BirdTwin: Research Group Leader (f/m/x) for Developing Models of Bird Diversity and Policy-relevant Applications in Germany

Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung GmbH - UFZ

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with its 1,100 employees has gained an excellent reputation as an international competence centre for environmental sciences. We are part of the largest scientific organisation in Germany, the Helmholtz Association. Our mission: Our research seeks to find a balance between social development and the long-term protection of our natural resources.

BirdTwin: Research Group Leader (f/m/x) for Developing Models of Bird Diversity and Policy-relevant Applications in Germany

The job Biodiversity loss is an emerging risk for society, business and finance. Within the BirdTwin project, the group leader will assume responsibility for guiding and supporting the development of bird diversity models and scenarios across Germany with the aim to generate products that can be used for societal, business and financial decision-making. The research group leader is part of the larger project TripleBird at the UFZ in Halle and Leipzig and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig in Leipzig. The models will build on long-term, annually updated data from German bird monitoring schemes and will enable the comparison of different policy interventions. Model outputs will provide predictions of bird abundance and diversity under past, present and future environmental conditions and policy scenarios as well as a spatially-explicit German "bird diversity monitor", an interactive tool that dynamically reflects the respective state of bird diversity. These models and scenarios will form the basis for developing application products tailored to societal, business and financial use. The group leader will establish a team, consisting of two modelers/data scientists to support him/her with these tasks. Close collaboration with multiple partners across Germany and Europe, especially the Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten, is a prerequisite. Your tasks

• Assume responsibility for guiding and supporting the development of bird diversity models and scenarios at the German scale
• Recruit a group consisting of two modelers/data scientists to support model development and the development of applications for societal, business and financial use
• Engage with existing partners and potential collaborators from academia and NGOs to develop models and scenarios that build on existing data and competences, contributing to inclusive and reliable networks across multiple interest groups
• Ensure alignment of applications with relevant EU policy frameworks, such as the Nature Restoration Law, in close collaboration with other project partners

We offer

• The freedom to master even the most demanding challenges between basic research and practical application
• The chance to work in interdisciplinary, international teams and benefit from a variety of perspectives
• First-class integration into national and international research networks to work together on global challenges
• Excellent research infrastructure and research data management to optimally support your work
• Flexible working hours and a wide range of options for balancing work and care responsibilities through our family office
• Competent support and advice for international colleagues arriving at the UFZ from the 'International Office'
• Special annual payment, capital-forming benefits and subsidised Germany Job Ticket
• A workplace in a vibrant region with a high life quality and social and cultural diversity

Your profile

• PhD in Ecology, Geography, Global Change Biology, or a related field
• Strong background in developing models and scenarios of distribution, abundance and diversity of species (e.g. Dynamic Occupancy Models)
• Excellent conceptual and excellent quantitative, statistical skills, as well as proficiency in at least one coding language (e.g. R)
• Experience in interdisciplinary collaboration with modelers, data scientists and social scientists would be advantageous
• Strong interest in developing models with practical applications in society, business and financial sector
• Ability to engage in the development of a large complex project with diverse teams of multiple skill sets
• Ability to cooperate closely and reliably with partners from academia and NGOs
• International publication record
• Excellent English language skills

Please note that external consultants will also be involved in the selection process for this position alongside UFZ employees.