Ecology Researcher

About the Role:

We are seeking an Ecology Researcher to lead and coordinate applied wildlife ecology and movement research projects supporting conservation programmes.

Based in Reneco’s Research Division in Abu Dhabi and reporting to Research Management, the researcher will develop research questions and coordinate projects from study design and data coordination through scientific interpretation, reporting and publication. A key focus will be to make effective use of existing ecological, movement, monitoring and demographic datasets while identifying opportunities for further research.

The role involves close collaboration with internal researchers, quantitative specialists, field teams and external scientific partners across multiple sites.

Key responsibilities:

• Launch and coordinate collaborative research programmes in applied ecology, with a strong focus on valorising existing ecological, movement, monitoring and demographic datasets.
• Identify priority research questions that can be addressed from existing datasets and translate them into clear collaborative project plans, objectives, deliverables and timelines.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary and multi-site research projects across internal teams and external scientific collaborators, ensuring clear responsibilities, effective follow-up and timely delivery.
• Lead the interpretation and synthesis of ecological data across movement, survival, breeding, habitat use, population ecology and conservation translocation, and translate findings into practical conservation recommendations.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary and multi-site research activities, ensuring effective communication between field teams, researchers and external partners.
• Coordinate access to research datasets and review their quality and suitability with relevant teams.
• Work with quantitative specialists to define analytical approaches and interpret findings in their ecological and conservation context.
• Monitor project progress, address coordination issues and ensure timely delivery of scientific outputs.
• Prepare scientific publications, technical reports and presentations.
• Translate research findings into recommendations that support conservation planning and management.
• Contribute to the continuity and development of the research portfolio by identifying new questions, partnerships and opportunities.

Requirements:

• PhD in ecology, conservation biology, wildlife biology, ornithology or a related field.
• At least four years of relevant research experience in applied wildlife ecology.
• Strong experience in applied wildlife ecology and in leading or coordinating research projects from study design to scientific outputs.
• Experience with movement ecology, telemetry, spatial ecology or field-based wildlife monitoring.
• Ability to coordinate multidisciplinary and international projects, organize priorities independently and communicate effectively with field and scientific teams
• Working knowledge of R and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), sufficient to collaborate effectively with quantitative specialists.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint, for reporting, data organisation and presentations.
• Fluent written and spoken English, with strong scientific writing and presentation skills.
• Willingness to undertake occasional international travel.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with arid-zone birds or other species involved in large-scale conservation programmes
• Experience coordinating collaborative research based on long-term monitoring, telemetry, migration, reintroduction or translocation datasets
• Knowledge of movement and migration ecology, breeding ecology, population dynamics, habitat selection and conservation management
• Peer-reviewed publication record and experience working with international research partners or field programmes in the Middle East, Central Asia or comparable regions