The Opportunity

• Work with stakeholders to research the ecology & management of large feral vertebrates
• Use your quantitative skills to solve complex spatially-explicit problems 
• Join CSIRO and make a difference to land management in Northern Australia!

This position is an exciting opportunity for an early career, highly motivated research scientist with skills in spatial data analytics, ecology and pest management to join CSIRO’s Managing Invasive Species and Diseases program, as a member of the Adaptive Biosecurity Management team. As the Research Scientist in Quantitative Pest Management, you will undertake innovative research into the ecology and management of large feral vertebrates (pigs, buffalo and cattle) to enhance our capability to limit the economic, environmental and social impacts of these species. Your research will contribute to a large, multi-organization project that will develop enhanced outcomes for the efficient management of large feral vertebrates on Indigenous properties in remote Northern Australia.

Working with internal and external stakeholders, you will contribute to the development of the next generation of land management tools by integrating large scale animal tracking datasets, high resolution environmental mapping and anthropogenic accessibility data to optimize animal management activities through space and time. You will co-develop research products that support better informed feral animal management strategies. A willingness to work with a variety of stakeholders and end users with the goal to translate scientific outputs into useful land management tools, and to develop new R&D opportunities, will be a key element of this role.

Your duties will include:

• Under direction, developing novel analytical pipelines for the enhanced management of large feral vertebrates in Northern Australia.
• Contributing to the development and application of science which underpin next-generation land management tools and apply these into Indigenous Land Management systems. 
• Building analytical pipelines to translate near real-time animal movement data into dynamic predictions of herd abundance, movement and connectivity through space and time.
• Assisting project partners in large scale deployments of animal tracking equipment at sites in Northern Australia.
• Contributing to the integration of multi-modal environmental, ecological and anthropogenic data streams into feral herd management scenario tools, including the cost vs benefits of different management strategies, to support on-ground decision making.
   

Location: Australian Tropical Sciences and Innovation Precinct (ATSIP) Townsville, QLD
Salary: AU$98k - AU$106k plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Specified term of 3 years
Reference: 70485

To be considered you will need:

• A PhD (or an equivalent combination of qualifications and research experience) in a relevant field such as invasion biology, quantitative ecology, applied mathematics, statistics or data science.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing novel statistical and/or machine learning techniques for addressing complex spatially-explicit problems in ecology or invasive species management.
• Proven expertise in scientific computing languages such as R and Python.
• Demonstrated experience working with spatiotemporal data-streams.
• A history of cultivating productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• The ability to undertake original, creative and innovative research by generating and pursuing novel ideas and solutions to scientific research problems.
• Strong communication skills including the ability to write reports and make scientific presentations to audiences with scientific and non-scientific backgrounds.
• A publication history of authorship on scientific papers in peer reviewed journals and/or reports, grant applications or inventorship on patent applications.
• A current driver's licence and the willingness and ability to travel throughout Australia and internationally, which will require occasional extended trips away from home and occasional weekend work.

For full details about this role please review the Position Description

Eligibility

The successful applicant will be required to obtain and provide a National Police Check or equivalent.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. Talk to us about how this role could be flexible for you. Balance

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit diverse people and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish. Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people.

About CSIRO

At CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology.

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications Close

4th January 2021, 11:00 pm AEDT