What are the responsibilities and job description for the Environmental Microbiology Postdoctoral Research Associate position at Los Alamos National Laboratory?
What You Will Do
Los Alamos National Laboratory invites applications for a postdoctoral position in the Genomics and Bioanalytics Group (B-GEN) of the Bioscience Division. The Chain Lab is looking for a highly motivated and multi-talented postdoctoral candidate to pursue research alongside a team of scientists working on multi-omics driven studies of environmental microbiomes to investigate interkingdom interactions.
This position would be a part of Dr. Chain's Department of Energy funded Science Focus Area (SFA) project entitled, 'Bacterial-Fungal Interactions and their Role in Soil Functioning'. The Science Focus Area project examines bacterial-fungal interactions using both in silico and experimental characterizations. Candidates for this position would ideally have experience in culturing and working with diverse microbial isolates (fungi in particular), performing common molecular laboratory techniques such as nucleic acid extractions and PCR, and be comfortable with the generation and analysis of omics data. Experimental work will be done primarily with bacteria and fungi, and may include some work with viruses and plants, thus experience with multiple or all of these organisms is preferred. Investigations focus on understanding the roles and functions of these interactions in soil and rhizosphere environments, thus, experience in microbial ecology and collecting and working with complex field samples is preferred.
The selected candidate will work closely with a team of staff scientists, postdoctoral researchers, technicians, and external collaborators and will be expected to contribute to scientific strategy, experimental design and execution, data analysis, and manuscript writing.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Education/Experience: Ph.D. in microbial ecology, biology, bioinformatics, microbiology or related discipline completed by time of appointment or within the last 5 years.
Desired Qualifications:
Note to Applicants:
Candidates should attach a CV, cover letter, and other relevant documents to the online job ad. Candidates should also email Rosanna Dill (rdill@lanl.gov) with the names and contact information for 2 references.
Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.
Note to Applicants:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Where You Will Work
Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Our generous benefits package includes:
§ PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network
§ Dental and vision insurance
§ Free basic life and disability insurance
§ Paid childbirth and parental leave
§ Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually)
§ Learning opportunities and tuition assistance
§ Flexible schedules and time off (PTO and holidays)
§ Onsite gyms and wellness programs
§ Extensive relocation packages (outside a 50 mile radius)
Additional Details
Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2. Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.
No Clearance: Position does not require a security clearance. Selected candidates will be subject to drug testing and other pre-employment background checks.
New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.
Internal Applicants: Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.
Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to applyhelp@lanl.gov or call (505)-664-6947 opt. 3.
Los Alamos National Laboratory invites applications for a postdoctoral position in the Genomics and Bioanalytics Group (B-GEN) of the Bioscience Division. The Chain Lab is looking for a highly motivated and multi-talented postdoctoral candidate to pursue research alongside a team of scientists working on multi-omics driven studies of environmental microbiomes to investigate interkingdom interactions.
This position would be a part of Dr. Chain's Department of Energy funded Science Focus Area (SFA) project entitled, 'Bacterial-Fungal Interactions and their Role in Soil Functioning'. The Science Focus Area project examines bacterial-fungal interactions using both in silico and experimental characterizations. Candidates for this position would ideally have experience in culturing and working with diverse microbial isolates (fungi in particular), performing common molecular laboratory techniques such as nucleic acid extractions and PCR, and be comfortable with the generation and analysis of omics data. Experimental work will be done primarily with bacteria and fungi, and may include some work with viruses and plants, thus experience with multiple or all of these organisms is preferred. Investigations focus on understanding the roles and functions of these interactions in soil and rhizosphere environments, thus, experience in microbial ecology and collecting and working with complex field samples is preferred.
The selected candidate will work closely with a team of staff scientists, postdoctoral researchers, technicians, and external collaborators and will be expected to contribute to scientific strategy, experimental design and execution, data analysis, and manuscript writing.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
- Strong background in microbiology, mycology, and/or molecular biology
- Demonstrated experience with standard molecular biology techniques and the preparation of samples for omics analyses
- Excellent communication and writing skills in the English language
- A proven publication record and interest in grant writing
- The ability to work both independently and as part of a team
Education/Experience: Ph.D. in microbial ecology, biology, bioinformatics, microbiology or related discipline completed by time of appointment or within the last 5 years.
Desired Qualifications:
- It is preferred that candidates have strong computational and bioinformatics skills, including experience in designing and running pipelines to analyze complex microbiome datasets and have familiarity with high performance computing environments
- Demonstrated experience working on microbial interactions
Note to Applicants:
Candidates should attach a CV, cover letter, and other relevant documents to the online job ad. Candidates should also email Rosanna Dill (rdill@lanl.gov) with the names and contact information for 2 references.
- Applicant may be required to travel to conferences, meetings, or events throughout the year
- The position is for two years, with a third year possible contingent on exemplary performance
- Exceptional candidates may be considered for a Director's Fellowship and outstanding candidates may be considered for the prestigious Marie Curie, Richard P. Feynman, J. Robert Oppenheimer, or Frederick Reines Fellowships
- For general information of the Postdoc Program, including salary guidelines, go to https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/postdoctoral-reasearch
- Interested candidates should apply online at https://lanl.jobs/creative/students, and click the link to postdoc opportunities
Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.
Note to Applicants:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Where You Will Work
Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Our generous benefits package includes:
§ PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network
§ Dental and vision insurance
§ Free basic life and disability insurance
§ Paid childbirth and parental leave
§ Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually)
§ Learning opportunities and tuition assistance
§ Flexible schedules and time off (PTO and holidays)
§ Onsite gyms and wellness programs
§ Extensive relocation packages (outside a 50 mile radius)
Additional Details
Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2. Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.
No Clearance: Position does not require a security clearance. Selected candidates will be subject to drug testing and other pre-employment background checks.
New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.
Internal Applicants: Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.
Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to applyhelp@lanl.gov or call (505)-664-6947 opt. 3.
