Job Openings

The following positions are currently open at the Woods Hole Research Center :

 

Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Associate, Radar/Lidar/Optical Remote Sensing and Data Fusion for Forest and Ecosystem Structure Applications

Summary: The Woods Hole Research Center seeks applicants for a postdoctoral researcher or Research Associate (M.S. with experience) with a focus on research and advanced application of active and passive remote sensing technology (radar, including interferometric data analysis, lidar, fusion with optical data) for several large-scale forest/ecosystem mapping, change detection, and biomass/carbon assessment projects with a focus on Latin America and US territories. The position reports to the Principal Investigator, and the successful candidate will engage closely in a highly collaborative environment. The position also offers the opportunity to participate in capacity building and technology transfer.

Responsibilities – The successful candidate will:

  • Conduct research on data fusion and the development of robust algorithms integrating ground, airborne, and satellite data for large-scale mapping projects
  • Analyze, synthesize, and present results, including verbal presentations and contributions to reports, publications, and web-based materials, as well as other tasks as deemed necessary
  • Travel to Latin American countries (Mexico in particular)
  • Implement remote sensing data processing algorithms in a high performance computing environment including cloud computing

Qualifications & Experience:

  • Ph.D. or Master’s degree with experience in radar/lidar/optical remote sensing, GIS, programming for spatial data analysis, and large-dataset processing/ manipulation on high-performance Unix/Linux compute clusters.
  • Programming skills: major programming and batch scripting languages (C/C++, Python, R, Matlab, bash), IDL, SQL (postgres/post-gis).
  • GIS: GDAL, ArcGIS, QGIS, ENVI.
  • Excellent communication skills required for presentation of results and written research papers.
  • Excellent and interpersonal skills for work in a highly collaborative environment and to lead capacity building and technical training.
  • Background in remote sensing engineering, geography, biology, ecology, forestry, natural resources, or environmental science/education.
  • Spanish and/or Portuguese language skills highly desirable.

Application deadline: Until Filled

Desired Start Date: ASAP

Appointment: This is a two-year appointment with the opportunity to extend

Salary: Competitive and commensurate with skill level

Application Instructions: Please send cover letter referencing Job #JKPDRA01, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to: .

 

Project Administrator for Foundation and Government Research Grants

Summary: The Woods Hole Research Center seeks applicants for a Project Administrator to support projects focused on forest mapping and monitoring, foremost in Latin America and the US. The successful candidate will have responsibilities in managing logistics, reporting, and budgeting, in particular of a multi-year project funded by USAID to work with the Government of Mexico in developing a forest monitoring framework suitable for policy mechanisms developed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Project Administrator will also manage foundation funded projects related to forest carbon tracking and ecosystem mapping in support of several Latin American countries including Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, and Chile, as well as federally funded projects from NASA and other US government agencies. The position reports to the Principal Investigator.

Responsibilities – The successful candidate will:

  • Manage the project budget and operational plans.
  • Coordinate and collate regular project reports.
  • Provide logistical support to staff and project partners for travel and meetings.
  • Provide logistics to host visiting researchers for training and technology transfer.
  • Support with grant writing and research publications.
  • Communicate in Spanish with project partners.
  • Support of research tasks, i.e., data management and literature search.

Qualifications & Experience:

  • BA, BS or Master’s degree with project management experience, ideally in the field of natural resources, environmental sciences, environmental management or policy.
  • Excellent writing, communication, and interpersonal skills.
  • Proficiency in Spanish (written and spoken; candidates not meeting this criterion will not be considered). Portuguese language skills desired.
  • Solid financial/budget skills.
  • Excellent organizational/logistical planning skills.

Application Deadline: Until Filled

Desired Start Date: March 1, 2012

Appointment: This is a two-year appointment with the opportunity to extend

Salary Range: $50,000-$65,000, with full benefit package, exempt position

Application Instructions: Please send cover letter referencing Job # JKPA12, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to .

