Bee Biology Lead - Pioneering Bee Health & Genomics

Vylor Inc.; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid time off

Parental leave

Retirement plan

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Vylor, Inc. is seeking an experienced Bee Biology Lead to establish and advance our bee research capabilities. This hands-on role will design, conduct, troubleshoot, and interpret studies while building the capacity to support discovery programs.

You’ll lead colony management, assays, and experimental protocols, leveraging molecular biology, genomics, and biochemistry to address bee biology questions and inform strategic decisions. Collaboration across disciplines is essential.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in entomology, apiculture, insect biology, physiology, molecular biology, genetics/genomics, microbiology, biochemistry, or closely related field with significant research experience.
• Hands-on experience maintaining and manipulating honey bees and colonies for research.
• Strong knowledge of honey bee biology, colony organization, development, reproduction, nutrition, behavior, health, pests, pathogens, and seasonal management.
• Ability to formulate hypotheses, design experiments, establish controls, develop protocols, troubleshoot biological systems, analyze data, and draw defensible conclusions.
• Hands-on expertise in molecular biology, genetics/genomics, gene-expression analysis, functional biology, microbiology, biochemistry, or omics.
• Strong quantitative, data-interpretation, documentation, and scientific communication skills.
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams and manage experimental deliverables.
• Willingness to perform seasonal outdoor apiary work with live bees.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain honey bee colony, apiary, laboratory, and controlled-environment research capabilities.
• Develop seasonal colony-management plans including establishment, queen management, nutrition, health monitoring, and overwintering.
• Design and execute experiments addressing bee biology, health, physiology, development, reproduction, behavior, and responses to variables.
• Develop and validate assays, protocols, and sampling methods for bees, brood, adults, queens, colonies, tissues, or samples.
• Apply molecular biology, genetics/genomics, functional biology, biochemistry, microbiology, or related methods to study bee biology.
• Analyze and integrate data to generate clear scientific conclusions and recommendations.
• Identify new methods, equipment, and collaborations to strengthen bee research.
• Maintain high standards for rigor, reproducibility, safety, and compliance.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship while remaining hands-on in experiments.
• Communicate progress, risks, needs, and recommendations to leadership; contribute to patents, publications, and external engagement.

Skills

Bee biology

Colony management

Experimental design

Data analysis

Molecular biology

Scientific communication

Team mentorship

Outdoor apiary work

Education

Ph.D. in entomology or related

M.S. with substantial equivalent experience

Tools

Genomics techniques

Biochemistry methods

Job description

Vylor, Inc. is seeking an experienced Bee Biology Lead to establish and advance our bee research capabilities. This hands-on role will design, conduct, troubleshoot, and interpret studies while building the capacity to support discovery programs.

You’ll lead colony management, assays, and experimental protocols, leveraging molecular biology, genomics, and biochemistry to address bee biology questions and inform strategic decisions. Collaboration across disciplines is essential.