Assistant Professor of Biochemistry

Western Illinois University•Macomb, IL

11h

About The Position

Western Illinois University seeks an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry for a 9-month, tenure-track appointment beginning in August 2027 in the School of Natural Sciences, College of Humanities, Arts, Sciences and Education. The successful candidate will teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate (M.S.) students in coursework and research, and maintain an active scholarly research program that engages students. Teaching responsibilities include undergraduate biochemistry courses with laboratory instruction for minors and majors, advanced undergraduate biochemistry with laboratory instruction, and graduate-level advanced biochemistry. The candidate will also teach other courses suited to their expertise and the needs of the Chemistry and Forensic Chemistry programs. Additional duties include service on School and University committees and coordination, maintenance, and oversight of general scientific instrumentation. The Chemistry and Forensic Chemistry programs offer ACS-certified B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry, a pharmacy option, an M.S. in Chemistry, and a B.S. in Forensic Chemistry. The programs have eight full-time faculty members with doctoral degrees and maintain instrumentation including SEM, LC-MS/MS, FT-NMR, GC-VUV, AAS, FT-IR, UV-Vis, HPLC-UV, GC-FID, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The advertised salary is $68,319–$71,734 per year. Eligible employees may receive State of Illinois benefits, including health, dental, vision, and life insurance; disability coverage; flexible spending accounts; retirement plans; paid time off; an Employee Assistance Program; tuition waivers; and local YMCA discounts.

Requirements

A Ph.D. must be conferred by the time of appointment.
The degree must be from a regionally accredited degree-granting institution of higher education or an equivalent institution recognized by an appropriate international accrediting body.
Candidates with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry are preferred; candidates with a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry or Molecular Biology will also be considered. Candidates in other closely related disciplines, such as Chemical Biology, may be considered if they demonstrate substantial expertise in biochemistry through academic training, teaching, or research experience.

Nice To Haves

Postdoctoral research and/or industrial research experience in biochemistry or a closely related field.
Experience teaching undergraduate biochemistry courses.
Experience mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate students in biochemistry research or research in a closely related field.
Experience with fluorescence-based techniques relevant to biochemical research.
Experience with other instrumental techniques relevant to biochemical research, preferably including NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, chromatography, or capillary gel electrophoresis.
Experience with laboratory techniques for characterizing biomacromolecules, including proteins and nucleic acids, such as isolation and purification, quantification, structural characterization, or functional characterization including enzyme activity and molecular interactions.

Responsibilities

Teach undergraduate biochemistry courses with laboratory instruction for minors and majors.
Teach advanced undergraduate biochemistry with laboratory instruction and advanced biochemistry at the graduate level.
Teach other courses appropriate to the candidate's expertise and the needs of the Chemistry and Forensic Chemistry programs.
Mentor undergraduate and graduate students in coursework and research.
Maintain an active scholarly research program that engages undergraduate and graduate students.
Serve on School and University committees.
Coordinate, maintain, and oversee general scientific instrumentation.