Senior Researcher / Researcher - Forest Ecology (SBG) - Contract

[What the role is]

The Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG) is one of the oldest tropical botanical gardens and one of only three botanic gardens in the world inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The SBG is a Division of the National Parks Board, the statutory agency responsible for managing greenery and biodiversity in Singapore.

SBG also hosts a Tropical Forest Ecology Research (TFER) programme to coordinate research to inform forest management strategies and policy in Singapore and the region. Singapore’s geographic position at the heart of Southeast Asia and places SBG in an advantageous position to address challenges facing forest conservation and restoration in the region. The programme maintains long-term forest research sites such as a network of permanent forest plots throughout Singapore’s nature reserves and parks where other research projects on wildlife, nutrient cycling, etc., are co-located to maximise potential synergies.

[What you will be working on]

You will:

• Adapt and apply existing forest dynamic models to make use of rich, long-term datasets available from NParks’ TFER programme, with the aim of being able to simulate and project the response of Singapore’s forests to various scenarios (e.g., climate change) and interventions (e.g., restoration);

• Collaborate internally with colleagues to generate predictions for use in other models and to translate research into action;

• Facilitate collaborations with external researchers in areas such as forest tree demographic modelling, ecosystem modelling, and geospatial modelling;

• Publish in reputable peer-reviewed journals and present at scientific conferences.

[What we are looking for]

• Doctoral degree (PhD) in ecology, forest science, or a related discipline

• Preferably have research experience in forest tree demographic modelling or forest ecosystem modelling, with proficiency in relevant software and programming languages.

• Keen interest in the ecology of forests of tropical Asia and translational ecology

• Demonstrated track record of publishing in reputable scientific journals

• Self‑motivated, organised, and able to work independently, with excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in a team environment under time pressure

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Successful candidates will be offered contract until 31 December 2028.