Job Opportunity: Postdoctoral Fellow in Genomic and phenotypic diversity in ex situ collections at the Missouri Botanical Garden

[Matthew Albrecht]

The Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development (CCSD) at the Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG) seeks to hire a full-time postdoctoral scholar to work in the Conservation Genetics Laboratory (Lead scientist, Dr. Christy Edwards) on an IMLS-funded project to investigate strategies to conserve intraspecific variation in ex situ collections of imperiled plants. The candidate will 1) collect and analyze data on neutral and adaptive variation, both in genomic and phenotypic traits, in ex situ collections of North American plant species of conservation concern; 2) analyze how to effectively and efficiently capture all forms of intraspecific variation in ex situ collections and assess whether tradeoffs exist that limit the ability to conserve all forms of variation, 3) assist MBG scientists with coordinating grant-funded activities including mentoring of students, organizing and participating in outreach events and workshops, and presenting lectures to professional organizations, and 4) prepare and submit manuscripts for publication. The successful candidate will work closely with MBG scientists active in conservation genetics, conservation biology, community ecology, and horticulture/living collections management and will also actively engage with collaborators and colleagues at MBG and in the broader St. Louis Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation community. This individual will conduct daily operations of assigned project or program without direct supervision. He/she will prepare scientific papers as leading author and also will interact with Garden staff and other collaborators to prepare collaborative scientific papers. The Postdoctoral Fellow will present lectures to professional organizations and broader audiences as appropriate. He/she may supervise graduate and undergraduate students, interns and volunteers.

The position will be based in St. Louis, where a vibrant community of ecologists, conservation practitioners, and evolutionary biologists interact through partnerships among MBG, Washington University, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Saint Louis University, plus other area institutions. The position will be seated in the CCSD, which explores and implements new, science-based approaches to the conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity. CCSD’s strategies for conservation are based on a sound, scientific understanding of the occurrence and distribution of plants. CCSD applies the knowledge of plant diversity accumulated by Missouri Botanical Garden researchers over many years, making that knowledge usable for conservation planning and decision-making. Operating under the auspices of the Garden and as part of its division of Science and Conservation, CCSD builds upon the Garden’s institutional expertise, scientific programs, influence and resources.

Candidates should have completed a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Botany, Genetics, Environmental Science, Conservation Biology, or a related field before the start date. The ideal candidate will have prior experience in several of the following: ex situ sampling techniques, plant propagation, plant phenotyping, quantitative genetics, high-throughput DNA sequencing approaches (i.e., rad-seq, genotyping-by-sequencing), bioinformatics, and statistical analysis of phenotypic or population genomic data. Candidates that have experience in landscape genomic data analysis are particularly encouraged to apply.

Candidates should submit the following in a single pdf file: 1) CV, 2) cover letter, and 3) contact information for three referees.

For additional information about this position and to apply, please see: https://us232.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/mbg/Posting/View/2680 

Review of applications will begin November 15, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. Ideal start date is early 2024 (Jan-April), but start date is negotiable. The term for this grant-funded position will be up to 2.5 years, with renewal in the 2nd year contingent on satisfactory performance. Salary will be commensurate with experience, and this position includes a comprehensive benefits package.

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