University of Bristol - School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience
Senior Research Associate (Postdoctoral Field Manager): Quantifying Hamilton’s r
University of Bristol - School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Bristol, Connecticut, us, 06010
Senior Research Associate (Postdoctoral Field Manager): Quantifying Hamilton’s rule in the wild
An ERC-funded postdoc position is available in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol (PI: Dr Patrick Kennedy, in collaboration with Professor Dustin Rubenstein, Columbia University). The role involves coordinating an international field team spanning three African countries (Cameroon, Kenya, and South Africa), investigating the evolution of cooperation and conflict by running field experiments with social wasps across Africa.
Lab website
Responsibilities The core responsibilities include training and liaising with local fieldworkers and students, involving regular travel across the three countries. Working alongside other postdocs, PhD students, a lab technician, and in‑country field teams, you will collect field data on costs and benefits of cooperation in a powerful wild system. You will pursue an ambitious work package focused on quantifying the benefits and costs of cooperation in the wild along environmental gradients. Working with the cooperatively breeding wasp
Belonogaster juncea , you will establish parallel field experiments across multiple field sites, running long‑term field monitoring. You are expected to be first author on several papers resulting from this work package.
Qualifications You are an exceptional fieldworker with demonstrated overseas field research experience. You should be prepared to spend multiple months each year working with wasps in diverse habitats across Africa, showing high independence, strong practical and team skills, confidence travelling for research, initiative‑taking behaviour, exceptional organisational and team skills, and problem‑solving ability during fieldwork.
Essential
Strong experience conducting overseas fieldwork
Capacity and enthusiasm to spend at least 6 months a year in the field, including extensive travel across Cameroon, Kenya and South Africa
Ability to manage international teams and collaborate with international partners
High practical independence
Ability to troubleshoot in the field
Confidence driving a 4X4 overseas
Excellent research record
A PhD in a related area
Desirable
Conservation‑level French (for Cameroon)
Experience working in an African context
Behavioural ecology background
Outstanding fieldwork experience from disciplines outside evolution, ecology, or ethology (e.g., anthropology, geography, population health, conservation biology)
Additional Information For informal enquiries please contact Dr Patrick Kennedy, Lecturer ( patrick.kennedy@bristol.ac.uk )
It is expected that this position will start as soon as possible from 1st March 2026.
Contract type: Open ended (fixed funding for 2 years in the first instance)
Work pattern: Full‑time
Grade: J
Salary: £43,482 – £50,253 per annum
Recruitment Timeline Advert will close at 23:59 UK time on Sunday 11th January 2026. Shortlisting is expected to take place between 12th–16th January 2026. Interviews will take place on Friday 30th January 2026.
Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion The University of Bristol aims to be a place where everyone feels able to be themselves and do their best in an inclusive working environment where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. We want to attract, develop and retain individuals with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives – particularly people of colour, LGBT+ and disabled people – because diversity of people and ideas remains integral to our excellence as a global civic institution.
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Responsibilities The core responsibilities include training and liaising with local fieldworkers and students, involving regular travel across the three countries. Working alongside other postdocs, PhD students, a lab technician, and in‑country field teams, you will collect field data on costs and benefits of cooperation in a powerful wild system. You will pursue an ambitious work package focused on quantifying the benefits and costs of cooperation in the wild along environmental gradients. Working with the cooperatively breeding wasp
Belonogaster juncea , you will establish parallel field experiments across multiple field sites, running long‑term field monitoring. You are expected to be first author on several papers resulting from this work package.
Qualifications You are an exceptional fieldworker with demonstrated overseas field research experience. You should be prepared to spend multiple months each year working with wasps in diverse habitats across Africa, showing high independence, strong practical and team skills, confidence travelling for research, initiative‑taking behaviour, exceptional organisational and team skills, and problem‑solving ability during fieldwork.
Essential
Strong experience conducting overseas fieldwork
Capacity and enthusiasm to spend at least 6 months a year in the field, including extensive travel across Cameroon, Kenya and South Africa
Ability to manage international teams and collaborate with international partners
High practical independence
Ability to troubleshoot in the field
Confidence driving a 4X4 overseas
Excellent research record
A PhD in a related area
Desirable
Conservation‑level French (for Cameroon)
Experience working in an African context
Behavioural ecology background
Outstanding fieldwork experience from disciplines outside evolution, ecology, or ethology (e.g., anthropology, geography, population health, conservation biology)
Additional Information For informal enquiries please contact Dr Patrick Kennedy, Lecturer ( patrick.kennedy@bristol.ac.uk )
It is expected that this position will start as soon as possible from 1st March 2026.
Contract type: Open ended (fixed funding for 2 years in the first instance)
Work pattern: Full‑time
Grade: J
Salary: £43,482 – £50,253 per annum
Recruitment Timeline Advert will close at 23:59 UK time on Sunday 11th January 2026. Shortlisting is expected to take place between 12th–16th January 2026. Interviews will take place on Friday 30th January 2026.
Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion The University of Bristol aims to be a place where everyone feels able to be themselves and do their best in an inclusive working environment where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. We want to attract, develop and retain individuals with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives – particularly people of colour, LGBT+ and disabled people – because diversity of people and ideas remains integral to our excellence as a global civic institution.
#J-18808-Ljbffr