Professor of Anthropocene Biodiversity

Role Description

The Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity (LCAB) researches the changing relationship between humanity and the natural world, and how we might maintain and develop a sustainable Earth. The Centre, which launched in 2019, represents a 10-year interdisciplinary collaboration between the University of York, the University of Sherbrooke, University College London and the University of St Andrews, funded by The Leverhulme Trust. LCAB recognises biological gains as well as losses, and identifies the circumstances under which changes are perceived as positive or negative. It aims to understand and inform society’s response to these changes.

LCAB is home to a substantial community of academics, researchers and postgraduate students from a wide range of disciplines.  As such it is a dynamic environment where you will develop research and spearhead collaborations with academics from a host of intellectual perspectives. The Director will be supported by Associate Directors, a Centre Manager and Administrator.

The Role
We seek an inspiring colleague to become the new Director of LCAB. You will take up your position at the start of the fifth year of the Centre’s 10-year programme. You will continue to build the LCAB community and take forward and develop its research aims. We are looking for an internationally recognised researcher in any discipline relevant to Anthropocene biodiversity, in the natural sciences, social sciences or humanities, a collaborative leader who can harness research strengths across faculties, and be able to articulate the implications of biodiversity research for wider society. The Director will additionally contribute their relevant disciplinary expertise (from any background) and interdisciplinary perspective as Professor of Anthropocene Biodiversity, in the University of York’s Department of Biology, contributing leadership, ideas and new (inter)disciplinary strength to the Department’s research strategy and teaching portfolio, and more widely across the University. The Department of Biology is a large broad-spectrum biosciences department with disciplinary strength from ecology to biomedicine and an excellent reputation for both research and teaching.

You will:

• Be an inspiring leader, who will continue to grow the LCAB research community and encourage and enable the development of early career researchers
• Provide high-level strategic leadership for LCAB, developing and carrying out internationally outstanding research, and collaborating with others both within and across disciplines
• Continue to raise the profile of LCAB’s research, developing new partnerships nationally and internationally and leveraging additional external funding

Skills, Experience & Qualification needed

• We seek a leader with the capacity to guide LCAB’s collaborative research successfully through the next stage of its development. This is a stimulating role with responsibility for driving a large and dynamic programme of research and engagement activities.  You will have:
• Outstanding and internationally recognised knowledge and research experience of a subject area related to Anthropocene biodiversity
• A PhD in a relevant subject area and an outstanding publication record in disciplinary-specific terms
• An understanding of the most successful ways to foster interdisciplinary research and collaboration, including developing networks and partnerships
• The ability to attract funds for internationally excellent research
• The skills to communicate research to a wide range of audiences and raise the profile of the Centre, and translate research into impact beyond academia
• A track record of attracting and supervising exceptional early career researchers
• The capacity to fulfil major leadership roles, including oversight of budgets

Informal enquiries may be directed to jane.hill@york.ac.uk or lcab-enquiries@york.ac.uk

Closing Date: 17 September 2023
Interview Date: 11 & 12 October 2023

Please visit Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity for further information on the centre and Biology @ York for further information on the Department.

The University strives to be diverse and inclusive  – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.

We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University. 

We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYork