Postdoctoral Associate/Research Scientist - Seafood Chemistry, Quality, and Value-Added Processing

Virginia Tech • Hampton, VA

1d • $53,550 - $75,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Feng Research Group at Virginia Tech invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate or Research Scientist to lead laboratory research on the chemistry, quality, safety, and value-added utilization of seafood. The position is based at the Virginia Seafood AREC in Hampton, VA, and supports federally and industry-funded projects on Chesapeake Bay wild-caught blue catfish, commercial clams, and other domestic seafood species. The selected candidate will work closely with seafood processors, extension specialists, and a multi-institutional research team.

At the Postdoctoral Associate level the position will:

The Postdoctoral Associate will conduct laboratory research on the chemistry, quality, safety, and value-added utilization of seafood in the Feng Research Group at the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) in Hampton, VA. The position supports federally and industry-funded projects on Chesapeake Bay wild-caught blue catfish, commercial clams, and other domestic seafood species, and works closely with seafood processors, Extension specialists, and a multi-institutional research team.

Under the mentorship of the faculty supervisor, the Postdoctoral Associate will generate nutritional, flavor, mineral, and contaminant data that support evidence-based marketing, product development, and Extension programming for Virginia's seafood industry. This advances the land-grant research and Extension mission of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Tech. The appointment is a research training position intended to prepare the incumbent for an independent career in academia or research.

At the Research Scientist level the position will:

The Research Scientist will lead laboratory research on the chemistry, quality, safety, and value-added utilization of seafood in the Feng Research Group at the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) in Hampton, VA. The position supports federally and industry-funded projects on Chesapeake Bay wild-caught blue catfish, commercial clams, and other domestic seafood species, and works closely with seafood processors, Extension specialists, and a multi-institutional research team.

The Research Scientist will independently lead defined research components, manage day-to-day laboratory operations and analytical method development, supervise research staff and students, and contribute to grant proposals as PI or co-PI where appropriate. The resulting nutritional, flavor, mineral, and contaminant data support evidence-based marketing, product development, and Extension programming for Virginia's seafood industry, advancing the land-grant research and Extension mission of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Tech.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition, Biological/Agricultural Engineering, or a closely related field. PhD must be awarded no more than four years prior to the effective date of appointment with a minimum of one year eligibility remaining.
• Hands-on experience with chromatographic and/or elemental analytical techniques (e.g., GC-MS, LC-MS, HPLC, ICP-OES/ICP-MS) applied to food or biological matrices.
• Experience with sample preparation, method validation, and quality control for quantitative analysis.
• Record of peer-reviewed publications as a lead author.
• Strong communication skills.
• Master’s degree, Bachelor's + 5 years post-bachelor’s experience in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition, Biological/Agricultural Engineering, or a closely related field by the start date.
• Demonstrated ability to independently design and lead research projects.
• Experience mentoring students or research personnel.
• Experience contributing to competitive grant proposals.

Nice To Haves

• Research experience with seafood, aquaculture, or other muscle foods.
• Experience in flavor or off-flavor chemistry, including aroma extraction (e.g., SAFE, SPME) and GC-olfactometry.
• Experience with non-targeted analysis and chemometric or multivariate statistical tools.
• Experience with AOAC methods for proximate and fatty acid analysis.
• Experience with sensory evaluation or consumer studies.
• Experience with food byproduct valorization or bioprocessing (e.g., lipid, protein, or collagen extraction).
• Familiarity with rapid or non-destructive sensing methods (e.g., hyperspectral imaging, spectroscopy).
• Experience delivering Extension or outreach programs to industry or community audiences.

Responsibilities

• Conduct nutritional composition analyses of seafood using AOAC official methods, including proximate composition, fatty acid profiles (with emphasis on omega-3 fatty acids), amino acids, and minerals.
• Characterize seafood flavor chemistry, including volatile aroma compounds and off-flavor compounds (e.g., geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol) by GC-MS and related techniques, and non-volatile taste compounds.
• Quantify essential minerals and contaminants of concern (e.g., iodine, selenium, zinc, mercury, lead, arsenic) using ICP-OES/ICP-MS with appropriate QA/QC procedures.
• Evaluate texture, shelf life, and lipid oxidation, and support consumer sensory studies.
• Contribute to the recovery and characterization of value-added ingredients from fish processing byproducts (e.g., fish oil, collagen, protein hydrolysates).
• Coordinate large-scale sample collection and data management across sizes, seasons, and locations with industry partners.
• Analyze data, prepare peer-reviewed manuscripts, project reports, and Virginia Cooperative Extension publications.
• Support Extension and outreach activities, including industry training, chef workshops, and stakeholder meetings.
• Train and assist in mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in the laboratory.
• Independently lead defined research components and manage day-to-day laboratory operations and instrument method development.
• Supervise and mentor research staff and students.
• Contribute substantively to, and serve as PI or co-PI on, grant proposals as appropriate.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree