We offer a full-time postdoctoral position (3-years contract) in a field spanning movement ecology, ecology of fear, bio-logging science, behavioral ecology, and ecological statistics. The postdoc will join the international team at the Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic and will collaborate closely with dr Miloš Ježek (Head of the Department), associate prof. Tomasz Podgórski (Lab leader), and research associate dr Michaela Másilková.
Research topic
The primary focus of the research is to explore how red deer movements, space use, habitat selection and foraging behaviour change during the wolf recolonization process. While the 'landscape of fear' framework predicts several behavioral strategies that prey adopts to limit predation risk, the development of those strategies over the course of predator establishment is still rarely documented. The research will take advantage of ongoing long-term (10 years) GPS-telemetry and bio-logging (acceleration and magnetometry) data collection of red deer (120 individuals) from several populations across the Czech Republic which have experienced wolf recolonization at various times during the last decade. This data provides a basis for within-population comparisons (pre-, during, post-colonisation) and contrasts with control populations where wolves are absent.
The secondary focus of the research is to explore the effects of wildlife management (hunting, feeding, winter fencing) on red deer spatial and social behavior, using the above data, and investigate how management practices interact with wolf presence to shape red deer behavior. Our data covers a wide range of management practices.
There is a scope to develop new or more specific research ideas within the broad topics described above, as well as the opportunity to utilize large GPS-telemetry datasets of other species, e.g. wild boar, available in the group.
Job description: The work will be mostly conceptual, analytical and computational, and will involve creativity in formulating research questions, designing the analysis, data management, calculating movement metrics, and statistical analyses (in R). There can be a need to analyze behavioral data from accelero- and magnetometry.The postdoc will also be expected to become a part of the current research activity of the lab and contribute to data analysis, experimental design, and development of new research ideas. Apart from being the lead author on papers and presenting on conferences, the postdoc can get training through workshops and courses. There will be teaching opportunities.
Requirements
· PhD in ecology, zoology, bioinformatics, biostatistics, environmental sciences, or related field.
· Proved ability to publish peer-reviewed papers (quality track record), handle multiple co-authors, and coordinate and collaborate with external data holders.
· Expertise in analysis of GPS telemetry data (movement, space use, habitat selection) with modern metrics, approaches, and analytical tools
· Expertise in statistical analyses, modelling, and programming in R
· Ability to manage and analyze large datasets, environmental layers, experience with spatial/geographical data and GIS.
· Prior experience with constructing, analyzing and interpreting social networks is preferred
· Prior experience with analyzing acceleration and magnetometry data with DDMT software (or similar) is preferred
We aim at increasing the diversity of our team, and welcome applicants of all genders, cultures, backgrounds, ages, or countries. We believe that a diverse team will broaden perspective and enhance creativity.
We offer
· Starting gross salary of 50 000 CZK/month (ca 2000 EUR as of Jan 2024), which is ca 38 000 CZK/month net, but the latter varies depending on the family situation and other circumstances. The median salary in the Czech Republic in the third quarter of 2023 was 37 492 CZK/month gross. Living costs (childcare, transportation) are generally lower than in Western Europe. For costs of accommodation, see https://www.sreality.cz/en.
· Motivational bonus payments for high-quality publications
. Full medical insurance and social security as a standard part of the employment contract.
· 40 days of paid holiday per year.
· Daycare at CZU campus for children of employees (? 2 years old).
· Funds for travel to conferences and workshops abroad. Funds for additional training
· State-of-the-art scientific and computing equipment, software, and access to journals and scientific databases.
· Subsidized lunches at the university canteen (Menza).
· International working environment (the working language is English), green spacious campus in Suchdol in the outskirts of Prague, 30 min to Prague city center by public transportation or bike, 15 min walk to several natural protected areas. The campus has various sports facilities, including a swimming pool, gym, athletic track, and indoor and outdoor playfields. The university also offers cheap holiday accommodation in the mountains outside of Prague. Prague is one of the safest cities in the world, with excellent public transportation, international accessibility, and healthcare.
Starting date: 1st May 2024, later dates are negotiable.
Applications
To apply, please send by email (podgorski@fld.czu.cz), in a single .pdf of less than 10 MB:
· Motivation letter (1-2 pages) describing your expertise and experience, research interests, stating why you see yourself as a good fit, and where you see yourself and your research in the future.
· Your CV, including your publications and any other relevant or interesting outputs (code repositories, reports, your personal website, etc.).
· Contact details for 2-3 academic referees, e.g. your former supervisor, boss, or collaborator.
Review of applications will begin on the 1st of March 2024, and will continue until the position is filled.