Postdoctoral Research Associate

Texas A&M University System • College Station, TX

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Postdoctoral Research Associate is responsible for studying how bacterial stress responses and multispecies biofilm ecology drive the persistence of zoonotic foodborne pathogens, and evaluate pre-harvest interventions that reduce these pathogens in beef on dairy production systems. The position sits within an active One Health research program that combines controlled laboratory work, field sampling, and multi-omics analysis.

Requirements

• PhD in microbiology, microbial ecology, or a related field, or equivalent research experience.
• Hands-on experience in bacterial culture and general molecular microbiology.
• Knowledge of microbiome or sequencing data, including 16S or metagenomics, and basic analysis in R or Python.
• Careful documentation and the ability to design and run controlled experiments independently.
• Clear scientific writing and the ability to communicate results.
• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States and must not require sponsorship now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with biofilm models, multispecies microbial communities, or bacterial stress response assays.
• Pre-harvest or on-farm sampling in beef or dairy systems.
• A record of peer-reviewed publications.

Responsibilities

• Design, conduct, and troubleshoot controlled experiments on bacterial stress responses, multispecies biofilm models, and pathogen persistence.
• Process environmental and animal-source samples, prepare sequencing libraries (16S and shotgun metagenomics), and carry out downstream analysis in R or Python.
• Plan and support environmental sampling in production settings, including coordination collaborators.
• Maintain careful records and contribute to laboratory data management practices.
• Lead and co-author peer-reviewed manuscripts, reports for funding agencies, and conference presentations.
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students and contribute to a collegial laboratory environment.
• Contribute to grant reporting and, where appropriate, to the preparation of new proposals.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance (AgriLife contributes to premiums)
• 12–15 annual paid holidays
• Up to 8 hours/month sick leave and at least 8 hours/month vacation
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Employee Wellness Initiative
• Access to ongoing professional development and training through Aspire, LinkedIn Learning, and internally developed programs

What This Job Offers

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