 

Development & Communications Assistant

Summary: The Woods Hole Research Center seeks an assistant to support the Development and Communications office. Reporting to the Vice President of Development and Communications, this position plays an important role in providing administrative support in all fundraising activities including donor and public relations events, direct mail appeals, and communications outreach. The Development & Communications Assistant is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department and serves as the administrator of the Raiser’s Edge database.

Responsibilities – The successful candidate will:

  • Create and manage Raiser‘s Edge database standards, maintain accurate records in the Raiser’s Edge database, and develop and prepare timely and accurate financial reports, donor and prospect lists, research donors and prospects, and other database reports as needed.
  • Create a system of regular reporting to analyze Annual Fund results and utilize the data to establish benchmarking for monitoring purposes.
  • Maintain and manage gift records, receipts, acknowledgements, and constituent information for Raiser’s Edge database.
  • Provide training on Raiser's Edge to select WHRC staff members.
  • Conduct preliminary research on prospective corporate, foundation, and individual donors.
  • Assist in the production and mailing of Annual Fund appeal letters and collateral materials.
  • Coordinate with printers, designers, mail houses, and other outside vendors.
  • Assist in donor relations with event and donation follow-up.
  • Assist in event planning and coordination with invitations, guest lists, and materials (i.e., bios, name tags, place cards).
  • Assist in all administrative details associated with Development Committee meetings (i.e., notices, agendas, recording and preparation of minutes).
  • Assist with the development of social media strategies and content, and with implementation and updates using social media tools (i.e., Twitter, Facebook, and HootSuite).

Qualifications & Experience:

  • College degree preferred
  • Minimum of three years' development office experience
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Raiser’s Edge fundraising software
  • Experience with social media platforms
  • Excellent verbal, written, and organizational skills
  • Solid proofreading and editing skills
  • Ability to work independently with little supervision

Application deadline: Until Filled

Desired Start Date: March, 2012

Salary Range: $40,000-$50,000, with full benefit package, exempt position.

Application Instructions: To apply, please send cover letter referencing Job #DALC01, resume, and contact information for three references to: .

 

Project Manager in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Summary: The Project Manager will report to Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) Principal Investigators of a pilot REDD+, community forest management and development project in Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Project Manager will be responsible for development, implementation and coordination of the project, which is under the authority of the WHRC in collaboration with the DRC Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with a variety of local government and non-government partners. The project will include biophysical, social and economic research, along with implementation of pilot REDD community forest management initiatives in two locations in Equateur Province, Gemena and Mbandaka. Headquarters for the project and this position will be in Mbandaka.

Responsibilities – The successful candidate will:

  • Oversee tropical forest ecology project; coordinate, implement, and manage the project from the ground up
  • Manage the project budget and operational plans
  • Establish and manage the project office
  • Assist in development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation tools and systems for the project
  • Build and strengthen the institution and its partners
  • Report monthly to WHRC and assist local partners with development of a newsletter

Qualifications & Experience:

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in natural resources or environmental management, tropical forest ecology, environmental and natural resource economics
  • Excellent writing and strong communication skills
  • Fluent French and English, spoken and written (candidates not meeting this criterion will not be considered)
  • Minimum 5 years experience working internationally in developing countries on development and environment issues
  • Minimum 2 years experience in project management
  • Strong financial/budget skills
  • Proven track record of institutional strengthening, partnership and team building
  • Strong organizational/logistical planning skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrating diplomacy and tact
  • Proven ability to effectively manage external relations and to build teams
  • Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class, gender, or age
  • Willingness to reside in central Democratic Republic of Congo (Mbandaka, Equateur Province) and travel frequently to Kinshasa and Gemena

Appointment: Three-year appointment.

Application deadline: November 30, 2011; or until filled.

Desired start date: February 2012

Salary Range: Commensurate with experience

Application Instructions: Please send: cover letter referencing Job #DRCMGR01, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to .

 

Project Assistant in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Summary: The Project Assistant will report to the Project Manager for a pilot REDD+, community forest management and development project in Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Project Assistant’s tasks will be administrative, logistical, and communications for the project, which is under the direction of the Woods Hole Research Center in collaboration with the DRC Ministry of Environment and a variety of local government and non-government partners. The project will include biophysical, social and economic research, along with implementation of pilot REDD community forest management initiatives in two locations in Equateur Province, Gemena and Mbandaka. Headquarters for the project and this position will be in Mbandaka.

