a Postdoctoral Associate to be based at the Smithsonian’s office in Yangon,
Myanmar.
Successful candidates will be expected to develop innovative and applied
new research to model terrestrial biodiversity for the Tanintharyi region
of southern Myanmar. This will include working with local and
international partners to compile existing information on the distribution
of terrestrial species, developing new and current assessments of land
cover/forest cover change for the Tanintharyi, and integrating species
distribution data with land cover change information. The postdoctoral
associate will also be a point person for developing targeted training and
capacity building activities to advance the state of biodiversity mapping
and planning in Myanmar.
This is a full-time, 1-year initial appointment, renewable for an
additional year. The position is mostly based in Yangon, Myanmar (75% of
the time), with some time spent at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology
Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, VA, to coordinate research and modeling
with Smithsonian senior scientists (25% of the time).
*Qualifications:*
The postdoctoral scientist will have extensive experience in the
application of spatial analysis and satellite remote sensing to species
conservation. He/she must have a strong background in conservation and
spatial ecology, with significant quantitative skills, specifically in:
Using remote sensing to create land cover and land cover change data
Linking environmental data from remote sensing with species location data
Analyzing species distribution data
Developing habitat and distribution models.
The postdoctoral scientist also needs to have advanced knowledge of
Geographic Information Systems (GIS), as well as the use of R for analyzing
data and programming.
*Background*
Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region is a global biodiversity hotspot that provides
critical habitat for endangered species and invaluable ecosystem services
to people. It is part of one of largest contiguous Asian forest landscapes
and includes rare Sundaic lowland evergreen forests as well as strongholds
for tiger, elephant, Gurney’s pitta, and other endangered terrestrial
species. The region stretches across 400 miles of coastline and encompasses
interconnected coastal systems of mangroves, seagrass and mud flats along
with fringing coral reefs through the Myeik archipelago and further off
shore. Due to years of isolation, Myanmar lacks the latest knowledge and
best practices in management and conservation science. Further, the country
is facing both internal and external pressure to develop its natural assets
for industrial gain. There is an urgent need to develop data and models
needed for effective conservation planning.
*To apply:* submit a cover letter, CV, and the names and contact
information for 3 references to *scbi.gis@gmail.com
by January 31.
