Scientist I

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category:

Employment Type:

Job Profile:

Job Summary:

The Townsend Lab in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology seeks a Scientist I to support research advancing ecological remote sensing. With supervision by the Principal Investigator, the Scientist I will lead efforts to generate and analyze spatial data on ecosystem function, structure, and biodiversity using advanced airborne and satellite hyperspectral datasets and UAS based LiDAR. The Scientist I will integrate remote sensing data with ancillary environmental data, drawing on both new and existing field and lab data to support modeling and ecological inference. The Scientist I will lead the publication of high-quality data products and peer-reviewed manuscripts. The position works within a highly collaborative research environment that includes scientists, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, and external partners. The work by the Scientist I will improve remote sensing methodologies and expand our understanding of ecosystem variability across local to global scales.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Attends and assists with the facilitation of scholarly events and presentations in support of continued professional development and the dissemination of research information.

• Assists with the identification of research problems and the development of research methodologies and procedures.

• Serves as a main point of contact and liaison with internal and external stakeholders providing information and representing the interests of a specialized research area.

• Conducts literature reviews, prepares reports and materials, and disseminates information to appropriate entities.

• Writes or assists in developing grant applications and proposals to secure research funding.

• Collects and analyzes research data, conducts experiments and interviews, and documents results according to established policies and procedures under general supervision and limited responsibility.

Department:

Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology

Compensation:

$65,000 - $85,000 annually

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience using airborne and/or terrestrial LiDAR and/or imaging spectrometer data (AVIRIS, NEON, EMIT) to support ecological or environmental research, with evidence of successful application to scientific questions.

• Demonstrated experience in geographic and statistical analysis of remote sensing datasets, using tools such as Python, R, and GIS platforms.

• Demonstrated experience with scientific productivity and writing, with clear evidence of intellectual ownership of research projects (e.g., first author publication(s), reports, or other scientific deliverables).

• Experience working in collaborative, multi investigator research settings, contributing effectively to projects involving multiple team members, workflows, or disciplinary perspectives.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience conducting ecological fieldwork and analyzing ecological data from temperate and/or neotropical environments.

• Demonstrated experience communicating project goals, workflows, and results to external collaborators representing a range of technical backgrounds.

• Experience designing and implementing ecological or remote sensing field data collection campaigns, following established scientific protocols and ensuring data quality and reproducibility.

Education:

Ph.D. in ecology, plant biology, environmental science, remote sensing, geography, statistics, data science or related field is required.

How to Apply:

To apply for this position, please:

Click on the "Apply Online" button to start the application process. You will be prompted to upload the following documents/application materials:

Resume (required) - Detail your educational and professional background

Cover letter (required) – Refer to your related work experience

It is important that your cover letter and resume reflect your experience for this position related to the Qualifications section. Your application materials will be used during our evaluation to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job.  The most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process.

Contact Information:

For questions, please contact Amy Ducy at amy.ducy@wisc.edu 

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. 
 
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). 
 
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.