CREAF

CREAF is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to work on the BEECOEVO project (Animal behavior: a modulator of evo-evolutionary dynamics in a changing planet?) with ref. EUR2021-122000 and financed by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.

The candidate will join the ‘Evolutionary Ecology of Behavior in the Anthropocene’ laboratory, a research group in the Biodiversity department at CREAF led by Oriol Lapiedra. The primary goal of our research is to shed light on how organisms adapt to rapid environmental changes with a specific focus on the role of animal behavior in this process. Our research combines approaches from behavioral ecology, evolutionary ecology, and global change biology. More specifically, the ongoing research program in our lab studies the ecological and evolutionary consequences of behavior at different levels: from genes to phenotypes, populations, and entire biological communities. Ongoing research includes work on two study systems established in the Caribbean and the Balearic Islands where we are investigating the ecological and evolutionary consequences of the arrival of new predators for populations of native lizards as
well as for the functioning of the ecosystems they live in.

The candidate is expected to lead cross-generational genomic analysis of already collected data from a large scale experiment in which high-quality phenotypic data is available in combination with genetic data (see Lapiedra et al 2018, Predator-driven natural selection on risk-taking behavior in anole lizards, Science, for reference). He/she will also participate in fieldwork campaigns in the Balearic Islands, lead lab meetings, and co-supervise Msc students.

A full-time contract is offered, in a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructure, flexible hours and extensive training opportunities. The salary offered is between 30.471,75€ and 33.067,55€ gross per year, depending on proven experience. The starting date will be in the summer 2022, and with an initial duration of 2 year with possibility to extend it up to 3 years.

TASKS
- Conduct cutting-edge research on the genomic basis of ecologically-relevant phenotypic variation in behavior and morphology.
- Work to publish results in high-profile scientific journals and disseminate them at international conferences.
- Assume responsibilities during yearly fieldwork in the Balearic Islands (during several weeks in spring).
- Mentor MsC students.
- Collaborate with international research groups in the US.

REQUIREMENTS
- PhD in Molecular Ecology, Ecological Genomics or related fields.
- Strong publication record.
- Experience with Next Generation Sequencing data analysis including Whole Genome Sequencing.
- Fieldwork experience working with animals (experience working with lizards will be considered a bonus).
- Excellent communication skills in spoken and written English.
- Capacity to contribute to research projects with novel research ideas and analysis.
- Capacity to work as a team in a highly collaborative and diverse environment.
- Programming skills.

SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA
1. Admission of candidates: applicants must submit a CV (including contact details), a brief cover letter with a statement of interest, two references who could be contacted for recommendations letters and the questionnaire attached to the offer (filled), by email to laboral@creaf.uab.cat, until 30 April 2022, indicating the reference code of the offer. Applications referred to another portal, other than CREAF job openings section and the instructions included in this, will not be accepted.
2. Pre-selection: determination of compliance with the minimum requirements of the offer.
3. Selection: assessment of the preselected candidates by scoring based on objective criteria and by interview of shortlisted candidates.
4. Final decision: in case of finding the suitable candidate, the election will be formally communicated to this person, and the identification of the chosen person will be published on CREAF job openings section and with personalized notification (by mail) when the process progresses.