Hire Unit: Department of Geography
Position Summary
The Research Associate will lead the biogeochemical modelling component of the CARBONIQUE project, a major NSERC Alliance Advantage grant focused on quantifying the net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) of key wetland types across southern Quebec, including open bogs, forested bogs, forested swamps, and coastal marshes, under both natural and anthropogenically disturbed conditions. Wetlands cover only 5-8% of the Earth’s land surface yet store approximately 30% of global soil carbon, making them among the most carbon-rich ecosystems on the planet. Canada alone contains 14% of the world’s wetlands, with soils storing an estimated 158 Gt C – more than twice the amount held in Canadian forests. Human activities such as drainage can profoundly alter wetland carbon stocks and generate substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while conservation and restoration are increasingly recognized as nature-based climate solutions. Despite this importance, accurately quantifying GHG fluxes from wetland disturbance, restoration, and management at scale remains a major challenge. The Research Associate will address this challenge by developing, calibrating, and applying process-based biogeochemical models to simulate CO2 and CH4 exchange across diverse natural, drained, and restored wetland ecosystems. The position will leverage eddy covariance (EC) flux measurements, remote sensing observations, and ancillary site data to parameterize and evaluate models, and will ultimately contribute to a decision-support tool for estimating GHG fluxes from wetland management and conservation across Quebec. The role requires deep expertise in wetland carbon cycle science, ecosystem modelling, and EC data analysis, as well as demonstrated leadership in collaborative, multi-institutional research.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Develop, calibrate, and validate process-based biogeochemical models to simulate CO2 and CH4 fluxes across natural, drained, and restored wetland types in southern Quebec.
- Parameterize and evaluate models using eddy covariance flux measurements, remote sensing datasets (e.g., LAI, EVI), reanalysis climate data, and ancillary site observations.
- Extend existing modelling frameworks to forested wetland types (forested bogs and swamps), incorporating relevant biogeochemical processes such as tree-mediated CH4 transport and woody biomass carbon cycling.
- Assess the sensitivity of model predictions to the duration and completeness of observational records, and evaluate model transferability across wetland types and disturbance gradients.
- Contribute to projections of current and future NECB across wetland types under climate and land-use change scenarios, in collaboration with project Co-Is.
- Contribute to developing a user-friendly decision-support tool for estimating GHG emissions and removals from wetland drainage, restoration, and conservation, targeting land managers, practitioners, and policymakers.
- Lead and support manuscript preparation and contribute to peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
- Supervise and mentor graduate and undergraduate students in biogeochemical modelling, data analysis, and field methods.
Required Qualifications:
- PhD in Environmental Science, Biogeochemistry, Atmospheric Science, Ecology, or a closely related discipline, with research expertise relevant to ecosystem carbon cycling and land-atmosphere interactions.
- Minimum of 5 years of postdoctoral or equivalent research experience, demonstrating progressive responsibility in designing and leading model-based studies of ecosystem carbon and GHG dynamics.
- Demonstrated expertise in process-based biogeochemical modelling of wetland or terrestrial ecosystems, including model development, parameterization, calibration, and evaluation against observational data across multiple sites or environmental gradients.
- Strong background in wetland GHG flux research, including CO2 and CH4 dynamics in natural, drained, or restored peatlands, bogs, swamps, and/or marshes, and familiarity with the key biogeochemical and hydrological processes governing carbon cycling in these systems.
- Advanced programming skills in R and/or Python (automated workflows, statistical modelling, data visualization); proficiency in C++ or equivalent for process-based model development is an asset.
- Demonstrated leadership and mentorship experience, including supervision of graduate and undergraduate students and effective collaboration across multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research teams.
- Strong publication record including at least 5 first-author papers in peer-reviewed journals relevant to environmental science or ecosystem modelling, and evidence of collaborative publications.
- Excellent command of English (spoken and written) is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with lateral carbon flux modelling, including dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and aquatic carbon export in wetland or watershed contexts.
- Familiarity with Canadian wetland ecosystems, particularly boreal and temperate peatlands, forested bogs, swamps, and freshwater marshes.
- Experience developing decision-support tools or graphical interfaces for environmental applications targeting non-specialist users.
Before applying, please note that to work at McGill University, you must be both authorized to work in Canada and willing to work in the province of Quebec at the campus where the position is based / located.
Knowledge of English: McGill University is an English-language university where day to day duties may require English communication both verbally and in writing. The level of English required for this position has been assessed at a level #4 on the scale of 0-4.
Hourly Salary: $50.44
Hours per Week: 35 (Full time)
Location: Burnside Hall
Supervisor: Assistant Professor
Position Start Date: 2026-05-19
Position End Date: 2026-11-30
Deadline to Apply: 2026-05-27
This position is covered by the Association of McGill University Research Employees (AMURE) collective agreement.
McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca.
