Postdoctoral Research Associate

Job Title

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Agency

Texas A&M University

Department

Veterinary Integrative Biosciences

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Our Commitment   

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.   

Who we are 

The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) is an institution that represents 100 years of growth from a small school of veterinary medicine in 1916 to its present role as a major veterinary educational, medical, and research center. Today, we are one of the largest colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States, training nearly 600 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students each year. We support collaboration and teamwork that turns today's discoveries into proactive solutions for animals, humans, and the environment. Together, we strive to support the goals of the faculty, staff and students in teaching, research, and outreach programs.  The Gastrointestinal Laboratory (GI Lab) at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) provides specialized testing services to help veterinarians diagnose and treat gastrointestinal diseases in dogs and cats.”  The GI link is https://vetmed.tamu.edu/gilab/  

  

What we want 

The Postdoctoral Research Associate has primary responsibility for sample receipt, sample management, sample processing, preparation for chemical analysis, directly measure total mercury, reporting data to the PI and collaborators, interpretation of data with Dr. O’Hara, and report and peer reviewed manuscript writing. Provides day-to-day research laboratory supervision of students and works closely with Dr. Jill Hiney for overall function of the research lab and associated shared space.

What you need to know

Salary: Compensation will be commensurate based on the selected hire’s education and experience

Special Instructions: A cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references (to include at least one previous supervisor) are strongly recommended. You may upload all three on the application under CV/Resume or upon answering the questionnaire you may attach the documents

Schedule: This position may require work beyond normal office hours and/or work on weekends

Other: This position is grant funded

Qualifications

Required Education

• A PhD in any field related to biology and/or chemistry with emphasis on focus of dissertation topic

Preferred Qualifications

• At least 3 cumulative years working in a biology or chemistry lab that generates chemical data in biot. This can include graduate studies experience. Experience with mercury and trace elements analysis a bonus
• Experience working with colleagues outside of Texas as our current efforts include Mexico, California and Alaska
• Experience working with undergraduate and graduate students in the laboratory

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing, on occasion with colleagues that have Spanish as their primary language
• Ability to positively and professionally interact with faculty & students
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills (especially sample inventory and data management)
• Working knowledge of office software programs
• Ability to orally comprehend and express information and use inductive and deductive reasoning
• Ability to positively and professionally interact with faculty & students
• Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others

Responsibilities

Research Support

• Plans and implements sample processing and chemical analysis in consultation with Dr. O’Hara & Dr. Hiney
• Emphasizes quality assurance and quality control
• Maintains compliance, which is especially critical for human subjects work
• Ensures the accuracy and timeliness of data, and products
• Assumes primary responsibility for sample receipt, sample management, reporting data to the PI and collaborators, interpretation of the data, report and peer-reviewed manuscript writing

Budget Preparation and Management

• Develops, prepares, and manages WTL 2.0 budget as training under the guidance of the PIs.
• Monitors expenditures in parallel with Dr. O’Hara
• Orders supplies to maintain key functions

Mentoring

• Provides basic research direction and supervision of students who are working on research related to the project, in consultation with the PIs
• Assists students with the opportunity to develop and grow
• Promotes an environment that is respectful of others and promotes honest feedback
• Assists in training students

Why Texas A&M University?   

We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration.  Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you.  Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes.   

• Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts , and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums 
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays   
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave  and at least eight hours of paid vacation  each month  
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas  
• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time   
• Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning  training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more   
• Educational release time and tuition assistance  for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee  
• Living Well, a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees 

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume’ or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.