Postdoctoral Researcher (Molecular Ecology) - University of Hawaii at Manoa
Regular, Full-Time, RCUH Non-Civil Service position with the College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resilience (CTAHR), Komohana Research and Extension Center, Hilo, Hawai‘i. Continuation of employment is dependent upon program/operational needs, satisfactory work performance, availability of funds, and compliance with applicable Federal/State laws.
MONTHLY SALARY: $5,000/Mon.
Duties: Leads the de novo assembly of large, often highly heterozygous insect genomes. Performs structural and functional annotation using pipelines such as BRAKER3, MAKER, or Ensembl’s gene annotation system. Analyzes repetitive elements and transposable elements (TEs) which often complicate insect genomic landscapes. Conducts phylogenomic analyses to resolve evolutionary relationships using thousands of orthologous genes. Performs population-level SNP calling and quantify genetic diversity and population structure. Utilizes Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) to link genotypes to specific phenotypes of economic or ecological importance. Analyzes RNA-seq data to characterize differential gene expression across life stages, tissues, or experimental treatments. Integrate multi-omic datasets (e.g., ATAC-seq, Proteomics) to build gene regulatory networks. Conducts plant and insect genetic resistance trials. Develops and maintains reproducible, scalable bioinformatic pipelines using workflow management systems (Nextflow, Snakemake). Manages large datasets on High-Performance Computing (HPC) clusters or cloud environments (AWS/Google Cloud). Assists the Principal Investigator (PI) in mentoring grad students and grant proposal writing.
PRIMARY QUALIFICATIONS:
EDUCATION: PhD from an accredited college or university in Bioinformatics, Genomics, Entomology, Evolutionary Biology, or a related field.
EXPERIENCE: One to three (1-3) years of related experience, including experience with insect-specific genomic challenges, genetic resistance, and familiarity with "Integrative Taxonomy" (linking genomic data with morphological vouchers).
KNOWLEDGE: Advanced skills in Python or Perl, and statistical programming in R. Linux/Unix: Mastery of the command line, shell scripting (Bash), and job submission systems (Slurm, PBS). Genomic Tools: Experience with assembly tools (e.g., Hifiasm, Flye), alignment tools (BWA, Bowtie2), and variant callers (GATK, FreeBayes). Metrics: Familiarity with assessing genome quality.
ABILITIES & SKILLS: Strong publication record demonstrating the ability to move from data to published biological narrative. Post Offer/Employment Condition: Must be able to complete the UH Laboratory Safety training within six (6) months from date of hire. Must be able to complete the UH Title IX training within 30 days from date of hire, and re-certify annually. Must complete the online Hazard Communication training immediately after hire or no later than employee’s initial exposure to hazardous chemicals. Must be able to complete the UH Information Security Awareness Training (ISAT) within two (2) weeks from date of hire, and re-certify every twelve (12) months.
PHYSICAL/MEDICAL DEMANDS: Must be able to lift and carry a fifty (50) pound backpack for field research.
POLICY/REGULATORY REQUIREMENT: As a condition of employment, employee will be subject to all applicable RCUH policies, procedures, and trainings and, as applicable, subject to University of Hawai‘i's and/or business entity's policies, procedures, and trainings. Violation of RCUH's, UH's, or business entity's policies and/or procedures or applicable State or Federal laws and/or regulations may lead to disciplinary action (including, but not limited to possible termination of employment, personal fines, civil and/or criminal penalties, etc.).
SECONDARY QUALIFICATIONS:
High-quality publication record.
INQUIRIES: Dr. Pascal Aigbedion-Atalor 808-969-8259 (Hawai‘i)
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Please go to: https://www.rcuh.com/opportunities/job-openings/. You must submit the following documents online to be considered for the position: 1) Cover Letter, 2) Resume, 3) List of Professional References, 4) Copy of Degree(s)/Unofficial or Official Transcript(s)/Certificate(s). All online applications must be submitted/received by the closing date (11:59 P.M. Hawai‘i Standard Time/RCUH receipt time) as stated on the job posting. If you do not have access to our system and the closing date is imminent, please send additional documents to rcuh_recruitment@rcuh.com. If you have questions on the application process and/or need assistance, please call (808)956-7262 or (808)956-0872. Please visit https://www.rcuh.com/policies-forms-documents/benefits-at-a-glance.pdf for more information on RCUH’s Benefits for eligible employees.
RCUH’s mission is to support and enhance research, development and training in Hawai‘i, with a focus on the University of Hawai‘i.
RCUH is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, marital status, reproductive health decision, citizenship, gender identity or expression, domestic or sexual violence victim status, military/veteran status, or other grounds protected under applicable federal and state laws, except as permitted by law.
