Postdoctoral Associate

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities. 

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

The Chappell and Stadler labs (chappell-lab.org | stadler.rice.edu) at Rice University are seeking a proactive, collaborative postdoctoral researcher to develop and apply a high-throughput platform for isolating and engineering environmental plasmids, and to characterize their properties such as host range, stability, and transfer dynamics. This project combines complementary strengths in synthetic biology and environmental microbiology to advance new tools for monitoring and harnessing mobile genetic elements in microbiome engineering.

This role offers the opportunity to work closely across two dynamic research groups, engage with a diverse network of scientists, and contribute to innovative, cross-disciplinary projects at the interface of fundamental and applied microbial research. Ideal candidates will be creative, highly motivated scientists who thrive in team-based settings and bring a strong foundation in relevant biological and engineering approaches.

Workplace Requirements: This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at Rice University Campus Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range:$55,000. – 60,000 

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. 

This position is funded by a grant, soft and/or restricted funds for the term of one year with the possibility of renewal for up to three years. Continued employment is contingent on satisfactory performance the renewal of funding.

Minimum Requirements:

• PhD in microbiology, environmental engineering, synthetic biology, molecular biology, microbial ecology, bioengineering, or related field.
• No experience required 

Skills: 

• Strong background in environmental microbiology, synthetic biology, or biomolecular engineering
• Skilled in high-throughput sequencing and data analysis
• Familiarity with plasmid isolation and engineering techniques
• Proficiency in molecular biology methods such as cloning, PCR, and transformation
• Ability to design and conduct experiments independently and collaboratively
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary team

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated application of synthetic biology or biomolecular engineering tools in environmental systems
• Experience working with complex microbial communities or microbiomes
• Familiarity with methods for assessing plasmid host range, stability, and mobility
• Ability to analyze high-throughput sequencing data for plasmid profiling and comparative analysis
• Understanding of mobile genetic elements in the context of microbial ecology or gene flow dynamics

Essential Functions:

• Develop and apply a high-throughput platform for isolating and engineering environmental plasmids
• Characterize plasmid properties, including host range, stability, and transfer dynamics
• Integrate approaches from synthetic biology and environmental microbiology to support microbiome engineering
• Collaborate closely with the Chappell and Stadler labs to achieve shared research objectives
• Design, execute, and analyze experiments independently and in collaboration with lab members
• Maintain accurate and detailed records of experimental procedures and results
• Contribute to the preparation of manuscripts, presentations, and scientific reports
• Participate in lab meetings, research discussions, and collaborative project planning
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

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Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or [email protected] for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.