Assistant Professor of Computational Biology

Utah Tech University; St. George (VT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Utah Tech University invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Computational Biology, with a primary focus on Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) algorithms and their pedagogical application at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

This role supports the department's expanding programs in bioinformatics and genomics, teaching in the B.S. Bioinformatics and M.S. Genomics with a Bioinformatics emphasis and mentoring students in NGS workflows.

Qualifications

• PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Genomics, CS with bio focus or closely related field.
• Proven expertise in NGS algorithms and high-throughput data analysis with scripting experience.
• Experience teaching NGS and computational biology to diverse student groups.
• Ability to design innovative curriculum using active/project-based learning.

Responsibilities

• Teach 24 credit hours annually across undergrad/grad levels in NGS and related topics.
• Deliver courses on NGS platforms, read alignment, variant calling, and genomics.
• Mentor master’s students and supervise undergraduate research in computational biology.
• Contribute to curriculum development and interdisciplinary program growth.
• Participate in service duties and outreach within the college community.

Skills

NGS algorithms

Bioinformatics

Python

R

Bash scripting

Curriculum design

Education

PhD in Computational Biology or related

Tools

Snakemake

Nextflow

HPC

Job description

Position Announcement

The Department of Biological Sciences at Utah Tech Universityinvites applications for a full-time, tenure-track AssistantProfessor position in Computational Biology, with a primary focuson Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) algorithms and theirpedagogical application at both the undergraduate and graduatelevels. This position is part of a two-position hire supporting thedepartment's expanding programs in bioinformatics andgenomics. The successful candidate will be an expert in NGS algorithms andpipeline development, capable of translating complex computationalconcepts for students at varying levels of experience. The positionwill provide instruction for an existing Bachelor of Science inBioinformatics and Master of Science in Genomics with aBioinformatics emphasis. The Biological Sciences department houses degree programs inBioinformatics, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, NaturalSciences, and Biology Secondary Education. Additional programinformation is available at https://biology.utahtech.edu/.

Responsibilities

Teaching and Curriculum

• Teach 24 credit hours of lower and/or upper-division coursesper academic year across undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Deliver upper-division and master's-level courses in NGSalgorithms, bioinformatics pipeline design, computational genomics,and related topics, with the ability to adapt instruction tostudents from both computational and life science backgrounds.
• Teach core NGS topics including short- and long-read sequencingplatforms, read alignment algorithms (e.g., BWA, STAR, minimap2),variant calling, de novo assembly, transcriptomics, and epigenomicsanalysis.
• Develop and teach additional courses as needed, which mayinclude Principles of Genetics, Introduction to Programming forBiologists, or Statistical Genomics, depending on departmental needand applicant expertise.
• Create innovative upper-level elective courses that reflectemerging areas of NGS technology and computational biology,complementing and diversifying the department's currentofferings.
• Design and deliver instruction in multiple modalities includingface-to-face, flipped classroom, hybrid, and fully online formats;willingness to teach evening and summer courses when needed.

Research and Mentorship

• Mentor master's students in functional genomics and NGS-focusedresearch projects, guiding them from data generation throughcomputational analysis and interpretation.
• Supervise undergraduate research in computational biology,providing hands-on experience with NGS datasets and bioinformaticsworkflows.
• Maintain an active scholarly profile consistent with theteacher-scholar model, including publications, presentations, orcollaborative research appropriate to a primarily undergraduate andmaster's serving institution.
• Assist in mentoring and supervising part-time instructorsteaching in the bioinformatics program.

Service and Institutional Contribution

• Collaborate with the Department Chair, Dean, and facultycolleagues on curriculum development, program assessment, andstrategic planning for both the Bioinformatics B.S. and Genomics M.S. programs.
• Perform campus-wide service duties including holding regularoffice hours, attending department and division meetings, servingon university and college committees, and participating in outreachand recruitment activities.
• Contribute to interdisciplinary curricular and scholarlyactivities within the Department, the College of Science,Engineering & Technology, and the University.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required

• PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Genomics,Computer Science with a biological application focus, or a closelyrelated field.
• Demonstrated expertise in NGS algorithms and the analysis ofhigh-throughput sequencing data, with proficiency in at least onescripting/programming language (Python, R, Bash, or equivalent) andfamiliarity with bioinformatics tools and workflow managementsystems (e.g., Snakemake, Nextflow).
• Successful teaching experience at the college or universitylevel, with evidence of effective instruction of NGS andcomputational biology topics to students from diverse disciplinarybackgrounds.
• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver innovativecurriculum using a variety of instructional approaches, includingactive learning, project-based learning, and computational labenvironments.
• Commitment to inclusive excellence: ability to workrespectfully and collaboratively with students and colleagues fromall backgrounds, and demonstrated advocacy for women, people ofcolor, first-generation students, and other groups underrepresentedin computational sciences.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including theability to explain complex algorithmic concepts clearly tonon-expert audiences.
• Demonstrated capacity for continuous professional development,including staying current with rapidly evolving NGS technologies,tools, and best practices.

Preferred

• Postdoctoral or industry experience applying NGS methods in aresearch context.
• Experience teaching or mentoring in a bioinformatics, genomics,or data science program at the graduate level.
• Familiarity with cloud computing environments (AWS, GoogleCloud, or equivalent) and high-performance computing clusters forlarge-scale genomics analyses and workflow management tools(Nextflow, Snakemake).
• Experience developing online or hybrid bioinformatics courses,including the design of computational lab modules and auto-gradedassessments.
• Track record of interdisciplinary collaboration bridgingcomputational and experimental biology.
• Strong commitment to the teacher-scholar model at a primarilyundergraduate institution (PUI).