Research Associate - Pest risk modeler

Academic

Job Category

Faculty Non Bargaining

Job Title

Research Associate - Pest risk modeler

Department

Research | Carroll Lab | Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences | Faculty of Forestry (Allan Carroll)

Posting End Date

September 25, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

September 30, 2028

The expected pay for this position is $70,000/year.

The expected pay range for this position is approximately $70,000/year.

JOB SUMMARY

The Research Associate will lead the development and implementation of advanced species distribution and pest risk models, manage ArcGIS-based platforms for stakeholder engagement, and secure funding to advance innovative research on invasive forest and agricultural pests, delivering actionable decision-support tools for integrated pest management.

ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS

The position will be integrated into the Forest Insect Disturbance Ecology Lab (FIDEL) within the Dept. of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry. FIDEL is a research group that seeks to elucidate the independent and interacting effects of climate change and resource management on the irruptive dynamics and impacts of insect pests.  Within FIDEL, the position will conduct original research that quantifies the risk and potential spread of irruptive insects in managed and unmanaged landscapes. The position will also provide mentorship in ecological modeling, entomology, and geospatial analysis to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. More broadly, the position will provide advice to other research groups within the Dept. of Forest and Conservation Sciences regarding ecological modeling and geospatial analysis, and manage ArcGIS-based platforms to promote collaborative research opportunities. The position will work in collaboration with, and report directly to, the Principal Investigator (PI) of FIDEL.

WORK PERFORMED

The position will perform the following duties:

• Design and implement advanced species distribution models (SDMs) and dynamic spread models for invasive forest and agricultural pests, integrating multi-source ecological data using machine learning and statistical approaches.
• Develop and validate phenological models to forecast pest population dynamics and risk under varying climatic and biotic conditions.
• Deliver predictive risk assessment tools to support integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for stakeholders, including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and industry partners.
• Oversee the development, maintenance, and enhancement of ArcGIS Hub and Survey123 platforms for real-time data visualization, storage, and dissemination of pest risk information.
• Create interactive dashboards and decision-support tools to facilitate stakeholder access to pest risk forecasts and management recommendations.
• Ensure platform accessibility and usability for diverse end-users, including farmers, forest managers, and policymakers.
• Manage project budgets and resources, ensuring timely delivery of project milestones and deliverables as outlined in funded proposals.
• Provide mentorship and supervision to graduate students and early-career researchers in ecological modeling, entomology, and geospatial analysis.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive research environment, guiding team members in the application of machine learning, R programming, and ArcGIS tools for pest management research.
• Coordinate with AAFC, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), academic institutions, and industry partners to align research objectives with stakeholder needs.
• Facilitate knowledge transfer through workshops, webinars, and technical reports to communicate research findings to diverse audiences.
• Author and co-author peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals to advance knowledge in invasive species and pest risk assessment.
• Present research at international conferences to enhance the project’s visibility and impact.
• Integrate EDI principles into research activities, ensuring diverse perspectives are considered in stakeholder engagement and tool development.
• Participate in training and initiatives to enhance awareness and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion in academic and applied research settings.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Qualifications for this position are as follows:

• PhD in Forest Ecology, Entomology, or a closely related field, with a focus on geospati