Postdoc Associate eBird-acoustic statistical integration, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

About this position

Postdoctoral Associate: eBird-acoustic statistical integration Cornell

Lab of Ornithology College of Agriculture & Life Sciences Ithaca NY

• 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.

• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a global leader in ornithological
• research & biodiversity conservation and hosts a vibrant community of
• more than thirty postdoctoral associates working across a range of
• topics and scales. We strive to provide a supportive and engaging
• postdoctoral research environment that fosters scientific discovery,
• collaborative working experiences, and professional mentorship and
• support. The postdoctoral associate will be affiliated with the Center
• for Avian Population Studies (CAPS,
• https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/center-for-avian-population-studies/),
• one of six programmatic units at the Cornell Lab. CAPS is the home of
• the eBird project, one of the largest sources of avian biodiversity
• information in the world. The eBird team is a collaborative and
• innovative group that includes staff with deep expertise in
• bioinformatics, statistics, and ornithology. The candidate will also
• have the opportunity to work closely with colleagues from other
• programs, including the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation
• Bioacoustics, a global leader in passive acoustic monitoring
• technology, research, and capacity sharing, with expertise spanning
• bioacoustics, engineering, and scientific engagement, and the Macaulay
• Library of Natural Sound, the world’s largest collection of animal
• media, including bird recordings from around the world and a suite of
• associated machine learning tools.

• The incumbent will be advised by Dr. Laurel Symes (CAPS,
• symes@cornell.edu). Depending on the research direction, collaboration
• and additional mentorship will be provided by Dr. Connor Wood (Yang
• Center, cmw289@cornell.edu), Dr. Courtney Davis (Dept. Natural
• Resources, cld74@cornell.edu), Dr. Daniel Fink (CAPS,
• daniel.fink@cornell.edu), Dr. Alison Johnston (University of St.
• Andrews), and/or others from the Cornell Lab and associated research
• community.

Position Function

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• eBird and acoustic monitoring represent two of the fastest growing
• sources of avian biodiversity information worldwide. Jointly, these
• approaches can provide complementary geographic and temporal coverage,
• and integrating them can improve estimates of species occurrence,
• phenology, abundance, and provide unique opportunities for
• benchmarking and calibration. The successful candidate will be a key
• contributor to building the statistical foundations for the next
• generation of biodiversity monitoring, and will help define the Lab's
• long-term research agenda at the intersection of community science,
• passive acoustic monitoring, and statistical ecology. This position is
• part of a broader effort at the Cornell Lab to build the next
• generation of biodiversity monitoring systems. By combining the
• complementary strengths of community science observations and acoustic
• data, we aim to develop scalable statistical approaches that improve
• inference across space, time, and taxa.

• The selected postdoctoral associate will be an integral part of
• advancing the integration of acoustic and eBird datastreams, improving
• monitoring of avian populations, and strengthening conservation
• decision-making. The specific methodological direction is
• intentionally flexible and will be developed jointly based on the
• interests and expertise of the successful candidate. Potential focal
• areas could include:

• Integrated modeling approaches that quantify the inferential contributions of eBird and acoustic monitoring data and inform sampling designs and regional-to-continental scale investment of monitoring resources.

• Developing methods to quantify and propagate uncertainty across integrated monitoring frameworks

• Developing methods for joint occupancy estimation using eBird and acoustic detections

• Developing approaches for using eBird data to inform detection thresholds for acoustic detection models

• Developing approaches to convert acoustic recordings into eBird-compatible acoustic checklists

• Calibration of species-specific detection probabilities across sampling streams

• Developing adaptive sampling strategies to prioritize audio clips for human review

• Characterizing and correcting for observer-, sensor-, and habitat-specific sources of detection bias

• The incumbent will have access to multiple datasets, including passive
• acoustic recordings from four National Parks in the northeastern
• United States and several million hours of audio recorded across
• California’s Sierra Nevada. In addition to these core resources, the
• postdoctoral associate will have access to raw eBird data (> 2 billion
• observations) and the ability to engage with the eBird Status and
• Trends modeling team. We will also provide access to high-performance
• computing resources and opportunities to collaborate with researchers
• from other programs at Cornell University.

• This position is funded for 2 years (and follows Cornell’s standard
• approach of two consecutive one-year appointments), with possible
• extensions contingent upon funding and performance. Funding will be
• provided for conference participation and other professional
• development activities.

• As part of the training, the Postdoctoral Associate will gain
• experience working with researchers from different disciplines and
• will receive training in proposal writing, collaborative science, and
• translating research to application.

Anticipated Division of Time

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• The incumbent will directly contribute to increasing the efficiency
• and effectiveness of avian biodiversity monitoring using eBird and
• acoustic data. Working effectively at this intersection will involve
• active collaboration and exchange with multiple research teams. We
• will work with the incumbent to ensure that outcomes include practical
• strategies for advancing data integration, and peer-reviewed
• publication of approaches and/or modeling results.

Approximate distribution of time:

• Engage with teams working with eBird and acoustic data to understand these datastreams and the opportunity space for integration (15%).

• Develop approaches to enhance the integration and joint inference of acoustic and eBird datastreams (40%).

• Prepare and submit manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals. Present results at professional meetings, conferences, and public seminars (30%).

• Engage with colleagues at the Cornell Lab, external partners, and possible funders. Participate in career and professional development opportunities (10%).

• Engage in ongoing academic and intellectual life at the Lab of Ornithology and Cornell University. (5%).

Qualifications

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• A Ph.D. in a relevant field (e.g. statistics, ecology, biological sciences, computer science, machine learning)

• Demonstrated quantitative skills, including proficiency in programming (R and/or Python)

• Previous experience developing statistical methods or working with machine learning approaches

• Experience working with large datasets

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of interdisciplinary research teams

• Enthusiasm for enhancing ecological monitoring

Preferred Qualifications:

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• Experience working with any of the following: Bayesian hierarchical modeling, occupancy modeling, joint species distribution models, integration of multiple data types, spatial statistics, machine learning approaches, large ecological datasets

• Previous experience with passive acoustic monitoring and/or eBird data

• Familiarity with ecology and/or ornithology

• Demonstrated ability to publish peer-reviewed research

• Experience developing reproducible analytical workflows and collaborative codebases using version control

Supervision Exercised

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• The incumbent will have opportunities to engage in undergraduate
• mentorship. There are no supervisory responsibilities with this
• position.

Salary, rewards, and benefits:

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Salary is commensurate with experience, $65,500 and includes benefits.

• The position is based in Ithaca, NY, where personnel will have the
• flexibility to work on a hybrid schedule with opportunities to work
• on-site and from home.

• Benefits provided by Cornell include a broad range of comprehensive
• health care options, generous paid leave provisions: 3 weeks of
• vacation, 13 holidays (including end of year winter break), paid
• family leave, and superior retirement contributions. Additionally,
• Cornell provides access to professional development initiatives,
• wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national
• retail brands.

To apply:

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Please apply via Academic Jobs Online

https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/32523.

• Qualified candidates should submit a short cover letter, curriculum
• vitae, one-page statement of research focus and approach, and contact
• information for three references via the website.

Applications will be reviewed as received, beginning on October 5,

2026, continuing until a suitable applicant is identified.

Start date is flexible between September 21, 2026 and early 2027.

College of Agriculture and Life SciencesLife. Changing.

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• 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.