Postdoctoral Research Associate in Ecology

About the role

The SalGo Team (https://salgo.web.ox.ac.uk) and MCEM (https://mcem.web.ox.ac.uk) at the University of Oxford’s Department of Biology seek a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join the ERC Consolidator project ResIntegrate: Integrating and predicting resilience of ecological systems to multiple disturbances.

You will quantify global patterns and drivers of ecological resilience across taxa, life histories, and environments using large-scale demographic and trait datasets. This work will involve analysing and integrating data from global databases such as COMPADRE, COMADRE, and PADRINO, alongside functional trait resources, to understand how resilience varies across the Tree of Life and in response to interacting disturbances.

The project combines comparative demography, macroecology, and statistical modelling to identify the roles of phylogeny, life-history strategies, and environmental context in shaping resilience. You will develop and apply advanced statistical and computational approaches, including hierarchical and phylogenetic models, to link demographic processes with environmental drivers at global scales.

You will be based in Prof Rob Salguero-Gómez’s and Prof Katrina Davis’ research groups in Oxford and collaborate with an international network of researchers contributing long-term demographic data and comparative analyses.

About you

You should hold, or be close to completing, a PhD in ecology, evolutionary biology, or a related field. You will have strong quantitative and statistical skills, experience working with large ecological datasets, and proficiency in R. Experience with comparative or phylogenetic analyses is desirable. A strong first-author publication record and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively are essential.

How to apply

The University of Oxford is committed to equal opportunity, and to being a place where everyone belongs and is supported to succeed. We recognise how the diversity of our community enriches our ability to deliver on our academic mission.

We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds, including those under-represented within higher education. No applicant or members of staff shall be unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

This post is full time for 24 months and available from 1 September 2026.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on Friday 29 May 2026, interviews are likely to be scheduled for mid-June 2026. Applications for this vacancy are to be made online via our e-recruitment system, and you will be required to upload a supporting statement and CV as part of your online application.

Location: Life and Mind Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3EL

Pay Scale: RESEARCH GRADE 7

Salary: £39,424 - £40,514 per annum

Vacancy ID: 186234