(fulltime, E 13 TV-L)
Reference Number 2019/316. The position is available until 30.09.2024. Start date is as soon as possible. In principle, this position can be divided into two half-time positions.
The University of Konstanz is a University of Excellence in Germany: It was successful in all three funding lines of the German Excellence Initiative and is currently successful in both funding lines of its follow-up competition, the Excellence Strategy.
The newly founded Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies led by Prof. Meg Crofoot is a joint institution of the University of Konstanz with the nearby Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and has close ties to the University’s Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour.
The department embraces an explicitly collaborative approach to scientific exploration. Its multi-disciplinary team works together to develop new ways of measuring, analyzing and interpreting the behaviour of socially complex animal species in ecologically and evolutionarily relevant field settings. To understand the causes and consequences of social variation, the department takes comparative approach, analyzing social interactions—from dyad to group to population—within and between species. Our working language is English and consequently applicants must be fluent in this language; no knowledge of German is required.
We are searching for a quantitatively-oriented scientist who takes a data-driven approach to understanding how complex animal societies emerge and function. This is a 50% research/50% teaching appointment: in addition to establishing an independent research program related to questions of interest in the Department, the successful applicant will also contribute to departmental teaching, including taking a leadership role in organizing and teaching a Master’s level course on Quantitative Behavioral Ecology and working with Bachelors, Masters and PhD students on study design and data analysis.
Your Responsibilities
Develop a data-driven research program related to the focus of the department
Take a leadership role in the department’s teaching obligations
Share quantitative/data science expertise and work with department students and scientists on study design and data analysis
Your Competencies
Graduate degree (Master or PhD level) in biology, anthropology, or a related field with a strong publication record
Strong written and oral communications skills in English
Strong analytical and programming skills
Experience teaching in R desirable
We Offer
A vibrant, interdisciplinary research community
A global hotspot for the integrated study of animal behaviour across a wide range of species and across scales of organisation
Good development opportunities, extensive training and an attractive remuneration package
All applications and supporting materials, including a letter of motivation, 1-2 page vision statement describing your research program, curriculum vitae, a PDF of the publication that best demonstrates your approach to science, and contact information for two professional references (one of whom is familiar with the candidate’s teaching experience and expertise) must be submitted in English via our Online Application Portal.
Questions can be directed to Prof. Meg Crofoot via e-mail: mcrofoot@ab.mpg.de.
We look forward to receiving your application until January 31, 2020.
The University of Konstanz is committed to ensuring an environment that provides equal opportunities and promotes diversity as well as a good balance between university and family life. As an equal opportunity employer, we strive to increase the number of women working in the field advertised (https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/equalopportunities/equal-opportunity/). Persons with disabilities are explicitly encouraged to apply. They will be given preference if appropriately qualified (contact + 49 7531 88–4016).
