3-Year PostDoc in Marine Biodiversity Assessment – UFZ Leipzig

Deadline: 30 September 2022
Location: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig
Salary: German TVöD public-sector pay grade up to level 13
Full-time (39 hours/week)

In the Horizon Europe funded project “Marine Biodiversity Assessment and Prediction Across Spatial, Temporal and Human Scales (BIOcean5D)” we are seeking for a motivated scientist (f/m/x) familiar with economic valuation of biodiversity.

Scientist (f/m/x)

Working time: 100 % (39 hours/week),
limited until 31.12.2025

 

Context

The overarching goal of BIOcean5D is to generate the data, knowledge, theory, monitoring and modelling tools necessary to sustainably measure, understand, value, and predict marine biodiversity across the 5 dimensions (5D) of space, time, and human environmental pressures, enabling ecosystem-based management and long-term preservation. The economic analysis aims to develop and apply tools integrating the dynamics of functional biodiversity to measure the financial and non-financial value of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services and develop new concepts for the re-evaluation of conservation strategies and legal frameworks, as well as citizen engagement in marine science and literacy.

Your tasks:

Elicit public attitudes and preferences towards marine ecosystems and biodiversity along the route of a marine expedition (TREC) to assess biodiversity at major points of the European coastline. Generate a broad understanding of motivations and underlying fundamental values that drive preferences for marine biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Specific tasks:

• Autonomous preparation and organization of a series of 15 Deliberative Monetary
  Valuation workshops along the TREC route to capture the diversity of values and preferences towards marine ecosystems and biodiversity;
• Cooperation with, guidance for and support of local professional facilitators during the workshops;
• Analysis of obtained quantitative data (willingness to pay) and qualitative data (audio and/or video);
• Presentation of the results at international conferences and publication in international scientific journals.

Your profile:

• We are looking forward to colleagues who would like to contribute their ideas and initiatives and who enjoy working in an open-minded, international, interdisciplinary and creative team.
• PhD or Master’s degree in environmental economics, ecological economics, environmental psychology or another related field.
• Experience with deliberative valuation methods and/or conventional stated preference methods (e.g. contingent valuation and/or choice experiments) and/or participatory methods (e.g. focus groups).
• Knowledge about marine biodiversity and the ecosystem services approach is of advantage.
• Very good English skills (written and oral); fluency in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Serbocroatian and/or Greek is of advantage (but not required).
• Previous postdoctoral experience is beneficial.

We offer:

• Work in inter-disciplinary, multinational teams and excellent links with national and international research network.
• A vibrant region with a high quality of life and a wide cultural offering for a balance between family and professional life.
• Interesting career opportunities and an extensive range of training and further education courses.
• Excellent technical facilities which are without parallel.
  
• Remuneration according to TVöD public-sector pay grade up to level 13 including
  attractive public-sector social security benefits.