Post Doctoral Research Fellow
About The Position
Serves in a temporary position that enables an individual with their Ph.D. to continue their training as a researcher and gain skills and experience that will prepare them for their research career in academia or elsewhere. As a postdoc, the position can perform mostly independent research, collaborate on a multi-scholar research initiative, or even may have lead responsibility for discrete components of a larger research project or program, all while under the general direction of a senior or principal researcher. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers a Bachelor’s and Master of Science degrees in Chemistry. The department's vision is to “Promote student success through excellence in chemistry.” We realize this vision by providing exceptional student research experiences and a curriculum that includes developing critical thinking skills, independent research projects, instrumentation training, exceptional laboratory practices, and mastery of scientific writing. As a Carnegie R2 ranked institution (Ph.D. granting, high research activity), we are dedicated to increasing high impact research. Our faculty members conduct research in areas such as drug discovery, medicinal chemistry & medical devices, cosmochemistry, prebiotic chemistry, archaeological science, computational chemistry, enzymology and enzyme mechanisms, RNA and protein chemistry, and polymer chemistry. Our faculty members participate and mentor Ph.D. graduate students in transdisciplinary programs including Materials Science and Engineering, Biomolecular Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Computing, and Systems Engineering (planned). We are committed to a culture goal of “Work in a department that embraces a team spirit of cooperation and respect for all.”
Requirements
- Requires a minimum of a Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in a relevant discipline.
- Excellent teamwork and communication skills.
- Strong commitment to research integrity, laboratory safety, and ethical conduct.
- Ability to acquire accurate, reproducible data.
- Excellent project and time management skills.
- Strong interpersonal and mentoring skills.
- Excellent analytical and organizational skills
- Ability to work independently and as a team member.
- Strong work ethic and commitment to becoming an independent scientist.
Nice To Haves
- Expertise and hands-on experience in protein purification
- Experience in conducting enzyme assays and/or protein-binding assays.
- Demonstrated scientific writing skills, evidenced by manuscript preparation and peer-reviewed publications.
- Experience in small molecule synthesis.
- Experience handling microbes and bioassays.
- Experience in Schrodinger molecular docking, simulation and small molecule drug discovery packages.
- Design and synthesis of small-molecule chemical probes.
- Strong background in enzymology and mechanism of action studies.
- Experience working with acyl carrier proteins or lipid biosynthesis pathways is a plus.
Responsibilities
- Help design and conduct research on enzymes involved in primary and secondary metabolism while receiving advanced training from the Principal Investigator to develop the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue a scientific career.
- Design, conduct, and evaluate experiments.
- Develop new ideas and approaches that advance the laboratory’s research.
- Prepare and publish scientific manuscripts under the guidance of the Principal Investigator.
- Oversee the operation and routine maintenance of designated laboratory equipment.
- Teach research techniques and assist in training and supervising students and research personnel.
- Troubleshoot research challenges and help identify future research directions, as appropriate.
- Contribute to defined components of larger research projects under the general direction of a senior or principal investigator.
- Maintain accurate and thorough documentation of research activities in accordance with applicable data-management protocols.
- Assist in preparing research proposals, progress reports, and other scientific documents.
- Assist with teaching courses or laboratory classes, as needed.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Benefits
- 12 paid holidays AND the University is closed between Christmas and New Year's (requires use of 3 vacation days)
- Between 12-24 annual paid vacation days for full-time Professional and Classified staff depending on position type and years of service
- 10.76% University contribution to your ORP retirement fund (Professional and Faculty employees)
- 11.96% University contribution to your PERSI retirement fund (Classified employees)
- Excellent medical, dental and other health-related insurance coverages
- Tuition fee waiver benefits for employees, spouses and their dependents
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
