Postdoctoral Research Opportunity: Wildlife Ecology at the Wildland-Urban Interface – UC Santa Barbara

Postdoctoral Research Opportunity: Wildlife Ecology at the Wildland-Urban Interface – UC Santa Barbara

• Institution: University of California, Santa Barbara

• Unit: Marine Science Institute / Office of Research

• Position: Postdoctoral Researcher in Wildlife Ecology at the Wildland-Urban Interface

• Job Number: JPF03173

• Appointment Type: Full-Time Postdoctoral Research Position

• Percent Time: 100%

• Duration: 2 Years

• Location: Santa Barbara, California, United States

• Funding: UCSB Schmidt Environmental Solutions Program

• Salary / Remuneration: Approximately INR 67.89 lakh – INR 81.42 lakh annually

• Open Date: October 16, 2026

• Next Review Date: December 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

• Final Application Date: April 30, 2027 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

• Expected Start Date: Summer or Fall 2027; negotiable

Overview of the Opportunity

The University of California, Santa Barbara invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher in Wildlife Ecology at the Wildland-Urban Interface.

The postdoctoral scholar will lead a new research programme examining how wildlife communities respond to expanding development along the wildland-urban interface, particularly in the Santa Barbara foothills surrounding Los Padres National Forest.

The successful candidate will have substantial intellectual freedom to help shape the scientific direction of the project.

Research Focus

The project will investigate questions such as:

• How wildlife species richness and community composition change across development gradients.

• Which species are sensitive to wildland-urban edges.

• Which species tolerate or benefit from human-dominated landscapes.

• Whether wildlife activity becomes more nocturnal near residences.

• How responses differ among mammals, birds, bats, amphibians, and other vertebrates.

• How seasonal change and drought affect wildlife responses.

• Whether protected lands function as habitat, refuge, foraging areas, or movement corridors.

• How proximity to development changes wildlife diets and trophic interactions.

• When wildlife begins relying on human-associated foods and resources.

• Which characteristics make protected lands most effective for biodiversity conservation.

Potential Research Methods

The project may incorporate:

• Camera-trap arrays

• Wildlife scat surveys

• Environmental DNA

• Scat DNA analysis

• Non-invasive genetics

• Wildlife genotyping

• Dietary DNA metabarcoding

• Passive acoustic monitoring

• AI-assisted image and acoustic classification

• Spatial ecology

• GIS

• Occupancy modelling

• Biodiversity analysis

• Behavioural ecology

• Community ecology

• Integration of field, molecular, and environmental datasets

Specific methods will be developed collaboratively according to the successful candidate’s expertise.

Key Responsibilities

The postdoctoral researcher will:

• Lead development of field and analytical research plans.

• Coordinate field sampling and research logistics.

• Collect, manage, and analyse ecological datasets.

• Work with collaborators conducting molecular and specialized analyses.

• Develop independent research questions.

• Prepare peer-reviewed publications.

• Present research at scientific conferences.

• Communicate findings to stakeholders and the broader community.

• Develop datasets suitable for future monitoring and ecological impact studies.

• Contribute to external funding proposals.

Basic Qualification

At the time of application, candidates must have:

• Completed all requirements for a Ph.D. programme except the dissertation.

Relevant fields include:

• Ecology

• Wildlife Biology

• Conservation Biology

• Environmental Science

• Related disciplines

Qualification Required at Appointment

By the start date, applicants must hold a completed doctoral degree in:

• Ecology

• Wildlife Biology

• Conservation Biology

• Environmental Science

• Or a closely related field

Preferred Qualifications

Particularly relevant experience may include:

• Field ecology

• Wildlife ecology

• Conservation biology

• Community ecology

• Spatial ecology

• Molecular ecology

• Wildlife camera trapping

• Vertebrate ecology

• Mammalian ecology

• eDNA

• Non-invasive genetics

• DNA metabarcoding

• Acoustic biodiversity monitoring

• GIS

• Occupancy modelling

• Movement ecology

• Spatial statistics

• Large ecological dataset analysis

• Hierarchical models

• Mixed-effects models

• Bayesian methods

• Reproducible analysis in R or Python

Candidates are not expected to have expertise in every method listed.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The University particularly seeks candidates who:

• Take a rigorous and creative approach to ecological research.

• Have a strong publication and presentation record appropriate to career stage.

• Communicate effectively with investigators, collaborators, students, land managers, and stakeholders.

• Are comfortable leading field research.

• Can coordinate field and laboratory workflows.

• Possess strong organizational and time-management skills.

• Are interested in connecting fundamental ecology with applied biodiversity conservation.

Salary / Remuneration

The advertised annual salary range at 100% time is:

USD 71,491 – USD 85,736

Approximately:

INR 67.89 lakh – INR 81.42 lakh annually

Application Checklist

Applicants must submit:

1. Curriculum Vitae

2. Cover Letter

   • Describe research background

   • Relevant experience

   • Interest in the position

   • Potential research questions related to wildlife ecology at the wildland-urban interface

   • How the applicant’s expertise complements the project

3. Three References

   • Contact information only

The search committee will contact references of leading candidates after interviews.

Nature of Appointment

• Postdoctoral Researcher

• Full-Time

• 100% Appointment

• Fully Funded for 2 Years

• Field and Research Intensive

• Based at UC Santa Barbara with regular fieldwork in the Santa Barbara foothills

Important Dates

• Open Date: October 16, 2026

• Next Review Date: December 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

• Final Application Date: April 30, 2027 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

• Expected Start: Summer or Fall 2027

Applicants should apply by December 2, 2026 to ensure full consideration.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through UC Santa Barbara Academic Personnel Recruit.

Job Number: JPF03173

Application Link:
https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF03173

Help Contact:
lswanson@ucsb.edu

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