Assistant Professor-FixedTerm

Michigan State University; East Lansing (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Michigan State University’s Quantitative Fisheries Center in East Lansing invites applications for a full-time, 12-month fixed-term Assistant Professor position that emphasizes outreach, education, and stock assessment model development for Great Lakes fisheries. The role includes creating educational materials and collaborative workshops with management partners.

The successful candidate will advance quantitative stock assessment methods, work with agencies on harvest policy evaluation, and

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in fisheries science, quantitative ecology, or a closely related field.
• Experience with fisheries stock assessment, population dynamics, quantitative ecology, or related analytical disciplines.
• Experience developing, applying, or evaluating quantitative models used to support fisheries assessment, management, or conservation decisions.
• Experience working with fisheries management agencies, biologists, or resource managers on applied stock assessment or harvest policy questions.

Responsibilities

• Develop educational materials and short courses on RTMB, fish population dynamics, stock assessment methodology, and harvest policy.
• Modernize stock assessment models and evaluate sustainable harvest policies for key species; collaborate with agency partners.

Skills

Fisheries stock assessment

Population dynamics

Quantitative ecology

Education

Ph.D. in fisheries science

Job description

Position Summary

The Quantitative Fisheries Center (QFC) within the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University invites applications for a full-time, 12-month fixed-term Assistant Professor position with an expected assignment of 25% research, 35% outreach, 35% education (QFC training programs and workshops, no departmental teaching), and 5% service. The outreach component of this position centers on technical consultation and collaboration with management partners and agencies for stock assessment model development and harvest policy evaluation. The position start date is anticipated to be January 2027.

Competitive applicants will have experience in quantitative fisheries stock assessment and harvest simulation modeling. Statistical catch-at-age (SCAA) models are used widely throughout the Great Lakes for management purposes, including setting recommended harvest levels for important commercial and recreational fisheries (e.g., lake trout, lake whitefish, walleye) and for determining appropriate stock levels to maintain predator-prey balance in Lakes Michigan and Ontario. The primary responsibility of this position is to develop educational materials (printed materials, in-person and online short courses) on introduction to RTMB, fish population dynamics, stock assessment methodology, and harvest policy methodology to ensure Great Lakes assessment biologists are able to maintain assessment models for management purposes. The hired scientist will work alongside other QFC stock assessment scientists in this curriculum development effort. Other responsibilities of this position will include modernizing SCAA assessment models and evaluating sustainable harvest policies for key managed species. Applied work will include involvement with the bi-nationally managed Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch fisheries, valued at more than $1billion USD/yr and which presently are the only Marine Stewardship Council certified fisheries in the Great Lakes, in close collaboration with the Lake Erie Committee (LEC), Standing Technical Committee (STC), Lake Erie Walleye Task Group (WTG) and the Yellow Perch Task Group (YPTG). This position offers meaningful research opportunities, including exploration of state-space modeling frameworks, hierarchical approaches to stock assessment, and simulation-based evaluation of harvest policies. This researcher will join an engaged team of fisheries scientists working at the Quantitative Fisheries Center tasked with improving fishery stock assessments throughout the Great Lakes.

This is a fixed-term position with annual renewal, contingent on satisfactory performance and continued support from Great Lakes fishery agencies.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Terminal -Fisheries Science, Quantitative Ecology, or a closely related field.

Minimum Requirements

• Ph.D. in fisheries science, quantitative ecology, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in fisheries stock assessment, population dynamics, quantitative ecology, or related analytical disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience developing, applying, or evaluating quantitative models used to support fisheries assessment, management, or conservation decisions.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with fisheries management agencies, biologists, or resource managers to address applied stock assessment or harvest policy questions.

Desired Qualifications

• Strong quantitative and computational skills, including experience with statistical analysis and programming environments commonly used in fisheries science, including state-space modeling, integrated assessment models, management strategy evaluation, simulation modeling, Bayesian methods, or related quantitative approaches.
• Experience leading or contributing to stock assessments for exploited, threatened, or invasive fish populations.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Commitment to conducting applied science that supports fisheries management and conservation.
• Familiarity with fisheries management processes and inter-jurisdictional fisheries management environments used by state, provincial, Tribal/First Nations, or federal fisheries agencies.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex quantitative and technical information to both scientific and management audiences
• Strong organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet project deadlines.
• Experience facilitating technical discussions, workshops, or collaborative processes involving agency personnel and scientific partners.

Required Application Materials

• Letter of interest that includes qualifications and interest in the position (2 page max).
• Description of past stock assessment experience and experience working in collaboration with fishery agencies (2 page max).
• Current curriculum vitae.
• Contact information for three professional references, including name, title, institution, email address, and phone number.

Special Instructions

Please note that the search committee may contact references and/or request formal letters of recommendation at a later stage in the review process. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Review of Applications Begins On

10/19/2026

Website

https://www.canr.msu.edu/qfc/

Department Statement

The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife is a vibrant community of scholars comprising >40 core faculty (tenure stream and fixed-term faculty, and academic specialists), and >30 research associates, 80 graduate and 240 undergraduate students. Our Mission is to build local, national, and international capacities to conserve ecosystems that support fish, wildlife, and society through integrated programs in research, education, and engagement. We are committed to the integrative nature of natural resources conservation and management, with our expertise ranging from disciplinary areas with a long-standing history in the domain of fisheries and wildlife to those emerging more recently.

The Quantitative Fisheries Center was established in 2005 to provide a research, outreach/service, and teaching program that contributes to greater capacity within fishery management agencies in quantitative methods; improved quantitative methods for assessing fish stocks; assistance to agencies that use model-based approaches in decision making; and develop a better understanding of fish community and population dynamics. The QFC is supported by MSU, Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC), Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and several state, provincial, and Tribal agencies with fishery management jurisdiction over the Great Lakes. In 2018, the QFC received the Besadny award from the GLFC for outstanding work to enhance the understanding of Great Lakes fisheries by emphasizing the use of quantitative tools in teaching, outreach, and research and for serving as a trusted partner and a recognized leader both within and outside the Great Lakes basin.

Location

The position will be based at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, USA, and requires relocation. Michigan State University (MSU) is one of the top research universities in the world and home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs. MSU is a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, and scientists that provide regional, national, and international leadership in basic and applied research and excellence in teaching. In addition, consistent with its Land Grant origins, the MSU community pursues international engagement and provides strong extension programs that partner with diverse stakeholders to provide much needed research in the areas of food, energy, water and the environment. MSU enjoys a park-like campus with outlying research facilities and natural areas. The campus is located in the city of East Lansing, adjacent to the capital city of Lansing. Lansing and East Lansing are considered to be areas of low- to medium-cost of living. The Lansing metropolitan area has a diverse population of >500,000. Local communities have excellent school systems and place a high value on education. The University is proactive about its obligations under the ADA, and provides individual accessibility plans to students and employees with disabilities. Michigan State University is also proactive in exploring opportunities for employment for dual career families, both inside and outside the University, and respects all family forms. Information about MSU’s dual career support and other types of support for balancing work and personal lives at MSU can be found at http://worklife.msu.edu/

Commitment to Culture, Access, and Belonging

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University is committed to achieving excellence by creating and sustaining an accessible and inclusive culture that values cultural and academic diversity. The CANR is particularly interested in candidates of all backgrounds who are committed to the principle that academic excellence is achieved through open access and proactive inclusion.

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.