[ES_JOBS_NET] Postdoc position in South Africa

[Jemma Finch]

Dear Earth Science Community,

I am seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work in our lab in South
Africa. Please see below for more details. Kindly share this with your
networks and any suitable candidates.

Many thanks,
Jemma
------------

*COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE*

*POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP*

*PALAEOECOLOGY LABORATORY*

*SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURAL, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES,*

*UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA*

*EXTENDED CLOSING DATE: 31ST OCTOBER 2024*

*START DATE: 1 DECEMBER 2024 OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THEREAFTER*



*REF NO.: SAEES02/2024*


We are seeking a numerical scientist with an interest in palaeoecology and
long-term ecosystem dynamics for a postdoctoral position based in the
University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Palaeoecology Laboratory on the
Pietermaritzburg Campus. This position is part of a larger
multi-disciplinary research project funded by the Global Research Council
via the Chinese Academy of Sciences and National Research Foundation
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Project (Grant Number
LT240524220338): *Defining
achievable targets for ecosystem restoration and sustainability*.



The postdoctoral project will leverage existing regional palaeoecological
datasets from South Africa to evaluate landscape process vulnerability,
path-dependency, and resilience. The primary objective will be to model the
historical range of variability and trajectories of ecosystem change,
including magnitude, rate of change, and tipping points, in key ecological
and environmental processes. The outputs of the fellowship will be
used to develop
a tool-kit with stakeholders for defining realistic restoration targets,
explore future scenarios under different combinations of land use and
climate change, and define potential management interventions for desired
scenarios.



The project aims to inform restoration targets by integrating paleodata,
archaeological and historical records to provide evidence-based solutions
for achieving SDGs. The project is a collaboration between UKZN, the
Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of York and Netherlands
Institute of Ecology.



The researcher will be based at the UKZN Palaeoecology Laboratory under the
primary supervision of Prof. Jemma Finch and the co-supervision of a strong
international network of researchers including Prof. Ke Zhang (Chinese
Academy of Sciences), Prof. Lindsey Gillson (University of York), Prof.
Suzanne McGowan (Netherlands Institute of Ecology), and Dr Kelly Kirsten
(Coventry University). The research will further contribute to the
objectives of the PAGES Planetary Boundaries Working Group
<https://pastglobalchanges.org/science/wg/planetary-boundaries/intro>.



The candidate must be willing to undertake an extended research stay
at the Chinese
Academy of Sciences in Nanjing, where they will work closely with numerical
scientists focused on the equivalent analysis of the Yangtze River Delta.
As part of the successful candidate’s professional development, the
opportunity to participate in limited teaching and supervision of senior
students in the Department will be offered.



*Minimum Requirements:*

The fellowship is *open to any eligible person, South African or otherwise*,
who can carry out its objective. Eligible candidates may not have
previously held any academic or professional permanent positions.



·       Possession of a PhD degree in quantitative modelling preferably of
palaeoecological data, which has been obtained no more than five years ago,
is a minimum requirement.

·       Experience in quantitative modelling and proficiency in R is
essential

·       Familiarity in working with palaeoecological datasets is highly
advantageous

·       The candidate must demonstrate experience in writing journal
articles and publications, with a minimum of three peer reviewed
publications in the relevant area of expertise within the last three years



Enquiries and details regarding this post may be directed to Prof. J. Finch
via email: finchj at ukzn.ac.za

The postdoctoral fellowship is available immediately with a *start date no
later than 1 February 2025*. The fellowship is valid for 12 months, and
renewable for up to 36 months. The fellowship is worth *ZAR415,000* *per
annum *with additional allowance for research related travel funded through
the UKZN Palaeoecology Laboratory. This award does not include any benefits
and is normally exempt from taxation.

*The closing date for receipt of applications is 31st October 2024
(deadline extended).*

Applicants are required to submit the following, as a *single combined PDF
document to**: *Sitholep at ukzn.ac.za* before the 31st October 2024 (deadline
extended). The subject line must clearly indicate the reference no.
SAEES02/2024 Postdoctoral Fellowship. *The application document must
include:

(i)             a covering letter highlighting their experience in meeting
each of the minimum requirements as listed above

(ii)            a detailed CV including list of publications

(iii)           a certified copy of the applicant’s doctoral degree
certificate or PhD award letter

(iv)          a certified copy of the applicant’s ID / permanent residency
document / successful international applicants will need to apply for
relevant permits

(v)           In addition, please ask 3 referees to email references
directly to the Jemma Finch at the email address provided

Late applications will not be considered. Successful individuals will be
contacted on or before 15th November 2024. Interviews will be conducted
online. The research group reserves the right not to make an appointment to
this advert. Should you not receive a reply or update by the 15th November
2024, kindly consider that your application has not been successful.



*The University reserves the right not to make an appointment to this
advertisement. *

*Kindly note that the University of KwaZulu-Natal (“the University”) is
required to process any Personal Information (as defined by the Protection
of Personal Act, 2013 “POPIA”) submitted by candidates when applying for
positions at the University. The University will endeavour to ensure that
the appropriate security measures are in place and implemented for both
electronic and paper-based formats that are used for processing of the
personal information recorded through this recruitment and selection
process. We refer you to the University’s relevant Section 18 notice at *

http://vacancies.ukzn.ac.za/Libraries/General_Documents/Section_18_Notice_-Employees_and_Potential_Employees.sflb.ashx
<http://vacancies.ukzn.ac.za/Libraries/General_Documents/Section_18_Notice_-_Employees_and_Potential_Employees.sflb.ashx>
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