Assistant Professor of Fish Ecology

Position overview

Salary range :

The salary range for this position is $105,700 - $129,600 (annual). "Off-scale salaries" and other components of pay, resulting in 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, qualifications, and experience.

Application Window

Open date : October 2, 2025

Next review date : Monday, Dec 8, 2025 at 11 : 59pm (Pacific Time)

Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date : Friday, Feb 27, 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 Department of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis is recruiting an Assistant Professor of Fish Ecology. This is an academic year (9-month), tenure-track Assistant Professor position that includes an appointment in the California Agricultural Experiment Station (AES). Faculty members who hold an Agricultural Experiment Station appointment have a responsibility to conduct research and outreach relevant to the mission of the California Agricultural Experiment Station. Participation in outreach programs and performance of University service are also expected.

The appointee is expected to establish a competitively funded research program to address critical or emerging issues in fish ecology. We seek a rising scholar specializing in the ecology of freshwater and anadromous coldwater fishes and their ecosystems, with demonstrated potential to build a robust, extramurally funded research program. The successful candidate will thus address critical questions in coldwater fish ecology and conservation in California's dynamic freshwater environments. These systems are highly impacted and engage many stakeholders, often with competing interests. We hope to recruit an enthusiastic, productive, and visionary scientist, able to work effectively with diverse interest groups and provide science leadership to ensure the long-term viability of these aquatic systems and their fish communities. The ecology and conservation of coldwater fishes underpin many public agency management and policy goals often associated with land use change, recreational and consumptive uses of nature, and ecosystem responses to global change. Fish ecologists must regularly contend with challenging data analyzed with complex statistical models to estimate population sizes, survival, growth, reproduction, behavior, and community interactions. The appointee will be responsible for teaching 2-3 undergraduate courses per year, including the biology and conservation of fishes (WFC 120 / L), and field studies in fish biology (WFC 102 / L) and applied fish conservation in alternate years (WFC 137). Other possible courses may include wildlife ecology and conservation (WFC 10), natural history of California's wild vertebrates (WFC 50), field methods in wildlife, fish, and conservation biology (WFC 100 / 101 / L), or a course in the candidate's area of expertise. Graduate teaching and any additional courses consistent with the appointee's expertise that contribute to the department's mission will be at the discretion of the candidate and in discussion with the chairs of both the department and appropriate graduate group. The successful applicant will train and mentor graduate students and participate in graduate instruction within the Ecology, Population Biology, and / or Animal Behavior graduate groups. Participation in and development of public outreach and / or community engagement programs, and performance of departmental and university service is expected. The selected candidate is expected to collaborate with Cooperative Extension specialists and advisors, partners in industry, federal / state agencies, non-governmental organizations, or other appropriate public stakeholders. For example, this position is well poised to interface with state (e.g. California Department of Fish & Wildlife) and federal (e.g. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Geological Service) agencies, non-profit organizations (e.g., California Trout, The Nature Conservancy), Tribal governments (e.g., Yurok, Karuk Tribes), and the public. The hire will have stated research interests and expertise in working with groups to improve management and conservation outcomes from the perspective of stakeholders and resident and anadromous fishes.

This recruitment is conducted at the assistant rank. The resulting hire will be at the assistant rank, regardless of the proposed appointee's qualifications.

Initial review of applications will be conducted using anonymized versions of the Statement of Research Accomplishments and Interests. Applications demonstrating sufficient potential based on this review will be advanced to full review.

UC Davis supports Family-friendly recruitments. UC Davis covers travel expenses for a second person to accompany an invited faculty recruitment candidate who is a mother (or single parent of either gender) of a breast or bottle-feeding child less than two years of age.

http : / / academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu / programs / work-life / index.html

UC Davis recognizes the necessity of supporting faculty with efforts to integrate work, family and other work-life considerations. To recruit and retain the best faculty, the campus sponsors a Work Life

Program that provides programs and services that support faculty as they strive to honor their commitments to work, home and community. http : / / academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu / programs / worklife / index.html

The UC Davis Partner Opportunities Program (POP) and Capital Resource Network (CRN) are services designed to support departments and Deans' offices in the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty. For information about POP, please visit https : / / academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu / partner-opportunities-program-pop . For information about the CRN, please visit https : / / academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu / capital-resource-network . Please note eligibility for these programs may be based on policy and funding availability.

Department : https : / / wfcb.ucdavis.edu /

School : https : / / caes.ucdavis.edu /

Qualifications

Basic qualifications

(required at time of application)

Ph.D. or equivalent in a field of fish ecology, fisheries science, or and equivalent field at the time of appointment.

Preferred qualifications

(other preferred, but not required, qualifications for the position)

• Post doctoral experience preferred.
• Evidence of leadership and organizational skills relevant to the development of a successful research, teaching and outreach program in the discipline of fish ecology.
• Evidence of scholarship during graduate and post-graduate activities.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to obtain extramural support for research activities.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to develop and instruct undergraduate and graduate courses and to present information to scientific audiences.
• Willingness and interest to advise undergraduates.
• Demonstrated ability or potential and interest to mentor M.S. and Ph.D. students.
• Evidence of communication skills and collegiality consistent with effective departmental, campus and professional citizenship.
• Interest, understanding, and commitment to the objectives of a land-grant university and the Agricultural Experiment Station including mission-oriented research and a substantive outreach engagement programming.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. including publication list.

Cover Letter (Optional)

Statement of Research - Statement of Research accomplishments and future research plans relevant to the ecology of coldwater fishes in California.

Statement of Teaching - Statement of teaching accomplishments and philosophy

Publication #1 - Required

Publication #2 - Optional

(Optional)

Publication #3 - Optional

(Optional)

Transcripts - Required if within 5 years of PhD.

(Optional)

Authorization to Release Information Form - This form is required for all applicants applying to academic recruitments. Please see the Employment Disclosure Requirements webpage for more information. Download, complete, sign, and upload the form .

Reference requirements

Please provide the names, addresses, including e-mail, of four professional references

Apply link :

https : / / recruit.ucdavis.edu / JPF07351

Help contact : dacrum@ucdavis.edu

About UC Davis

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, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled, "Authorization to Release Information" into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration.

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http : / / breathefree.ucdavis.edu / ).

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 for federal law.

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at : http : / / www.uscis.gov / e-verify

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all employees and students. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service are embodied by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values. A variety of resources and programs are available to academics, staff, and students that reflect the core values reflected in our strategic plan : "To Boldly Go," our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs' Mission Statement , and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400 .

UC Davis also is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) . There are numerous links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our administration, campus rankings, locations, campus safety, sustainability, visiting UC Davis and UC Davis Health.

The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings . UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come .

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.

Job location

Davis, CA