potential for evolutionary
rescue. The project is in collaboration with the Coral Reef Alliance, Dr.
Daniel Schindler at the University of Washington, and other collaborators.
The project is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
The technician will assist the PI, a postdoc, and our collaborators by
identifying, assembling, and synthesizing existing, region-specific data on
coral reefs and their oceanography, ecological communities, population
dynamics, evolutionary parameters, and climate in the Pacific and
Caribbean. These data will contribute to regional and/or global models of
coral adaptation and the potential for conservation over the coming
centuries across realistically complex landscapes. Important questions to
be studied include the relative role of ecological vs. evolutionary change
in rapid coral adaptation, the interaction between oceanography and
evolutionary processes, and the potential for conservation actions to
facilitate rapid adaptation. Other duties will include assisting with data
visualizations as well as project and lab logistics such as training
students, preparing materials for grant reports and applications,
maintaining a website, and organizing events.
The technician will be part of a dynamic research team with opportunities
for professional development, presentations, co-authorship on scientific
manuscripts, and collaboration with colleagues at Rutgers, U. Washington,
the Coral Reef Alliance, and beyond. Rutgers offers many opportunities to
interact with biologists, oceanographers, climate scientists, and other
scholars in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, the
Rutgers Climate Institute, the Institute for Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric
Sciences, and the many other institutions in the New York region.
Minimum Qualifications
– A bachelor=E2=80=99s degree in ecology & evolution, marine biology, oceanography,
climate, or a related scientific field, or an equivalent combination of
education and relevant experience
– Exceptional organizational and data management skills
– Strong ability to accomplish tasks independently
– Excellent communication skills with professional colleagues
– Demonstrable skill with a scientific computing language (e.g., R, MATLAB,
or Python) and with data science applications
Preferred Qualifications
– Experience with data management, including spatial data
– Knowledge of coral reef biology, ecology, or oceanography
– Experience with computer clusters and scientific computing
– Start date in summer 2017
– Experience on the Meso-American Reef or in Fiji or Indonesia
To apply, please please send a cover letter that describes your interest in
the position, a curriculum vitae, and the contact information for three
references to Malin Pinsky (malin.pinsky@rutgers.edu). Please combine all
components of the application into a single file, and include =E2=80=9CCORAL tech
position=E2=80=9D in the subject line. Review of applications will begin on April
14, 2017 and continue until the position is filled.
This is a full-time position, initially appointed for a period of 12 months
at an annual salary of $30,860-$35,000 (depending on qualifications), plus
health insurance, retirement contributions, and other benefits. The
position can be extended for at least one year depending on performance.
More information about the Pinsky lab can be found at
http://pinsky.marine.rutgers.edu. Please contact Malin Pinsky (
malin.pinsky@rutgers.edu) if you have any questions.