Postdoctoral Associate

Academic Job Description

Ashley School of Global Development & the Environment

Postdoctoral Associate

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University's second largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: We believe that achieving next-generation scientific breakthroughs requires an understanding of the world's complex, interlocking systems. We believe that access to nutritious food and a healthy environment is a fundamental human right. We believe that ensuring a prosperous global future depends on the ability to support local people and communities everywhere. By working in and across multiple scientific areas, CALS can address challenges and opportunities of the greatest relevance, here in New York, across the nation, and around the world.

Position Function

The Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment at Cornell University seeks a highly motivated Postdoctoral Associate to lead the synthesis and pathways component of the multi-institutional Grassland Futures project. This North American initiative brings together researchers and conservation practitioners from organizations including: The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund and multiple universities to understand the drivers of grassland conversion across the Great Plains of the United States and Canada.

The Postdoctoral Associate will work closely with an interdisciplinary team and diverse stakeholders to integrate diverse forms of knowledge and develop systems-based understanding of grass conservation challenges and opportunities and identify potential pathways for sustaining thriving grassland agroecosystems.

This position is an exceptional opportunity for a scholar seeking to develop expertise at the interface of science, stakeholder engagement, and decision-making, while helping shape the future of grassland conservation across North America.

There is a strong preference for this position to be based in Ithaca. Remote arrangements may be negotiable.

Key areas of responsibility include:

Leading the development of qualitative and quantitative systems models that synthesize ecological, social, economic and policy drivers of grassland conversion and retention.

Designing and facilitating participatory workshops and collaborative scenario-planning processes with researchers and stakeholders.

Synthesizing findings from project workstreams, including spatial analyses, case studies, literature reviews and stakeholder engagement activities.

Co-developing future pathways and conservation scenarios that support grassland retention and sustainable agricultural landscapes.

Publishing research findings and contributing to policy briefs, practitioner resources and other decision-support products.

Collaborating with a large interdisciplinary team spanning academic, NGO and practitioner communities.

Anticipated Division of Time

60% Systems modeling, synthesis and scenario development

20% Stakeholder engagement, workshop facilitation and collaborative planning

20% Scientific writing, publication development and project coordination

Requirements

We are seeking a highly motivated and collaborative scholar who has:

A Ph.D. (completed by start date) in natural resources, sustainability science, land systems science, geography, complex systems science, natural resource economics, ecology, environmental policy or a related field.

Strong interest and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research on coupled human-natural systems, conservation, sustainability, or related topics.

Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including proficiency in one or more programming environments, such as R or Python.

Experience working on a project that involved synthesis of evidence and data from multiple disciplines.

Experience developing or applying systems-based approaches such as system dynamics, causal modeling, scenario analysis, participatory modeling, agent based modeling, or related frameworks.

Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Experience communicating scientific concepts to diverse audiences.

Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to work independently while coordinating with multiple collaborators.

We are especially interested in candidates who are:

Curious and eager to learn from diverse perspectives.

Enthusiastic about tackling complex socio-environmental challenges.

Skilled at building relationships across disciplines, sectors and communities.

Comfortable facilitating conversations among stakeholders with different goals and viewpoints.

Open-minded about different forms of knowledge and evidence.

Motivated to produce research that can inform real-world conservation decision-making.

Supervision Exercised

There are no supervisory responsibilities for this position.

To apply:

Please apply via Academic Jobs Online (https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/33003)

Qualified candidates should submit a short cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references via the website.

Consistent with Cornell's practice, appointments to academic positions require candidates to disclose relevant information about their prior employment including whether they have been found to have violated institutional or employer policies related to or governing unlawful discrimination and harassment, academic and research misconduct, or financial misconduct.

Applications will be reviewed as received, continuing until a suitable applicant is identified.

CALS hiring range for this title is $63,480 - $66,000.00.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Life. Changing.

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League and Land-grant university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement.

Cornell's regional and global presence includes state-wide Cornell Cooperative Extension programs and offices in all counties and boroughs, global partnerships with institutions and communities engaged in life-changing research and education, the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, and the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

With a founding principle of "any person, any study," Cornell is an equal opportunity employer.

Pay Range:

$62,232.00 - $88,745.00

Pay Ranges:

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

Prior relevant work or industry experience.

Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.

Academic Discipline

Unique applicable skills.

Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email mycareer@cornell.edu.

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell Office of Civil Rights at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at accommodations@cornell.edu.

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing mycareer@cornell.edu.

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EEO Statement:

Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of "... any person ... any study." No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual's genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

2026-10-08

About Us

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. With our main campus located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the Cornell Tech campus located on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

We offer a rich array of services, programs and benefits to help employees advance in their career and enhance the quality of personal life, including: employee wellness, workshops, childcare and adoption assistance, parental leave, flexible work options.