Post-doctoral fellow in biodiversity assessment for business and finance - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Subject description
New pathways are needed for an efficient alignment of the financial system with the needs of biodiversity. This postdoc links efforts of the research project BIOPATH to assess, co-develop and test existing and novel approaches for integration of biodiversity considerations into financial decision-making with financial actors, and analyse the institutional and policy implications of potential transition pathways. The postdoc will focus on mapping, characterizing and assessing current approaches used to link biodiversity to business decisions to evaluate their usability and validity. The results will be used to produce a roadmap for development of asessment tools. The work require an understanding of how the use of biomass in green sectors may affect multivariate biodiversity and associated values, as well as an understanding of how business decision in the green sector may translate into impact on land-use. Work is carried out in close collaboration with stakeholders.

Work duties
The main duties involved in a post-doctoral position is to conduct research. Teaching may also be included, but up to no more than 20% of working hours. The position shall include the opportunity for three weeks of training in higher education teaching and learning.

The successful candidate will identify current methods underlying disclosures of biodiversity impact in the food, forestry and bioenergy sectors, to describe how they capture biodiversity effects, what assumptions they build on, at what scale impacts are captured, what data they require, how their validity is certified and how uncertainty is accounted for, to develop a roadmap for improving such tools. For selected approaches, ranging from rapid self-assessments to elaborate modelling, in depth assessment will reveal if they give consistent and meaningful results. In case studies with partners, the postdoc will assess how the use of biodiversity indicators may affect land-use and thus biodiversity and ecosystem services nationally and internationally.

The work will be carried out with an interdisciplinary project team with expertise in biodiversity and ecology science, environmental systems studies, political science, and more. The postdoc is expected to present results at international conferences, produce high quality scientific papers, and play a role in disseminating the results. Stakeholder interactions are a part of the project. The postdoc is also expected to actively participate in and contribute to the general scientific discussion in the research groups.

Qualification requirements
Appointment to a post-doctoral position requires that the applicant has a PhD, or an international degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, within the subject of the position, completed no more than three years before the date of employment decision. Under special circumstances, the doctoral degree can have been completed earlier.

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• Knowledge of business decision – land-use – biodiversity relationships in the green sector
• Demonstrated skills in scientific publishing

Assessment criteria and other qualifications
This is a career development position primarily focused on research. The position is intended as an initial step in a career, and the assessment of the applicants will primarily be based on their research qualifications and potential as researchers.

Particular emphasis will be placed on research skills within the subject.

For appointments to a post-doctoral position, the following shall form the assessment criteria:

• A good ability to develop and conduct high quality research.
• Teaching skills.

Additional assessment criteria:

• Proficiency and experience in scientific assessment through systematic mapping
• Proficiency and experience in assessing land-use – biodiversity relationships in the green sector
• Experience in combining economic and ecological modelling
• Knowledge of certification systems, labelling systems and indices used in business relevant for biodiversity disclosures
• Ability to communicate in Swedish

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department, and how they stand to contribute to its future development.

Terms of employment
This is a full-time, fixed-term employment of 2 years. The period of employment is determined in accordance with the agreement “Avtal om tidsbegränsad anställning som postdoktor” (“Agreement on fixed-term employment as a post-doctoral fellow”) between Lund University, SACO-S and OFR/S, dated 1st February 2022.

Instructions on how to apply
Applications shall be written in English and be compiled into a PDF-file containing:

• résumé/CV, including a list of publications,
• a general description of past research and future research interests (no more than three pages),
• contact information of at least two references,
• copy of the doctoral degree certificate, and other certificates/grades that you wish to be considered.