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Assistant Project Scientist at the Congo Basin Institute (CBI)

Job #JPF11033
  • INST OF ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY / Institute Of The Environment / UCLA

Position overview

Position title: Assistant Project Scientist
Salary range: The posted UC salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. Table 37-B Represented Project (e.g., Scientist) Series, Fiscal Year shows the salary range for this position is $76,700 (Step 1) - $97,600 (Step 6). “Off-scale salaries”, i.e. a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions.

Application Window

Open date: May 12, 2026

Next review date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Thursday, Jun 11, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The Congo Basin Institute (CBI) at UCLA seeks applicants for a Project Scientist position to support the advancement of PANGEA-related research and partnership activities focused on tropical forest ecosystems, land-use and land-cover change, and climate-relevant environmental dynamics in Central Africa. The successful candidate will work closely with the Principal Investigator and a broad network of collaborators across universities, government agencies, NGOs, and community partners. The position requires strong technical expertise in remote sensing and geospatial data science, paired with demonstrated ability to coordinate complex research activities across institutional and international contexts. Fluency in both French and English is required, as the role involves sustained communication and coordination with partners across Francophone and Anglophone Central Africa.

Key Responsibilities

The Assistant Project Scientist will:

  • Provide leadership in project management, work planning, and coordination across multiple partner institutions.
  • Support and engage external collaborators and stakeholders, including government agencies, academic partners, NGOs, and local institutions.
  • Organize and facilitate workshops, trainings, and technical meetings, including bilingual convenings.
  • Coordinate and support field campaigns, including logistics planning, communications, and ensuring timely completion of field activities.
  • Assist with the process of securing fieldwork authorizations and research permissions, including coordination with relevant institutions and regulatory bodies.
  • Support algorithm development, data fusion, and machine learning approaches for tropical forest monitoring.
  • Support mentorship and technical training of junior researchers, including graduate and undergraduate students.
  • Publish results in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at national and international scientific meetings.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications
  • A PhD in geography, ecology, environmental science, remote sensing, or a closely related field, with additional training in remote sensing and data science.
  • At least three years of research experience beyond the PhD.
  • Demonstrated ability to conduct and publish high-level research related to remote sensing of land-use/land-cover change and/or tropical forest ecology, with strong relevance to Central Africa.
  • Experience working with multispectral, lidar, and radar remote sensing datasets, including airborne and satellite imagery.
  • Direct research or professional experience in Central Africa, particularly related to forest ecology or monitoring, land-use change, or conservation science.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead and manage projects, including coordinating timelines, deliverables, and multi-institutional collaboration.
  • Demonstrated experience engaging and communicating effectively with external partners across academic, government, and civil society sectors.
  • Experience organizing scientific workshops, trainings, or convenings.
  • Demonstrated experience coordinating field campaigns, including logistical planning and obtaining necessary permissions and approvals.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently.
  • Fluency in French and English (written and spoken).
Additional qualifications

The successful candidate must demonstrate professionalism, ethical conduct of research, and excellent interpersonal skills for working with diverse collaborators, including researchers, students, community partners, and institutional stakeholders. The candidate should be highly motivated, organized, and committed to working in a collaborative and inclusive environment.

Preferred qualifications
  • Extensive expertise in geospatial programming and analysis, including Python, Google Earth Engine, and R.
  • Smallsat data processing, data fusion, algorithm development, machine learning, neural network implementation, or scalable cloud computing workflows.
  • Experience integrating remote sensing outputs with socioeconomic surveys, community-based datasets, or participatory monitoring approaches.
  • Demonstrated commitment to equitable partnerships, capacity building, and inclusive research leadership.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
Reference requirements
  • 2-3 required (contact information only)

Please provide name, title, affiliation, and email address for at least two references

Apply link: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF11033

Help contact: zaunbrecher@ucla.edu

About UCLA

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

Job location

Los Angeles, CA