Postdoctoral Research Associate (Molecular Biology)

Location: College Station, Texas, United States; onsite staff position.

Company

Texas A&M AgriLife Research conducts agriculture and life sciences research within the Texas A&M University System.

What you will do

• Design, conduct, and coordinate molecular biology experiments with appropriate sampling designs, controls, and replication.
• Develop and validate molecular detection assays, including quantitative PCR and sequencing, for bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance determinants in environmental, animal, and food samples.
• Characterize microbial communities, pathogens, and antimicrobial resistance using culture and molecular methods across livestock, wildlife, food production, and multispecies biofilm systems.
• Plan sequencing studies with sequencing and bioinformatics staff, analyze data in R or Python, and prepare publication figures and tables.
• Lead manuscripts and technical reports, contribute methods and results to funding proposals, and maintain detailed experimental records.
• Coordinate with collaborators, operate and maintain molecular instrumentation, train students and research staff, and present findings.

Requirements

• PhD in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, animal science, veterinary science, or a closely related field.
• Research experience in molecular biology or microbiology demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications.
• Bench expertise in nucleic acid extraction, PCR detection, and at least one sequencing approach: amplicon, metagenomic, or whole genome sequencing.
• Experience designing experiments and analyzing data with appropriate statistical methods.
• Strong scientific writing skills, including drafting manuscripts and technical reports with limited supervision.
• Ability to manage several concurrent experiments, coordinate with project teams, multitask, and work cooperatively.
• Employment is dependent on ongoing grant or contract funding and satisfactory job performance.
• Applicants whose doctoral degree has not yet been conferred must submit official certification that all degree requirements are complete and include the degree conferral date.

Nice to have

• Experience with microbial communities, pathogens, or antimicrobial resistance in livestock, wildlife, environmental, or food production systems.
• Experience developing and validating quantitative PCR or digital PCR assays, including nanopore sequencing.
• Experience analyzing sequencing data with command-line tools and R or Python.
• Experience with biofilm models, bacterial pathogen culture methods, or biosafety level 2 conditions.
• Experience contributing to extramural funding proposals and mentoring students.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time staff employment with health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance; AgriLife contributes to premiums.
• 12–15 paid holidays, up to 8 hours of sick leave per month, and at least 8 hours of vacation per month.
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
• Professional development and training through Aspire, LinkedIn Learning, and internal programs.
• Employment is security-sensitive and contingent on credential verification and a criminal history check.
• H-1B sponsorship may be affected by applicable fees and Texas filing restrictions; Texas A&M AgriLife will not pay the stated $100,000 fee.

Hiring process

• Submit complete application data or a complete resume; incomplete applications may be rejected.
• Required documents: CV or resume, cover letter, and list of references.