Climate Resilient Fisheries Postdoctoral Research Associate (FishSCORE2030)

About the role

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) develops and delivers collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges, focusing on the resilience of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and the communities that depend on it. This full‑time Postdoctoral Research Associate position is part of the FishSCORE2030 Ocean Decade program, co‑led by GMRI and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The role is based in the Integrated Systems Ecology Lab at GMRI under the supervision of Dr. Kathy Mills, with co‑supervision by Dr. Jacob Eurich of EDF’s Ocean Science team. The position is located in Portland, ME, is funded for two years, and may be extended contingent on performance and continued grant support.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct research to understand how fisheries management systems are planning for and implementing responses to climate change, and the enabling conditions, barriers, and pathways that shape those efforts.
• Lead the design, implementation, analysis, and interpretation of qualitative research, including targeted interviews with managers, scientists, and rights holders across contrasting fishery systems.
• Build partnerships, facilitate communication, and engage diverse groups in research activities.
• Collaborate with FishSCORE2030 working groups and broader network to integrate insights, identify focal fisheries, and help plan and facilitate a regional workshop and multi‑stakeholder review sessions.
• Contribute to the development, validation, and trialing of the planning‑to‑implementation framework, synthesizing principles, pathways, and evidence into practical guidance for fisheries managers.
• Communicate research results through peer‑reviewed manuscripts, conference presentations for scientific and practitioner audiences, public‑facing policy documents, and speaking engagements.
• Contribute to (and potentially lead) competitive grant proposals.
• Participate in working groups and research networks related to climate adaptation in fisheries as relevant opportunities arise.
• Participate in lab and GMRI/EDF staff meetings and other activities, including peer groups and mentorship roles.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in a marine social science discipline (e.g., anthropology, sociology, political science, or interdisciplinary program with strong social science training)
• Strong background and familiarity with literature and theories associated with climate adaptation and resilience
• Experience designing and conducting qualitative social science research, including IRB protocols
• Experience coding, analyzing, synthesizing, interpreting, and presenting qualitative social science data
• Experience in marine fisheries and understanding of a range of fishery management structures and contexts
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Ability to establish and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders and partners
• Strong written and oral communication skills, as evidenced through publications in the peer‑reviewed scientific literature and presentations to a variety of audiences
• Ability and willingness to travel for fieldwork, meetings, workshops, conferences, and other purposes as needed
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, timelines, and partnerships effectively
• Fluent in English
• Eligible to work in the United States (visa sponsorship not available)

Qualifications

• Experience working across natural and social science disciplines
• Experience and expertise related to quantitative data collection and analyses in social sciences
• Ability to analyze, interpret, and communicate results from ecological and fisheries data
• Understanding of fisheries science, stock assessment, and management processes
• Experience engaging directly with resource users, community leaders, tribal entities, or other groups relevant to research topics
• Experience working across the research‑to‑practice pipeline
• Experience working with transdisciplinary research teams
• Experience organizing workshops
• Experience managing projects, including administrative responsibilities
• Experience contributing to the development and writing of grant proposals
• Ability to work in a statistical computing environment (e.g., R)
• Fluency in a language other than English

Pay

Starting salary range: $68,000–$72,000.