Merlin Video Project Coordinator, The Lab of Ornithology (Hybrid)

The Lab of Ornithology created the globally recognized Merlin Bird ID app, helping millions of people identify birds through photos and sound recordings. As Merlin continues to evolve, video is the next frontier. We are seeking a Merlin Video Project Coordinator to lead the expansion of video resources within Merlin and help build the datasets that will power future video-based bird identification and learning experiences.
In this role, you will combine your bird expertise, project coordination skills, and community-building abilities to work with a global network of birders, contributors, researchers, and software teams. You will help curate high-quality bird video content, support machine learning initiatives, and strengthen relationships with the community members whose contributions make Merlin possible.
The ideal candidate is active in the birding community, understands the value of community-contributed science, and is comfortable speaking with everyone from casual birdwatchers to highly skilled regional experts. You are equally energized by organizing projects, managing datasets, building partnerships, and collaborating with technical teams to create tools that help people learn about birds around the world.
This full-time position is a one-year term appointment that is contingent upon available work, funding, and performance.
A cover letter is required for consideration: please tell us about your birding experience, involvement with eBird or Merlin, and what interests you about advancing video-based bird identification and learning tools.
Key Responsibilities
Serve as an authentic ambassador to the birding community and foster participation in Cornell Lab projects, building and maintaining relationships with birders, field videographers, ornithologists, and community leaders worldwide
Recruit, support, and train contributors who provide video content to the Macaulay Library archive
Develop regional expert networks that support Merlin's global growth by providing day-to-day support to global partners and contributors, gathering community feedback that help translate user needs into product improvements
Manage the collection, organization, annotation, and quality review of bird video content, ensuring species identifications are accurate and taxonomically current across large datasets
Collaborate with machine learning engineers and product teams to prepare datasets used in training and evaluating Merlin's video models
Partner with software engineers, project managers, and outreach teams to test and improve Merlin tools
Participate in software testing, troubleshooting, and release coordination
Deliver trainings, presentations, and educational resources
About the Department
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a globally recognized leader in technology, data management, and large-scale citizen science supporting birds and biodiversity conservation. We curate more than a petabyte of digital assets, one billion bird sightings, and leverage innovative big data analysis tools and machine learning to produce web applications and services to empower a global community of bird and nature enthusiasts, researchers, conservationists, and educators.
What We Need
Bachelor’s degree and 2 to 4 years relevant experience in biology, ecology, business, information science, or related field or equivalent combination working in birding, outreach, conservation, ornithology, or related field
Deep understanding of birds, birding community, and the outdoor community and experience watching birds and working on projects to advance birdwatching and bird conservation
Knowledge of birds of the world, including advanced field identification skills by sight and sound of thousands of species of birds, ability to identify birds to age/sex and subspecies, understanding of geographic variation, migration, bird behavior, and avian taxonomy
Exceptional communication, collaboration, and relationship-management skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility among birders, community contributors, partners, researchers, and staff while effectively communicating project goals, guidance, and priorities to all levels of management, staff, new partners, funding agencies, project participants, and visitors
Strong project management skills and the ability to coordinate multiple stakeholders toward a shared deliverable and timeline for public launch
Familiarity with software development and testing processes
Extensive experience using and contributing data (checklists and media) to eBird, Merlin, and the Macaulay Library
Experience filming, photographing and recording audio of birds in the wild
Ability to anticipate needs of the project and fulfill project objectives with very minimal supervision
Ability to travel to remote field locations when necessary and carry heavy equipment
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a valid passport and driver’s license
Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing
Ability to prioritize activities and exercise sound judgement in discussions with external collaborators
If you have all those things, great! We have a few more things that we would prefer you to have, but it’s ok if you don’t.
Experience working in remote or challenging field conditions
Experience collaborating with software engineering teams
Technical project management experience
Rewards and Benefits
This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. Employees typically perform this role remotely 3 days per week and on-campus 2 days per week. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, revoke or terminate the hybrid work arrangement at any time.
Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.
Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.
Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell
Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Progra