Field Assistant/Technician: UAV-based Tropical Biodiversity Monitoring
The Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change is seeking junior scientists with experience in the use of UAVs and an interest in tropical fieldwork.
Background
The Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change and its flagship Map of Life (MOL) project are advancing new technologies for the rapid documentation of local biodiversity. Map of Life delivers research and information about the distribution and conservation of biodiversity in a changing world to science, policy, business, local communities, and educators. Map of Life Rapid Assessments takes the power of Map of Life to the local scale and combines with novel survey technologies to deliver relevant local biodiversity insights.
Map of Life Rapid Assessments inventories local species communities with remotely operated visual and acoustic sensors in combination with expert knowledge and AI. Our teams deploy a fleet of drones in areas of high biodiversity richness and work to collect visual and acoustic samples within the environment. Our subsequent analysis then combines AI with human-in-the loop approaches to identify species. Our approach and team have now been selected as one of the six finalist teams in the XPRIZE Rainforest competition.
As we prepare for the finals of the competition, we are seeking a new short-term team member to join our effort and assist with the refinement of our UAV protocols. An ideal candidate will bring experience flying different drones in a forested setting and managing and interpreting UAV-based data. A strong background in drone technology is preferred, but not required.
As part of the Map of Life Rapid Assessments and Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change team, you will co-develop and operate a range of UAVs in temperate and tropical systems and be part of an energetic team advancing new avenues for the drone-based assessment of biodiversity and its change.
Position duration is 6-12 months for 20-40 hours per week and requires the ability to travel to tropical field locations, including in Brazil. Fully remote work is available to those located in South America. Positions available to start immediately.
Your Profile
Candidates should bring:
- A BSc. in a scientific or engineering discipline
- Experience using drone or UAV-based sensors for environmental studies or wildlife monitoring
- Field experience, ideally in tropical conditions
- Portuguese language fluency (preferred)
Application Instructions
We are excited to receive your application! Please send the following documents to [email protected]:
- Cover Letter
- CV
- Transcripts
Contact information for two referees
For more information and questions about the position or advertisement please contact Alexander Killion ([email protected]). To view our other open positions please visit https://bgc.yale.edu/join-our-team.
We strongly encourage members of underrepresented groups in the sciences to apply. Historical and ongoing social inequities rooted in racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination result in the continued and widespread exclusion of marginalized groups from academic spaces. At our Center, we strive to support individuals from diverse backgrounds and to create a safe and inclusive community to counter these legacies of discrimination within the ecological and environmental sciences. We are actively committed to building a team and community where individuals representing a variety of paths to the sciences are brought together to foster a community of learning and collaboration. We hope that our commitments and actions create a more supportive and inspiring environment for individuals and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable future for our field.
Yale University offers a thriving and growing international community of young scholars in ecology, evolution and global change science in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, the Peabody Museum, and the School of the Environment. Yale University is located two hours north of New York City with many public transportation options to explore surrounding cities.