Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students and staff that make the university a great place to work.  

As a community of Dornsife College “we are committed to the creation, preservation, and communication of fundamental knowledge in all its forms…as well as a lifelong passion for learning and a commitment to the betterment of society.”  The academic mission of Dornsife College can only be realized to its fullest potential when we build and protect a representative, equitable, inclusive culture of scholarship for students, faculty, and staff.  This is not done through initiatives but by embedding these values into the everyday interactions, relationships, policies, and practices of the College.  What is required is a seamless integration of the tenets of equity and inclusivity into every facet of academic life.  If we want our scholars, staff, and students to be able to give their very best, we must create an academic environment that portends success.  

Success is possible when every member of the Dornsife community owns their role as a steward of the culture in which we learn, research, and work; when we believe that it is because of who we are that we are able to do what we do: achieve excellence, together. 

Achieving a robust and inclusive academic culture requires more than just the completion of a task, but includes that person’s capacity to contribute positively to the relationships and culture of their office or department.  Therefore, any applicant seeking to advance the mission of Dornsife College should also be assessed on their capacities beyond the technical elements of their work, and demonstrate an understanding of their impact on others, and to articulate how they contribute positively to those around them.

The USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in the Marine Environmental Biology Department. The largest and oldest of the USC schools, USC Dornsife functions as the academic core of the university, offering courses and advancing knowledge across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

The Postdoctoral Scholar will be a part of the Jed Fuhrman Lab. The research, funded by the Simons Foundation (CBIOMES project), aims to better understand how the interactions between bacteria, archaea, viruses, and protists regulate the distributions and activities of marine planktonic microorganisms globally – though the interactions are all local. A central part of the work will be processing datasets to understand current plankton biogeographies, as well as collaborations with global ocean modelers on model development and improvement.

Responsibilities:

• Analysis of new and existing very large sequence datasets (metagenomes, metatranscriptomes, 16S, 18S) from prior lab experiments and oceanographic measurements.
• Run experiments manipulating natural marine communities, using ‘omics data from the experiments to study growth processes and microbial interactions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD degree and significant experience (and publications) in microbial ecology, including bioinformatics with ‘omics data, and specifically involving mixed natural communities of microorganisms.  
• Strong quantitative skills and broad microbial ecological and oceanographic understanding.
• Experience handling very large ‘omics datasets.
• Experience in both laboratory and field based aquatic research.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to work well in a team.

Salary range: The salary range for this position is $64,480-$68,800. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Required Documents and Additional Information:

• Resume and a letter of intent describing their motivation, qualifications, skills, and experience relevant to this position, and contact information (including telephone numbers) for three references required (may be uploaded as one file). Please do not submit your application without these documents.
• Job openings are posted for a minimum of (5) five business days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended, so please apply on the same business day if interested.
• Target start date January 2024.

The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer that Values Diversity.

Minimum Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate within previous five years Minimum Experience: 0-1 year Minimum Field of Expertise: Directly related education in research specialization with advanced knowledge of equipment, procedures and analysis methods.