Responsibilities – The successful candidate will:

  • Organize, administer and maintain the project office and its systems
  • Build a strong network of the institution and partners
  • Administer interoffice and external relations
  • Build a project network
  • Assist in development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation tools and systems for the project
  • Work independently, but also coordinate effectively as part of a team

Qualifications & Experience:

  • BSc, BA or equivalent in communications, public or business administration
  • Minimum of 3 years experience working with international programs in DRC, preferably in development and/or environment
  • Excellent writing and strong communication skills
  • Proven track record with institutional strengthening and partnership building
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrating diplomacy and tact
  • Proven ability to effectively manage external relations and to build teams
  • Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class, gender, or age
  • Willingness to reside in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Mbandaka, Equateur Province) and travel frequently to Kinshasa and Gemena

Appointment: Three-year appointment.

Application deadline: November 30, 2011; or until filled.

Desired start date: January/February 2012

Salary Range: Commensurate with experience

Application Instructions: Please send: cover letter referencing Job #DRCPA01, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to .

 

Postdoctoral Researcher or Research Assistant, Remote Sensing

SUMMARY: The Woods Hole Research Center seeks a postdoctoral researcher or a Research Assistant to coordinate or assist with processing of remote sensing data sets for research projects focused on 1) mapping and monitoring carbon in forests, primarily in the tropics, incorporating field forest inventories with satellite observations (optical/radar/lidar), 2) Species suitability mapping in Africa and 3) Deforestation scenario modeling in Africa. The successful candidate will work closely with the principle investigator and collaborators, applying satellite observations to improve tropical forest characterization, monitoring and improve carbon and forest management in the tropics. This position requires advanced remote sensing experience, including the ability to manipulate large data sets using personally developed scripts.

Responsibilities: The successful candidate will:

  • Conduct research on remote sensing data fusion and the development of robust algorithms integrating ground, and airborne data, at local to national scale for forest carbon mapping and carbon change
  • engage in a highly collaborative environment to analyze, synthesize, and present results
  • advance analysis of forest disturbance/carbon change, species suitability mapping and deforestation modeling
  • perform complex geoprocessing, frequently beyond the ‘push-button’ approach
  • participate in capacity building and technology transfer in tropical countries

Qualifications and Experience:

  • Ph.D. degree or Master of Science in Environmental Science, Forestry, Biology, Geography, Computer Science and/or a related discipline, with experience using earth observation imagery and a demonstrated ability to write scripts, conduct spatial analysis and manage databases.  Applicants should be confident in using a variety of software/geospatial tools and possess the ability to continuously learn new technical skills as needed.
  • Experience in processing multi-sensor imagery for mapping applications
  • Experience in digital image processing software packages (Erdas, Imagine, Idrisi, ENVI/IDL, or open source alternatives)
  • Experience working with forestry data sets, biodiversity data sets, DINAMICA and MAXENT
  • Geospatial script writing (Python, R, gdal, C/C#, SQL, Perl, Java, and AML also useful)
  • Experience in performing GIS tasks in a multi-operating system environment(Windows/Linux/Mac/Solaris)
  • Ability to work well alone and as part of a team in a constantly evolving environment
  • Knowledge of French desired but not required

Appointment: This is a two-year appointment.

Application deadline: Until Filled

Desired Start Date: ASAP

Salary Range: $45,000 to $50,000, with full benefit package, exempt position

Application Instructions: To apply, please send cover letter referencing Job #NLPD11, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to .

 

Research Assistant, Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis

SUMMARY: The Woods Hole Research Center seeks a full-time research assistant in projects focused on use of satellite imagery to map, monitor and model changes in forest ecosystems, including the impacts of land use and disturbance. The successful candidate will work extensively with satellite and various other geospatial data sets, interacting with the principle investigator and collaborators, including postdoctoral researchers. This position requires an ability to work on multiple projects and adapt quickly, in order to meet deadlines for research reports, papers and presentations on a range of research topics.

