Postdoctoral Position - Bonobo Life History Including Database Management

Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior; Konstanz; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz, Germany invites applications for a postdoctoral position focusing on Bonobo life history and database management. The role involves building an accessible relational database for the core bonobo project and related studies, integrating decades of behavioral, ecological, and physiological data with various data types.

The candidate will analyze existing datasets, contribute to scientific outputs, and collaborate with technicians and senior

Qualifications

• PhD in Natural Sciences (Biology, Ecology, Primatology or related field).
• Proficiency in R and ability to develop/extend scripts and visualize data.
• Experience with relational databases (SQL; MS Access is a plus).
• Experience handling large datasets and applying Frequentist and Bayesian statistics.
• Experience with observational data collection/analysis on animal behavior (focal and party follow; ad libitum).
• Experience with survey data (CT, PAM, Telemetry).
• Proficiency in English; French a plus.
• Experience in writing/publishing manuscripts (first-author papers).

Responsibilities

• Incorporate long-term data into a relational database and maintain the growing database.
• Analyze existing long-term data and contribute to scientific outputs.
• Collaborate with technicians and project members to ensure meaningful database growth.

Skills

R

SQL

MS Access

Data visualization

Programming

Team collaboration

Communication in English

Education

PhD in Natural Sciences

Tools

R

SQL

MS Access

Job description

Postdoctoral Position - Bonobo Life History Including Database Management

Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

Konstanz, Germany

The project

We are looking for a postdoc to work on our long-term database, establishing an accessible framework that allows access to our core bonobo project and its multiple accompanying projects. The bonobo project focuses on behavioral, ecological and physiological data of wild bonobos, collected over more than two decades. These data make it possible to investigate and answer proximate and ultimate questions at an individual level.

In addition, data from multiple related projects focus on the ecosystem in which the species is embedded. This includes the availability and choice of food, as well as the role of bonobos as both hunters and prey within this complex system. Line transect, camera trap, acoustic, and other survey data are available to obtain a deep understanding of the animal and plant communities in which bonobos are embedded.

The candidate will be responsible for incorporating long-term data available on various analog and digital storage media into a continuously growing relational database. Two technicians, as well as a team of experienced project members, will contribute to allow this database to grow in a meaningful way. The candidate will be expected to make use of the growing database by analyzing the project’s existing long-term data and, ideally, contributing to the project’s scientific output.

Job requirements

We are looking for a candidate with a PhD in Natural Sciences, ideally Biology, Ecology, Primatology, or a related field. Our team is highly collaborative and aims to create a friendly and jointly productive research environment. We are looking for a team player and an enthusiastic scientist. Applicants should bring:

• Proficiency in R, including the ability to understand, execute, and extend existing scripts, as well as develop new ones; and to analyze and visualize data;
• Experience with relational databases (proficiency in SQL and with MS Access is an advantage);
• Experience in handling and processing large datasets, including analytical skills (Frequentist and Bayesian statistical frameworks);
• Experience in collecting and/or analyzing observational data on animal behavior, including ‘focal and party follow’ studies, as well as ‘ad libitum’ data;
• Experience in collecting and/or analyzing survey data (CT, PAM, Telemetry);
• Experience in remote sensing;
• Organization skills, reliability, and a thorough work style with attention to detail;
• Ability to work independently;
• Strong problem‑solving skills, including openness to learning new tools, software, and methods;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; proficiency in French is a plus;
• Experience in writing and publishing manuscripts (including published or accepted first‑author papers).

Deadline 31 October