Job Description

The University of Oklahoma (OU), Norman campus, seeks to fill a full-time Research Scientist position in Quantitative Ecology, Applied Mathematics, and/or Computational Science to support research and educational programs in Environmental Microbiome/Genomics/Ecology, at the Institute for Environmental Genomics (IEG, https://www.ou.edu/ieg).

The main responsibilities of this position are to: (i) develop novel mathematical/computational algorithms, biogeochemical models, or other mathematical frameworks enhanced by big microbiome data analysis; (ii) design and develop computational tools or pipelines for mathematical/statistical analysis of microbiome data (sequencing and gene chip data); (iii) manage different servers, pipelines, and cloud computing systems; (iv) coordinate the efforts for applying supercomputing on the OU campus to microbiome studies; and (v) train postdocs and graduate students for advanced computational and statistical approaches. Opportunities exist for the successful candidate to participate in grant proposal development as a PI or Co-PI. The scientist can also hold adjunct faculty positions within relevant academic departments such as School of Biological Sciences or School of Computer Science.

Review of applications will begin on November 4, 2024 and continue until the position is filled. A near-term start date is desired.

Education

Competitive applicants should have a Ph.D. in Computational Science or related disciplines, e.g., Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Bioinformatics, Biological or Environmental Engineering, Ecology, Microbiology, or Biochemistry.

Skill

The candidate should have:

(i)              Substantial knowledge/experience in Quantitative Ecology, Microbial Ecology, Metagenomics, Applied Mathematics in Dynamical Systems, or related disciplines;

(ii)            Strong research experience and skills in various aspects of computing, including but not limited to the following: algorithm development, predictive model design and implementation, data mining and machine learning, big data processing and management, parallel programming, computational tool/pipeline development, supercomputing, and/or cloud computing;

(iii)          Experience in microbiome and system biology studies related to bioenergy, climate change, environment pollution, or human health would be desired;

(iv)           Excellent oral and written communication skills and a demonstrated ability to interact and collaborate with team members and students;

(v)             Experience in proposal development, although not required.

Interested applicants should prepare the following documents:

·       A letter of application

·       A current curriculum vitae

·       A description of research interests and accomplishments

·       The names and contact information for at least three references

To apply, please submit the materials mentioned above to Interfolio: http://apply.interfolio.com/158652

ALL APPLICANTS MUST APPLY ONLINE. Inquiries should be directed to: Dr. Jizhong (Joe) Zhou (jzhou@ou.edu)  or Daliang Ning (ningdaliang@ou.edu). Salary will be commensurate with experience, expertise and skills. Further information about the institute can be found on the IEG website: http://ieg.ou.edu/.