iDigBees

Position: Senior Research Analyst 

iDigBees Job Description:

The iDigBees project seeks a postdoctoral researcher to develop multiple data products for publications on the biogeography of native bees. We anticipate the appointment to be 12 months. The successful candidate will be encouraged to lead at least one publication as well as collaborate extensively with other researchers on multiple research projects detailing the biogeography of native bees in the Western Hemisphere. This research will include the biogeographic study of up to ~12,000 bee species, or subsets, based on geography, life history, and/or taxonomy. The initial priority will be to focus on South America and the Caribbean, as we have already created range models for 5,500 species from Canada to Colombia.

There is some flexibility for the person hired to work on other projects they may already be committed to; the successful candidate will work at least half-time, up to full-time, and the funds are available through early 2026. 

Required Background:

1. Knowledge of R and SQL/PostgreSQL databases (the project will include up to 30 million records). Maintaining curated data sets aggregated from various sources (e.g., GBIF, iNaturalist).
2. Strong background in Species Distribution Modeling workflows (MaxEnt, Ellipsoid), and can leverage Large Language Models to optimize code.
3. The full breadth of spatial analyses beyond ecological niche modeling using bee biodiversity data (e.g., Endemicity Analysis, completeness, co-occurrence) integrating environmental layers, phylogenetic, and trait data for comparisons among taxa.
4. This is a remote position, so the person needs reliable internet, a higher-capacity computer, and the ability to use cloud resources when needed. 

Desired interests:

1. Web scraping and extracting textual data from publications for bee life history or ecomorphological traits
2. Excellent understanding of insect biodiversity research 
3. Capacity to efficiently lead one or more publications on bee biodiversity
4. Ability to coordinate among diverse collaborators; must be an excellent communicator
5. Comfortable in a bilingual environment (English/Spanish–Portuguese)

Expected Annual Salary Range: $60,000 – $70,000

Send Curriculum Vitae and Letter of Intent to neilscobb@gmail.com

Position is open until filled, updates will be posted on https://idigbees.org/