- Pay
- $115–125k
- Where
- UBC Okanagan Campus - Kelowna, BC, Canada
- Level
- Mid
Job Title
CRC (Tier II) Climate-Resilient Agroecosystems - Assistant Professor (tenure track)
Job Category
Faculty Bargaining
Job Family Group
Academic
Department
UBCO | Faculty | Department of Biology | Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science (Perry Howard)
Job End Date
June 30, 2031
Posting End Date
January 5, 2027
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
The anticipated salary range is $115,000-$125,000.
CRC Tier II in Climate-Resilient Agroecosystems
University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus
Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
Department of Biology
Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Climate-Resilient Agroecosystems, Assistant Professor (tenure-track)
Anticipated start date: July 1, 2027
Date posted: November 4, 2026
Closing date: January 5, 2027
Opportunity
Situated on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation, the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan campus invites applications from outstanding emerging scholars for a Tier II Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Climate-Resilient Agroecosystems in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) stream. The successful applicant will be a future leader in understanding and management of how plant-based agroecosystems respond and adapt to environmental and biological stresses and their interactions. The full-time appointment will be made at the rank of Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in the Department of Biology ([biology.ok.ubc.ca]). The position is expected to start on July 1, 2027 , or soon thereafter. The anticipated salary range is $115,000-$125,000.
Research Program
The Okanagan is home to nationally significant tree-fruit, wine-grape, and other high-value perennial crop industries, and sits at the leading edge of heat and drought impacts in Canada's hottest and driest region. Growers here face compounding pressures: abrupt shifts between drought, flooding and freezing, changing disease pressure, and expanding ranges of pests and insect vectors. This Chair’s research program will connect fundamental biological discovery with these regional challenges while developing principles that apply across production systems advancing the Faculty's vision of Solutions-Focused Science for a Resilient Future ( https://science.ok.ubc.ca/about/strategic-plan/ ) and National Food-Security priorities ( https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/department/initiatives/national-food-security-strategy ). This research program will build on the Department of Biology's strengths in plant genetics and genomics, crop adaptation, plant biotechnology, soil and microbial ecology, plant–biotic interactions and food-system sustainability, and on complementary expertise in Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Computer Science, and Engineering. For more information, see [biology.ok.ubc.ca]. The successful candidate will have access to campus resources and centres including the Plant Growth Facility, the West Campus Lands, Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services (BRAES), and the Wine Research Centre. Biology also has long-standing partnerships with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Summerland Research and Development Centre, whose scientists hold adjunct appointments and co-supervise graduate students. The Chair will contribute to undergraduate and graduate training in Biology and related programs, which may include the newly developed course-based Master’s of Biotechnology and Bachelor of Sustainability programs.
Responsibilities
The successful candidate will develop and maintain a nationally and internationally recognized research program. They will secure external research funding from federal, provincial, and partner-supported sources. They will lead innovative research on improving the understanding and management of climate-resilient agroecosystems, whether through deep expertise in one area or by integrating approaches across…