Assistant Professor or Associate Professor Computational Biology/Bioinformatics - 128670

University of West Florida; Pensacola (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plans

Paid leave options

Job summary

The University of West Florida invites applications for a full-time, nine-month, open-rank tenure-earning faculty position in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or related field, at the Assistant Professor or Associate Professor level. Primary appointment in Biology with collaboration across the university, including IHMC.

Areas include genomics, systems biology, AI in biology, and quantitative modeling.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in biology, bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics, biostatistics, data science, computer science, or closely related discipline.
• Evidence of scholarly productivity through peer-reviewed publications or equivalent contributions.
• Demonstrated application of computational or quantitative approaches to biological/biomedical research questions.
• Evidence of or potential for effective university-level teaching and student mentoring.
• Ability or potential to conduct interdisciplinary and collaborative research.
• Associate rank requires sustained scholarship, teaching, and service with accomplishments.

Responsibilities

• Maintain an active research program with potential for sustained external funding.
• Develop collaborative research initiatives with Biology faculty and CI researchers.
• Mentor and engage undergraduate and graduate students in computational research.
• Teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses in bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics, data analysis, or related areas.
• Contribute to the research, educational, and service missions of the Department/College/University.
• Participate in departmental, college, university, and professional service.

Skills

Scholarly productivity

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Teaching and mentoring

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in biology or related field

Job description

Assistant Professor or Associate Professor Computational Biology/Bioinformatics - 128670

The Department of Biology at the University of West Florida (UWF) invites applications for a full-time, nine-month, open-rank tenure-earning faculty position at the Assistant Professor, or Associate Professor level in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or a closely related field.

The successful candidate will hold a primary academic and tenure-earning appointment in the Department of Biology and will be expected to contribute to interdisciplinary research through sustained collaboration with UWF’s Center for Computational Intelligence. We seek candidates who use computational, quantitative, or data-intensive approaches to address significant biological or biomedical questions, strengthening computational biology within the department while fostering research connections across the university.

The faculty member may also develop collaborative research activities with the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) through separately defined and approved arrangements. Such collaborations would complement the faculty members’ primary nine-month appointment and responsibilities at UWF.

Areas of Interest

• Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Bioinformatics, computational biology, and genomics/multiomics
• Systems biology and biological data science
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence applications in biological systems
• Quantitative biology and computational modeling
• Computational approaches to human, microbial, environmental, or biomedical research

Primary Responsibilities

• Maintain an active research program with the potential for sustained external funding in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a related area.
• Develop collaborative research initiatives with Biology faculty and researchers affiliated with UWF’s Center for Computational Intelligence.
• Mentor and engage undergraduate and graduate students in computational and interdisciplinary research.
• Teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses in areas such as bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics, data analysis, or other core/elective courses supporting departmental curricula.
• Contribute to the research, educational, and service missions of the Department of Biology, the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering (HMCSE), and the University.
• Participate in departmental, college, university, and professional service.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree from an accredited institution in biology, bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics, biostatistics, data science, computer science, or a closely related discipline.
• Evidence of scholarly productivity through peer-reviewed publications or equivalent scholarly contributions appropriate to career stage.
• Demonstrated application of computational or quantitative approaches to biological or biomedical research questions.
• Evidence of, or demonstrated potential for, effective university-level teaching and student mentoring.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to conduct interdisciplinary and collaborative research.
• Candidates seeking appointments at the Associate Professor rank must demonstrate a sustained record of scholarship, teaching, service, and professional accomplishments appropriate to the proposed rank.

Preferred Qualifications

• A record of securing competitive external research funding or, for early-career candidates, strong evidence of the potential to establish an externally funded research program.
• Expertise in analyzing large, complex biological datasets, including multiomics, imaging, clinical, environmental, or other data.
• Experience integrating computational methods with wet-lab experimental research.
• Experience mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate student researchers appropriate to career stage.
• Research interests that directly complement and expand the collaborative strengths of the Department of Biology and the Center for Computational Intelligence.
• Experience developing interdisciplinary or multi-investigator research proposals and working effectively across disciplinary or institutional boundaries.

Salary and Benefits

• Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank. UWF offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid leave options.

Desired Start Date

August 8, 2027

Preferred Response Date

October 15, 2026, will remain open until filled.

The University of West Florida, a regional, comprehensive public university serving over 15,000 students, was established in 1963. It is located on a 1,600-acre wooded campus in the westernmost city in the Panhandle region of Florida. Pensacola, the City of Five Flags and the “cradle of naval aviation,” is home to the US Naval Air Station and the Blue Angels (and neighboring Eglin Air Force Base). Pensacola is renowned for its white, sugar-sand beaches and the aquamarine waters of the Gulf of America, labeled the Emerald Coast.

The University of West Florida is an Equal Opportunity/Access/Disabled/Veteran employer. Any individual requiring special accommodation to apply is requested to advise UWF by contacting UWF Human Resources at 850-474-2694. Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check and credential verification. E-Verify is required for employment. All applications for employment at the University are subject to Florida public records law.