The Department of Natural Resource Management at South Dakota State University is seeking a PhD research assistant to join a multidisciplinary team on a USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) project with research focused on rangeland management and Bison grazing in the Nebraska Sandhills. The selected student is expected to contribute to the broader project by addressing questions related to changes in plant community composition, soil organic matter, and soil carbon fluxes, but also develop related research of their own. Applicants must have an MSc in a related field, an interest in rangeland ecology and management, a background in plant community ecology or ecosystem ecology, strong field and quantitative skills and ability to add to them, an interest in working collaboratively within a large and diverse research group, excellent communication skills, and a willingness to publish impactful research.