Postdoctoral position: Impact assessment and risk analysis for biological invasions

A two year, full-time postdoctoral position is available at the Centre for Invasion Biology (CIB) at Stellenbosch University.

One of the research foci of the CIB is impact assessment and risk analysis for biological invasions. As a very transdisciplinary and applied field, we have been working closely with policy makers and communities. To improve effectiveness of management of biological invasions, we need to identify risks and potential conflicts of interest and improve governance. The suit of Impact Classification for Alien Taxa frameworks (e.g., https://iucn.org/resources/conservation-tool/environmental-impact-classification-alien-taxa) can be useful to inform some of these questions. The candidate should be interested in issues around the management of biological invasions and be excited about multi- and transdisciplinary work.

Starting: 01 December 2026

Duration: 2 Years

Job Description

The candidate will develop research on the interface of ecology, social science and policy to tackle issues around conflicts of interest and governance in the management of biological invasions. The candidate is expected to develop a research project based around the issues outlined above, aligned with ongoing projects and collaborations in the group. Tasks span a wide range of academic work from conceptualisation and idea development, data collection and analysis, to grant and manuscript writing. Supervision and mentorship of students is encouraged.

Profile

Doctoral degree/PhD in biology/ecology (or equivalent), degree received no longer than 5 years ago
Experience in the fields of Invasion Science, Global Change Science and/or Social Science
Experience in synthesising data across spatial and temporal-scales from regional to global
Experience in community engagement and/or policy-interface work
Experience in advanced statistical analyses of scientific data, preferably in R
Interest and prior experience in the development of grant applications. Ambitions (or previous experience) for developing high-level international grant applications (e.g., ERC, Horizon Europe) is a plus.
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
Ability and willingness to work in teams
Experience in project administration

What we offer

The successful candidate will receive a salary of ZAR R350 000,00 per year, which in non-taxable. We look forward to diverse personalities in the team!

Please send the following documents with your application: