Point Conception Institute Conservation Science Fellow
OFFICE LOCATION
Location is flexible within reasonable commuting distance of the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve in Santa Barbara County, California. This position will require being on site regularly for field work.
WHO WE ARE
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Grounded in science, we develop innovative solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity; respect for people, communities, and cultures; and a collaborative, bipartisan approach. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world.
The California Chapter is TNC’s largest state program and one of the largest, most dynamic conservation organizations in the country. With approximately 230 employees, from financial analysts and fundraisers to ecologists and economists, we are currently invested in 14 strategies to address the biggest challenges facing California and the world, including numerous community-based projects designed to increase the pace, scale, and effectiveness of conservation. Over the past six decades, we have protected 1.4 million acres, 5,000 miles of streams, and 3.8 million acres of ocean habitat in California and off the coast.
The California Chapter believes that we are most effective when we are embedded in our state’s communities, politics, media, and environmental issues. For this reason, and to reduce our carbon footprint when meeting in person, all staff live in California, including those in a home office.
WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER
The La Fetra Point Conception Institute Research Fellow Program aims to leverage the ecological bounty of the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve to attract scientists who will tackle today’s most pressing conservation challenges. We aim to bolster the next generation of science leaders by providing a 2-year opportunity to engage in applied conservation science research. The Point Conception Institute Conservation Science Fellow (‘PCI Fellow’) will work with a team of conservation practitioners, scientists, and technologists to co-lead and coordinate coastal research collaborations, design and implement studies, and to leverage and synthesize existing data on coastal biodiversity, species range shifts, and climate change. The PCI Fellow uses leading edge field and earth observation data in new and effective ways to inform conservation practice locally, regionally, and around the globe. The PCI Fellow aggregates data from multiples sources, is proficient in geospatial and remote sensing data, ecological and species distribution and abundance analytics, software, and data synthesis, and can distil complex topics through data into relevant products and stories for multiple audiences. The PCI Fellow may work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, in hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
This is a termed 24-month position working with the Point Conception Institute team at the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve. This position’s primary focus will be working on co-leading conservation research collaborations, and synthesizing data on coastal biodiversity of the Point Conception region to influence conservation strategies and policy.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOU
The PCI Fellow will bring scientific leadership, technical and analytical capacity, and direct and regular collaboration with core staff, partners, and their programs. Candidates with a background in coastal ecology, biodiversity, freshwater ecology, conservation technology, data science, historical human ecology and climate change are invited to apply!
WHAT YOU'LL BRING
- Master's Degree in science related field and 2 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience managing staff, project, workloads and finances under deadlines.
- Experience synthesizing, interpreting and communicating scientific information.
- Experience preparing reports of findings.
- Record of peer reviewed publications in scientific journals.
- Experience working and communicating with a wide range of people.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Ph.D. in science related field and 1 year of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience with application of science to conservation problems.
- Coastal research experience; familiarity with California coastal ecosystems.
- Experience collecting, manipulating, analysing and interpreting scientific data.
- Experience preparing reports of findings.
- Data munging, preprocessing, and automating data workflows.
- Manipulate and query big datasets in a reproducible fashion for analysis and modeling.
- Apply machine learning, statistical, mechanistic models, and other computational approaches to extract insights from multi-sensor datasets in complex environments and in support of conservation.
- Familiarity programming in Python, R, JavaScript, and/or Bash and using online versioned repositories for code (e.g., GitHub), including branching/forking workflows.
- Communicate results of work through compelling visualizations to various audiences.
- Contribute to the design, development, and management of multiple projects simultaneously, as well as lead or guide advanced technical steps for these efforts.
WHAT WE BRING
Each person who works at TNC contributes to our goal of protecting nature for future generations. Another one of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe feel that their unique contributions are valued. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “You’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.” To learn more, head to YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.
We’re proud to support the health and wellbeing of the people we employ. We offer a competitive, comprehensive benefits package that includes healthcare coverage, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, and other benefits that support work-life balance.
If you’re interested in working with us, please apply—we’d love to hear from you.
APPLY NOW
To apply for Job ID 52937, submit your materials (resume and cover letter) online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org/ by 8:59 PM PST on Sunday, March 26. Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact applyhelp@tnc.org.
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TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.
Where legally permissible, TNC requires all new employees to be fully vaccinated and willing to keep up to date with vaccines that protect against COVID-19. By accepting an offer of employment, you agree to comply with this requirement, unless you are entitled to a legally mandated exemption.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people with diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military or veteran status or other status protected by law.