Responsibilities: The successful candidate will:

  • be expected to process multi-sensor satellite and aircraft imagery, including acquiring and correcting imagery for various attenuating factors (calibration, cloud cover, etc.)
  • analyze image data for mapping and monitoring fire and other types of forest disturbance and associated recovery
  • compile analyses in a logical and visually compelling form to present to colleagues and other scientists, as well as to a more general audience
  • perform complex geoprocessing, frequently beyond the ‘push-button’ approach
Qualifications and Experience:
  • Masters degree in Environmental Science, Geography, Computer Science and/or a related discipline, with experience using earth observation imagery and a demonstrated ability to write scripts, conduct spatial analysis and manage databases. Applicants should be confident in using a variety of software/geospatial tools and possess the ability to continuously learn new technical skills as needed.
  • Experience in digital image processing software packages (Erdas Imagine, Idrisi, ENVI/IDL, ArcGIS or open source alternatives) is essential
  • Experience in Geospatial script writing (Python, R, gdal, C/C#, SQL, Perl, Java, and AML also useful) is essential
  • Experience in performing GIS tasks in a multi-operating system environment (Windows/Linux/Mac/Solaris) is essential
  • Ability to work well alone and as part of a team in a constantly evolving environment

Application deadline: Until Filled

Desired Start Date: ASAP

Salary Range: $42,000 to $49,000, with full benefit package, exempt position

Application Instructions: To apply, please send cover letter referencing Job #SGRA01, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to .

 

Postdoctoral Researcher, Remote Sensing and Ecosystem Modeling

SUMMARY: The Woods Hole Research Center seeks a full-time postdoctoral researcher to participate in projects focused on mapping and monitoring ecosystem productivity and change, primarily in North America, incorporating climate, land use and disturbance dynamics. The successful candidate will work closely with the principle investigator and collaborators, applying satellite observations to ecosystem models and analyzing the influence of adaptation techniques, such as low impact development and best use practices. This position requires advanced remote sensing experience, including the ability to manipulate large data sets using personally developed scripts.

Responsibilities: The successful candidate will:

  • be expected to process multi-sensor imagery for land cover and land use characterization to inform models of coupled climate – land use dynamics.
  • be closely engaged in a highly collaborative environment to analyze, synthesize, and present results
  • advance analysis of ecosystem disturbance and the drivers of land use change
  • perform complex geoprocessing, frequently beyond the ‘push-button’ approach

Qualifications and Experience:

  • Ph.D. degree in Environmental Science, Geography, Computer Science and/or a related discipline, with experience using earth observation imagery and a demonstrated ability to write scripts, conduct spatial analysis and manage databases. Applicants should be confident in using a variety of software/geospatial tools and possess the ability to continuously learn new technical skills as needed.
  • Experience in digital image processing software packages (Erdas Imagine, Idrisi, ENVI/IDL, or open source alternatives)
  • Geospatial script writing (Python, R, gdal, C/C#, SQL, Perl, Java, and AML also useful)
  • Experience in performing GIS tasks in a multi-operating system environment (Windows/Linux/Mac/Solaris)
  • Ability to work well alone and as part of a team in a constantly evolving environment

Appointment: This is a two-year appointment.

Application deadline: Until Filled

Desired Start Date: ASAP

Salary Range: $45,000 to $50,000, with full benefit package, exempt position

Application Instructions: To apply, please send cover letter referencing Job #PDSG01, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to .

The Woods Hole Research Center is an independent, nonprofit institute focused on environmental science, education, and public policy.

Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Woods Hole Research Center considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, disability, age, marital or veteran status, sexual preference, ancestry or any other protected status recognized under law. We will evaluate your experience and background in relation to the requirements of the position(s) for which you apply. The Center will check references on all applicants, and any offer of employment is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of reference and background information. In addition, an individual offered employment will need to: complete appropriate tax forms, complete an I-9 form, and provide documents showing proof of eligibility to work in the United States.