Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Macroecology/Palaeobiology, with a focus on machine learning model development

University of Oxford - Department of Earth Sciences

Placed On: 30th March 2026

Closes: 1st May 2026

Job Ref: 185737

Fixed term for 30 months

Reporting to the PI, Prof Erin Saupe, the post holder will be a member of a research group with responsibility for carrying out research for ERC grant ‘Determining the drivers of extinction across space and time’. The post holder will provide guidance to less experienced members of the research group, including research assistants, technicians, and PhD and project students.

The post holder will develop an analytical framework to achieve the grant objectives. Specifically, the postholder will write and publish scientific papers that test whether local extirpation is prompted by the same environmental stressors across a species’ geographic range and through time.

The post holder will develop a new Bayesian model, MESS, to analyse the dynamics of extirpation. The MESS model will adapt the likelihood function implemented in the Dispersal Extinction Sampling model (DES) by collaborator Silvestro (Hauffe et al. 2023 MEE). The DES model was designed to look at pairs of geographic areas (i.e., sites) and estimate dispersal rates and local extinction rates between them; the post holder will expand and modify this model to allow for multiple sites, among other changes.

The post holder will then use the BioDeepTime database (Smith et al. 2023. GEB; with focus on benthic marine invertebrates and microfossils) and the new Bayesian model, MESS, to examine whether extirpation is driven by the same stressors across a species’ range and through time.

About you

The post holder will hold, or be close to completion, of a relevant PhD/DPhil, together with relevant experience and will possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to work within established research programmes. They will also be expected to manage their own academic research and associated activities and have previous experience of contributing to publications. They must also have excellent communication skills, including the ability to present research proposals and results, and represent the research group at meetings.

This is a 30-month fixed term post available from 1 June 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. For full details of the role please see the job description. The deadline for applications is 1 May 2026. Interviews will be provisionally held on May 12th 2026.

You will be required to upload a CV and a Supporting Statement as part of your application. Please do not attach any manuscripts, papers, transcripts, mark sheets or certificates as these will not be considered as part of your application.

Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and ethnic minority candidates, who are under-represented in research posts in the Department.