Postdoctoral Research Associate

Texas A&M AgriLife Research; Uvalde (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid holidays

Sick leave & vacation

Job summary

Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Uvalde invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Vegetable Breeding Program. The role supports genomics, tissue culture, integrated pest management, agronomy and breeding of vegetable crops, and assists Dr. Subas Malla with project logistics, reporting, outreach and budget oversight for USDA SCRI and TDA-SCBG projects.

The position requires a Ph.D. in plant breeding or a related field, strong data management and communication skills, and the

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Entomology or Agronomy.
• Ability to work individually and with internal/external teams.
• Understanding of genetics and breeding principles of open-pollinated vegetable crops.
• Proficiency in whole genome structural and functional analysis.
• Understanding of lipid profiling and seed physiology.
• Proficiency in biochemical assays for abiotic and biotic tolerance.
• Proficiency in data management and office software (spreadsheets, word processing).
• Strong organizational, communication, and report-writing skills.
• Ability to collaborate with the center, agency, university and partners on the SCRI onion project.
• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

Responsibilities

• Plan and manage research trials for the USDA NIFA SCRI onion project.
• Manage and direct all administrative functions for the 4-year USDA NIFA SCRI onion project.
• Serve as liaison for subcontracts with Texas A&M University System.
• Coordinate quarterly meetings with the SCRI onion project team.
• Coordinate one annual in-person meeting with stakeholders at national conferences.
• Provide administrative support for grant project faculty and staff.
• Develop project plans with PD and co-PIs to monitor progress and resources.
• Monitor and report project progress and outputs.
• Create workflows, policies, timelines and reporting processes.
• Assist PI and co-PIs to ensure on-time, on-scope, on-budget delivery.
• Plan and manage SCRI and TDA-SCBG onion/watermelon projects.
• Conduct whole genome analyses in vegetable crops.
• Manage marker-assisted selection and collect plant samples (driver’s license required).
• Harvest onion bulbs and watermelon fruits (physical exertion up to 50 pounds).
• Select breeding material and design crossing blocks.
• Develop breeding populations and data capture systems.
• Analyze multi-location trial data with statistical software.
• Support grants and contracts for the Vegetable Breeding program.
• Publish research in peer-reviewed journals.
• Travel for meetings and presentations (driver’s license required).
• Mentor graduate students.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Genetics & breeding principles

Genome analysis

Biochemical assays

Data management

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Team collaboration

Report writing

Education

Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Entomology or Agronomy

Tools

Statistical software

Job description

About Texas A&M AgriLife

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members:

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
• Texas A&M AgriLife Research
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University
• Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
• Texas A&M Forest Service

As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service.

Job Title

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Agency

Texas A&M Agrilife Research

Department

Uvalde

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

Uvalde, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Position Information

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will support research in the Vegetable Breeding Program at Uvalde, which is focused on studying genomics, tissue culture, integrated pest management, agronomy and breeding of cultivars for vegetable crops and will assist Dr. Subas Malla in managing the logistics, reporting, communication, outreach, organization, and budget oversight for the 4-year USDA NIFA SCRI onion project and the TDA-SCBG onion and watermelon projects.

Job Duties

• Plan and managing research trials for the USDA NIFA SCRI onion project
• Manage and direct all administrative functions for the 4-year USDA NIFA SCRI onion project
• Serve as the point of contact and liaison for other university offices, colleges, and other agencies involved in subcontracts with Texas A&M University System
• Coordinate and facilitate quarterly meetings with the USDA NIFA SCRI onion project team
• Coordinate one in-person meeting per year with team, Stakeholder Advisory Panel (SAP) and Stakeholders at a conference such as the National Onion Association or National Allium Research Conference meetings
• Provide administrative support for all grant project faculty, staff and administrators involved in the USDA NIFA SCRI onion project
• Assemble project plans and teamwork assignments in collaboration with PD and co-PIs on the SCRI project to monitor work efforts, identify resource needs, assess work quality, and troubleshoot issues accordingly
• Monitor and report progress as appropriate
• Develop workflows and models to standardize and improve outputs, e.g., workflow diagrams, policies and procedures, timelines, and reporting
• Create, track, and manage timelines and related tasks to ensure effective implementation of the SCRI project goals and objectives
• Assist PI and co-PIs to ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget
• Plan and manage research trials for the TDA-SCBG onion and watermelon projects, and the Texas A&M AgriLife onion projects
• Conduct whole genome structural and functional analysis in vegetable crops
• Manage marker-assisted selection in vegetable crops and collect plant samples from the field, greenhouse, and nethouse which requires a driver’s license to drive a state vehicle to the field.
• Harvest onion bulbs and watermelon fruits in the field, greenhouse, and nethouse which requires the ability to exert heavy force and the ability to lift up to 50 pounds
• Select onion bulbs and watermelon fruits for crossing and/or advance generation
• Design crossing block
• Plant onion bulbs/watermelon seeds for crossing block
• Develop breeding populations
• Collect multi-location field, greenhouse, and nethouse data and maintain database which requires a driver’s license to drive vehicles for possible overnight stays.
• Analyze multi-environment trial data using relevant statistical software
• Attract and assist in grants and contracts to support the Vegetable Breeding program in Uvalde
• Publish work in peer-reviewed journals
• Travel to and attend work related meetings and present research findings at various meetings outside of Uvalde which requires a driver’s license to drive a state vehicle or rental car.
• Mentor graduate students in research and training
• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Entomology or Agronomy
• Ability to work individually and by interacting with internal and external teams
• Understanding of the genetics and breeding principles of open-pollinated vegetable crops
• Proficiency in whole genome structural and functional analysis
• Understanding of lipid profiling and seed physiology
• Proficiency in biochemical assays for abiotic and biotic tolerance
• Proficiency in data management and the use of office software such as spreadsheets, and word processing
• Strong organizational skills, excellent communication skills, and report-writing skills
• Ability to establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships at the center, within the agency, the university, outside universities, and other organizations and stakeholders involved in the USDA NIFA SCRI onion project
• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others

Preferred Qualifications

• Two years of related professional experience in plant breeding and supervisory experience

Other Requirements

• Ability to work flexible hours when needed, especially during the field season and peak workload periods. Requires travel to various work locations.

Location

Uvalde is a community of 16,000 people located in the Wintergarden region of southwest Texas, about an hour and a half from San Antonio. Much of the surrounding land is used for irrigated agriculture, although the Hill Country lies just to the north with plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation. The Center has about 150 acres of land for crop research/production and houses a staff of more than 50 people with active research programs in agronomy, horticulture, breeding and genetics, plant biochemistry, plant physiology, plant pathology and wildlife disease ecology.

What You Need To Know

Salary: Compensation for this position is commensurate based on the selected candidate’s qualifications.

Why Work at Texas A&M AgriLife?

When you choose to work for Texas A&M AgriLife, you become part of an organization that is an established leader in agriculture and life sciences with a wide range of capabilities to meet the needs of our statewide, national, and international constituents.

In addition, Texas A&M AgriLife offers a comprehensive benefit package including the following:

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leaveand at leasteight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife

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.