We offer a full-time postdoctoral position (2-year contract, potential for 1-year extension) in a field spanning macroecology, biogeography, biodiversity science, ecological statistics, and spatial ecology. The candidate will join the international team of Dr. Petr Keil (https://petrkeil.github.io) at the Dpt. of Spatial Sciences at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic.

Research topic: The research will be part of the ERC-funded project BEAST (“Biodiversity dynamics across a continuum of space, time, and their scales”). Within the project we study how biodiversity (and its different facets) changes in time, which includes extinctions and invasions, how the changes play out at local, regional, and continental scales, and what drives the changes. The project emphasizes terrestrial taxa (mostly vertebrates, but also some plants and insects). For a better idea about the research focus of our group visit our website.

Job description: The work will be mostly computational and will involve handling biodiversity databases, spatial data cleaning and management, programming, and custom-tailored statistical analyses (in R, Python, Julia, or similar). There will be use of geographic information systems (GIS). We expect the postdoc to negotiate and collaborate with international data holders, and with other members of the team. Apart from being the lead author on papers and presenting at conferences, the postdoc can get training through workshops and courses. There will be teaching opportunities.

Education, Skills and Other Requirements

• PhD in ecology, macroecology, geography, zoology, botany, bioinformatics, biostatistics, environmental sciences, or related field. We also encourage holders of PhD in mathematics, statistics, or physics to apply.
• Ability to develop scientific questions and analyses, publish peer-reviewed papers, handle multiple co-authors, and coordinate and work with international collaborators.
• Experience with spatial/geographical data and GIS.
• Experience with statistical analyses and programming in R, Python, or similar environments.

Offer

• Starting gross salary of 66,000 CZK/month (ca 2,670 EUR as of Jun 2024), which is a 51,000 CZK/month net, but the latter varies depending on the family situation and other circumstances. The median gross salary in the Czech Republic in the last quarter of 2023 was 39,684 CZK/month. Living costs (childcare, transportation) are similar or lower than in Western Europe. For costs of accommodation, see https://www.sreality.cz/en.
• Medical insurance and (Czech) social security as a standard part of the employment contract.
• 25 days of paid holiday per year. Motivational bonus payments for high-quality publications.
• Funds for travel to conferences and workshops abroad. Funds for additional training.
• State-of-the-art scientific and computing equipment, software, access to journals and scientific databases, and comfortable office space.
• Subsidized lunches at the university canteen (Menza) + additional CZU benefit system
• 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 is flexible, roughly between Sept 2024 – Jan 2025; later dates are negotiable.

Applications

To apply, please send by email (beast@fzp.czu.cz) in a single .pdf of less than 10 MB:

• Motivation letter (1-2 pages) describing your expertise and 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.
• Your preferred starting date.
• Put “BEAST postdoc” and your name in the subject of the email and the name of the .pdf. file.

Review of applications will begin on the 30th of July 2024 and will continue until the position is filled.