Post Doctoral Associate

Rutgers University; Piscataway Township (NJ); On-site; USD 64,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Retirement benefits

Educational benefits

Life insurance

Employee discounts

Job summary

Rutgers University’s Kaelber lab in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry on the Busch Campus seeks a Post Doctoral Associate to develop and benchmark evolutionary analysis methods, including protein structure comparisons and AI approaches.

The position involves collaboration with wet-lab experiments, mentoring undergraduates, and contributing to origins of life research with Bayesian reconstructions and CNNs, with a focus on rigorous validation and publication-ready results.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in life sciences, chemical sciences or other related field.
• Excellence in at least two of the following are required; structural biology, programming and high-performance computing, bioinformatics or evolutionary theory.
• Required skills include commitment to ethical conduct of research, self-motivation and independence, good documentation habits and a track record of productive scientific results.

Responsibilities

• Develop and benchmark methods for evolutionary analysis by comparing protein structures.
• Conduct rigorous evaluations of concordance of computational results to validation sets.
• Collaborate with wet lab experimentalists and interdisciplinary researchers; mentorship of undergraduates may be encouraged.

Skills

Structural biology

Programming

Bioinformatics

Evolutionary theory

Education

Ph.D. in life sciences/related field

Tools

High-performance computing

Job description

Special Instructions

Applicants should provide a cover letter relating their research and career interests to this position.

Position Information

Recruitment/Posting Title

Post Doctoral Associate

Department

DLS Molecular Biology & Bioche

Salary Details

$63,968-$75,564

Offer Information

The final salary offer may be determined by several factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and expertise, and availability of department or grant funds to support the position. We also take into consideration market benchmarks, if and when appropriate, and internal equity to ensure fair compensation relative to the university’s broader compensation structure. We are committed to offering competitive and flexible compensation packages to attract and retain top talent.

Benefits

• Medical, prescription drug, and dental coverage
• Paid vacation, holidays, and various leave programs
• Competitive retirement benefits, including defined contribution plans and voluntary tax-deferred savings options
• Employee and dependent educational benefits (when applicable)
• Life insurance coverage
• Employee discount programs

Posting Summary

The Kaelber lab located in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry on Rutgers’ Busch Campus, within walking distance of research buildings for computer science and medicine as well as fundamental biology is searching for a Post Doctoral Associate. Prof. Kaelber is the 3DEM Advisor to the RCSB PDB (Protein Data Bank). The postdoctoral associate will attend relevant seminar series on this and other campuses of Rutgers related to origins of life research, artificial intelligence methods development, evolutionary biology, and computational biology. Prof. Kaelber is recruiting a “dry lab” scientist for methods development in evolutionary biology. The postdoctoral associate will develop and benchmark methods for evolutionary analysis by the comparison of protein structures, conduct rigorous evaluations of the concordance of computational results to validation sets, and then determine the origin of life on earth. Mentorship of 1-2 undergraduate students will be encouraged. The postdoctoral associate will collaborate with “wet lab” experimentalists in the research group and with interdisciplinary collaborating scientists. Elements of the experimental approach will include: Bayesian reconstruction of events on billion-year timescales, determination of optimal embeddings and encodings for protein structures, multiple structural alignments, relevant artificial intelligence (AI) approaches such as CNNs and transformers, and protein structure predictions.

Position Status

Full Time

Posting Number

26FA0747

Posting Open Date

09/04/2026

Posting Close Date

10/05/2026

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience

Ph.D. in life sciences, chemical sciences or other related field.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellence in at least two of the following are required; structural biology, programming and high-performance computing, bioinformatics or evolutionary theory.
• Required skills are; commitment to ethical conduct of research, self-motivation and independence, good documentation habits and a track record of productive scientific results

Preferred Qualifications

• High-performance computing; cloud computing; local workstations.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Work will be performed in an office setting. Applicants must be physically capable of interfacing with computers at a swift rate.

Location

Campus Rutgers University-New Brunswick Home Location Campus Busch (RU-New Brunswick) City Piscataway State NJ Location Details

Immunization Requirements

Under Policy 100.3.1 Immunization Policy for Covered Individuals, if employment will commence during Flu Season, Rutgers University may require certain prospective employees to provide proof that they are vaccinated against Seasonal Influenza for the current Flu Season, unless the University has granted the individual a medical or religious exemption. Additional infection control and safety policies may apply. Prospective employees should speak with their hiring manager to determine which policies apply to the role or position for which they are applying. Failure to provide proof of vaccination for any required vaccines or obtain a medical or religious exemption from the University will result in rescission of a candidate’s offer of employment or disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

It is university policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we encourage all qualified applicants to apply. For additional information please see the Non-Discrimination Statement at the following web address: http://uhr.rutgers.edu/non-discrimination-statement

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