Job Description Summary

POSITION OVERVIEW/SUMMARY:

The Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) at the University of Maryland (UMD), in collaboration with the UMD Center of Excellence in Microbiome Sciences, invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in food safety microbiology and microbial genomics. We seek a highly motivated recent PhD graduate with expertise spanning both computational and experimental biology.

The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary research team led by Professors Mihai Pop (Department of Computer Science) and Jianghong Meng (Department of Nutrition and Food Science). The research program focuses on foodborne pathogens, microbial genomics, microbiome science, and AI-driven large-scale data analysis for food safety applications.

Professor Pop’s laboratory develops novel algorithms and software tools for the analysis of biological and microbiome data. His group has created widely used bioinformatics tools, including the sequence aligner Bowtie, the metagenomic assembler MetaCarvel, and the microbiome statistics package metagenomeSeq. Current research efforts focus on understanding strain-level variation within microbial communities and investigating how database errors influence downstream analytical pipelines.

This position offers an outstanding opportunity to engage in cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research with strong relevance to both academia and industry. The successful candidate will work in a highly collaborative environment at the intersection of microbiology, genomics, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence, with opportunities for professional development, publication, and collaboration across multiple scientific disciplines.

ABOUT JIFSAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

The Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) was established between the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the University of Maryland (UMD) in April 1996. The Institute is a jointly administered, multidisciplinary research, education and outreach program. The Institute is the foundation of public and private partnerships that provides the scientific basis for ensuring a safe, wholesome food supply as well as the infrastructure for contributions to national food safety programs and international food standards. JIFSAN fosters the missions of FDA and the University through the creation of partnerships to increase the quantity and quality of research, which will provide the basis for sound public health policy. It promotes food safety, human nutrition, and animal health and production through integrated research, education, and outreach programs. Opportunities exist for collaborative projects with Federal and state agencies, private industry, consumer and trade groups, and international organizations with mutual interests.

ABOUT THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN MICROBIOME SCIENCES

The UMD Center of Excellence in Microbiome Sciences is an interdisciplinary research community that unites faculty and students across UMD colleges and schools to advance microbiome science through emerging technologies, data innovation, and evidence-based solutions that support human, animal, and environmental health.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

* Conduct independent and collaborative research projects under general guidance while
demonstrating the ability to design, execute, and troubleshoot experiments independently. (45%)

* Apply computational and experimental approaches to investigate foodborne pathogens and microbial genomics. Utilize AI and big data analysis tools for microbial genomics research and data interpretation. (20%)

* Develop and optimize scientific methodologies and analytical techniques relevant to the research objectives. (15%)

* Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across microbiology, bioinformatics, and food safety research areas. (15%)

* Prepare manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Present research findings at leading national and international scientific conferences. (5%)

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

* Education: Ph.D. degree in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or a related field.

* Experience: Experience in computational biology, bioinformatics, genomics, or AI applications in biological research (1-3 years). Experimental laboratory experience in microbiology and/or molecular biology (1-3 years).

* Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Strong interest and background in microbial genomics and food safety microbiology. Demonstrated ability to work independently and think critically. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and scientific writing abilities. Excellent communication and teamwork skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

* Experience working with microbial genome sequencing and comparative genomics (1-3 years).

* Familiarity with machine learning or AI applications for biological data analysis.

* Experience handling large-scale biological datasets and high-performance computing
environments (1-3 years).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

* Predominantly sedentary work.

* Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.

* Repetitive motions.

* Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

* The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as:
preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal;
extensive reading.

* Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another.

* The person in this position needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.

* Ability to use analytical instrumentation and computers in a laboratory environment.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS:
N/A

Additional Job Details

Required Application Materials:

Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae, List of References (including name, phone number, and email), Unofficial Transcript, Writing Sample (e.g. Project/class report primarily written by applicant as opposed to co-authored publications), Code Samples (e.g. link to code repository primarily developed by applicant).

Best Consideration Date:

August 16, 2026

Posting Close Date: N/A

Open Until Filled:

Yes

Financial Disclosure Required

No

For more information on Financial Disclosure, please visit Maryland's State Ethics Commission website.

Department

AGNR-Dean-Joint Inst for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition

Worker Sub-Type

Faculty Regular

Salary Range

$65,000 - $75,000

Benefits Summary

For more information on Regular Faculty benefits, select this link.

Background Checks

Offers of employment are contingent on completion of a background check. Information reported by the background check will not automatically disqualify anyone from employment. Before any adverse decision, the finalist will have an opportunity to provide information to the University regarding disclosable background check information. The University reserves the right to rescind the offer of employment or otherwise decline or terminate employment if the information reported by the background check is deemed incompatible with the position, regardless of when the background check is completed.

Employment Eligibility

The successful candidate must complete employment eligibility verification (on Form I-9) by presenting documents that establish identity and work authorization within the timeframe required by federal immigration law, and where applicable, to demonstrate renewed employment authorization.  Failure to complete employment eligibility verification or reverification within the timeframe set forth by law may result in suspension or termination of employment.

EEO Statement

The University of Maryland, College Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment. Please read the University’s Equal Employment Opportunity Statement of Policy.

Title IX Non-Discrimination Notice

Resources

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