Project Officer in Functional Diversity & Sustainability
Núcleo DiverSus (www.nucleodiversus.org) ) based at Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina) is seeking a Project Officer at the post-doctoral level within the context of the new project “Nature’s benefits in agro-forest frontiers: linking actor strategies, functional biodiversity and ecosystem services (FOREFRONT)”, funded by the Interdisciplinary Research and Education Fund, Wageningen University, the Netherlands, and coordinated by an interdisciplinary team of that University in partnership with Universidad Nacional de Córdoba – CONICET, Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil and National Autonomous University of Mexico.
The position will be initially available for 4 years, subject to a half-term evaluation. The planned starting time is September 2015. The Project Officer will be based in Córdoba, Argentina, and will work under the supervision of the Núcleo DiverSus Director Prof. Sandra Díaz. The general research programme in which the work of the selected candidate will be framed focuses on the links between plant functional biodiversity, land use, and the ecosystem services perceived by different stakeholders in ecosystems in Argentina, Brazil and México. The approach will have strong ecological and social components, and interdisciplinary work and stakeholder involvement will be encouraged at all stages. The selected candidate will have a PhD in biological, agronomical or environmental sciences, or a PhD in social sciences with an excellent grasp of the natural sciences. She or he will be in charge of the everyday running of the Córdoba component of the project, including communication with the INREF General Coordination in Wageningen University, as well as links between DiverSus and research partners in The Netherlands, Brazil and Mexico. The position will also involve logistics of workshops and courses for the Córdoba team, data management, and the design and the upkeeping of its webpage. She or he will have proved capacity to write articles (either scientific or general science communication), in English and Spanish. Excellent communication and networking skills are indispensable, in both languages, and previous experience in project administration and interdisciplinary activities is highly desirable. She or he will be willing to work creatively and independently in an interdisciplinary environment and as member of a diverse team. She or he will be able to travel frequently, and deliver under strong time pressure. The initial monthly allowance will correspond approximately to the net income of a Postdoctoral Fellow of CONICET.
Applications should include a letter of intention, detailed CV and the names of three people who would be willing to provide academic references of the candidate. Enquiries and applications should be submitted to vfalc@efn.uncor.edu with the subject “Project Officer Application – Surname Name” before July 25th 2015.