Vacature
Postdoctoral Research Associate on Data science for wildlife camera trapping
Your job
Are you passionate about wildlife conservation and intrigued by the intersection of data science and ecology? Do you have a knack for developing cutting-edge algorithms and tools to analyze large volumes of wildlife camera-trapping data? Are you eager to contribute to the global effort of addressing the biodiversity crisis? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!
The Wildlife Ecology and Conservation group (WEC) of Wageningen University studies how humans and the environment influence wildlife, using a wide variety approaches including wildlife camera trapping. WEC members run camera-trap surveys in many places across the globe, develop novel methods for camera trapping studies, and develop and manage the camera-trap data management platform Agouti
WEC is looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate on Data Science for Wildlife Camera Trapping to work within the NWO-funded BIODIVERSA+ project “Big Picture”.
This collaborative project aims to support European, national, regional and stakeholder organisations’ efforts to conserve and manage biodiversity by enhancing their timely access to robust monitoring data for a wide set of species not currently covered by accessible monitoring data.
More specifically, the project aims to facilitate the use of large volumes of wildlife camera-trapping data from large spatial and temporal scales across Europe with the ultimate goal to help addressing the biodiversity crisis.
As postdoctoral fellow you will be part of the camera-trapping team of WEC. Your main roles will be to:
- develop and evaluate algorithms for automated classification of wildlife to the species level, that will facilitate image processing;
- develop tools for automated tracking and counting of animals across sequences of images, to inform density-estimation models;
- develop tools for the recognition of individual animals including behaviour from sequences of camera-trap images, to enrich camera-trap data;
- conduct research projects that demonstrate how enriched camera-trapping data can be used to answer questions in wildlife ecology, conservation and management, with publications in high-rated peer-reviewed journals.
You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, which is led by Prof. dr. ir. Frank van Langevelde, within the camera-trap research team under supervision of dr. ir. Patrick Jansen. WEC is working to understand how changing environments affect wildlife densities, distributions, and interactions. We study how humans influence wildlife by examining both direct mechanisms and mechanisms that are more indirect and that are part of larger-scale processes. While the group primarily addresses fundamental scientific challenges, it also contributes to the application of this knowledge to advance evidence-based wildlife conservation and other applied fields including agriculture, forestry, spatial land use planning, and public health. With its focus on wildlife ecology and conservation in both natural and human-dominated areas, the group is a key player in the field of ecology at WUR and contributes to sustainable use of our planet’s resources, one of the main goals of WUR.
Your qualities
You possess:
- A PhD degree in ecology, wildlife biology, conservation biology, statistics, computer vision, data science or a related field.
- Strong mathematical and programming skills, including artificial intelligence and modelling in R and Python.
- Affinity with FAIR data, data management & software development. Knowledge of animal ecology.
- Experience with the analysis of camera-trap data.
- Proven ability to publish in high-rated peer-reviewed journals.
- Excellent writing and communication skills.
- Ability to work independently as well as in teams
- Excellent command of English (C1 level)
We offer you
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent https://www.wur.nl/en/Jobs/Tailor-made-conditions-of-employment.htm. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
- sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
- working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
- the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, per week;
- there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
- a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
- excellent pension scheme.
Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.
You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.
Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.
Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's international staff page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.
Do you want more information?
For more information about this position, please contact dr Patrick Jansen, Associate professor, by email: patrick.jansen@wur.nl.
For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter by email: noorien.abbas@wur.nl
Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.
This vacancy will be listed up to and including Monday May 27 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews soon after the closing date .
Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure
Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment
We are
Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.
Read why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!
We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.