Postdoc in Botany and Plant Ecology

About the role

The African Sustainable Agriculture Research Institute (ASARI), launched by UM6P in Laayoune in 2020, is looking for a postdoc to study the botany and ecology of native desert plant species in southern Morocco and their interactions with their ecosystems, including the soil. The postdoc will carry out field expeditions to collect plant and soil samples, characterise vegetation and its habitats, and identify plant species.

Key responsibilities

• Develop a clear, rigorous methodology in plant ecology and botany
• Carry out botanical expeditions to characterise native plant species of southern Morocco
• Collect plant and soil samples and study the interactions between native species and their ecosystems
• Identify plant species using botanical keys and AI tools, and build plant and soil databases
• Carry out ethnobotanical field surveys and contribute to a botanical atlas (design and content)
• Data scheduling, collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation
• Supervise PhD and Master students and interns
• Manage projects, including budget, materials, equipment and staff
• Write research proposals, reports and manuscripts for publication in refereed journals
• Maintain field and laboratory equipment, order supplies and keep research plot records; frequent travel in desert environments at national and international level

Required profile

• Ph.D. in plant ecology, botany, plant science or a closely related field
• Field-based botanical research experience is essential
• Expertise in botany, plant ecology, taxonomy or ethnobotany (state in the cover letter)
• Good publication record in refereed journals
• Fluent written and spoken English; French and Arabic are a plus
• Experience in a multi-disciplinary team and ability to obtain external grant funding
• Desirable: supervisory experience

Required skills

• Good oral and written communication skills
• Desirable: working knowledge of statistics and database management
• Desirable: additional languages such as Arabic and French