PhD position at University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Applications are invited for 4-year doctoral fellowship with Dr. GRIESS in the Forest Resources and Environmental Services Hub FRESH, University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry. http://fresh.forestry.ubc.ca/
All candidates with a strong background in forest management, forest operations and/ or operations research methods, and a great interest in applying those methods in forest-based biomass supply chain management are invited to apply. Applicants must have a master’s degree in a related field, such as Forestry, Forest Engineering, Natural Resources Management, etc.
Experience in mathematical programming and knowledge of landscape level planning tools such as ArcGIS, Woodstock, FPS-Atlas, Patchworks etc is a plus.
The project
Forest management requires planning and implementation of activities designed to maintain or improve forest conditions, and in support of this overall goal, knowledge of silviculture, economics, operations research, and other related fields. With regard to forest planning, traditional (exact) mathematical techniques along with heuristics have been demonstrated as useful in developing alternative courses of action for forest managers to consider. These techniques often come in the form of computer based decision support systems (DSS) or tools. However, most DSS do not communicate across the various planning scales (operational, tactical and strategic).
In close collaboration with our industry partner, one of British Columbia’s leading timberland companies, this project aims to develop a landscape level decision support system integrating operational, tactical and strategic forest management planning. To achieve this overall goal, the successful candidate will work on questions related to forest management, transport planning, timber procurement, and inventory management, as parts of a forest-based biomass supply chain.
See http://www.forestdss.org/CoP/community/special-issue-decision-support-approaches-adaptive-forest-management for details on the type of DSS that will be developed within the framework of this project.
What we expect
• Recent completion of a Master’s degree (no longer than 3 years at the time of application) in Forestry, Forest Engineering, Natural Resources Management, or a related field(s); or the applicant will have graduated by May 2019;
• Strong analytical skills and experience with supply chain modelling;
• Experience with the application of it optimization algorithms in decision support tools;
• Ability to develop models and undertake detailed quantitative analyses;
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills. The working language is English and fluency (written/spoken) is expected;
• Ability to work independently and in a team, with team members in different locations;
• Willingness to travel and work with the industry partner at their headquarters in Campbell River, BC, for extended periods of time.
Additionally, applicants are required to meet UBC admission requirements outlined here http://www.forestry.ubc.ca/students/graduate/programs/doctor-of-philosophy/phd-admission-requirements/
The expected starting date for this position is September 2019.
What we offer
We offer the successful candidate a 4-year stipend to pursue excellent research with the University of British Columbia (UBC) in close collaboration with our industry partner. The project offers the unique opportunity to work on a large-scale applied research project directly aimed at practical solutions for the industry partner. The stipend is valued at C$30,000 per year.
The successful applicant’s main place of work will be at UBC, one of the top research universities globally, with an international group of young researchers in one of the most modern labs within the faculty, where we give bold thinking a place to develop into ideas that can change the world. The university is located in Vancouver, which is considered to be one of the most desirable places in the world to live in and a beautiful city that provides an incredible background for your research.
The successful candidate is expected to spend ~3 months per year at the industry partner’s offices on northern Vancouver Island.
How to apply
If you are interested in this opportunity, please email the following in a single PDF file to Dr. Verena C. Griess, verena.griess@ubc.ca
A cover letter describing your motivation to apply for this position
(1) Current CV, including transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended (in official copies are sufficient at this stage),
(2) A short description that separately and clearly identifies how you possess each of the skills and experiences listed above in the “What we expect” section
(3) Names and current contact information for three references familiar with your work
(4) Any additional material you may want to share.
Applications are considered until the position is filled. For a September 2019 start date an application has to be submitted to UBC by March 15, 2019.
Please indicate in your application if you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply. However, Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Canada will be given priority. UBC hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We especially welcome applications from members of visible minority groups, women, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.
For details about the working group visit: https://fresh.forestry.ubc.ca/
