Agency

Department

Proposed Minimum Salary

Job Location

Job Type

Job Description

Our Commitment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment for all visitors, students, faculty, and staff by promoting a culture that embraces inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability.  Diverse perspectives, talents, and identities are vital to accomplishing our mission and living our core values .

Who We Are

The Department of Oceanography in the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas A&M University (TAMU) is part of an alliance of Ocean Sciences at Texas A&M that spans the Marine Biology and Marine Sciences Departments at TAMU Galveston, Geochemical and Environmental Research Group.  This alliance of Ocean Sciences represents a truly unique concentration of educational and research resources.  Our educational and research capacity is greatly enhanced by close ties to the College Departments of Atmospheric Sciences, Geography, and Geology & Geophysics, as well as the Berg Hughes Center, and Texas Center for Climate Studies.

What We Want ?

The Postdoctoral Research Associate is responsible for contributing to the project to identify the drivers for harmful algal blooms (HABs) on the Texas coast. In conjunction with the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System, the postdoc will conduct field work and bioinformatic analyses. The selected candidate will investigate and characterize interactions and top-control of the coastal plankton community. Responsibilities also include manuscript preparation and contribute to grant proposal development. The selected candidate will subscribe to and support our commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability as stated above. If the description sounds interesting to you, we invite you to apply to be considered for this opportunity.

What You Need To Know

Salary: $50,000 annually

Required Education and Experience:

• Appropriate PhD.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Skill in Nucleic acid extraction, polymerase chain reaction [PCR]), metabarcoding analysis and long read sequence analysis, ‘omics techniques, microscopy, and image analysis.

• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

• Proficiency working in a Linux/UNIX environment and familiarity with Python and R.

• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

Required Licenses and Certifications:

• Occasional travel will be required to conduct field work at the Texas coast, so a driver’s license is required.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• PhD in a relevant biological science.

• Relevant experience in phytoplankton ecology and bioinformatics; statistical software packages for barcoding and transcriptome analysis workflows, including differential gene expression analysis, top-down interactions in aquatic microbes.

• Strong track record of peer-reviewed publications.

• 1 or more years of Postdoctoral research.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Working knowledge of Python and/or R.

• Proficiency with Matlab.

Responsibilities

• Identify drivers of harmful algal blooms (HABs) - Contribute to the ECOHAB project to characterize the dynamics of the harmful algal bloom (HAB) species Dinophysis ovum along the Texas coast as part of a national program to identify drivers of blooms of this HAB species. Specific duties include: field sampling for identification and quantification of Dinophysis species and toxin analysis.

• Gene expression analyses - From laboratory-based experiments, identify changes in gene expression of HAB species due to variations in environmental conditions. Specific tasks include: cleaning, assembly, and mapping of reads, taxonomic and functional annotation of reads/transcripts, differential gene expression analysis, comparison of gene expression in culture conditions with field parameters.

• Field work -- Texas Observatory for Algal Succession Time Series (TOAST) - Travel and conduct field sampling during harmful algal bloom events in the Gulf of Mexico in conjunction with TOAST program supported by GCOOS. Collect samples and processing for nucleic acid extraction and metabacoding data analysis.  

• Manuscript and grant proposal preparation - Contribute to preparation of manuscripts based on results obtained from research projects. Contribute to collaborative manuscripts and proposal dev. Contribut to esearch proposals as the lead PI for continued support and perform other duties as assigned.

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer committed to diversity.