Job Description

Position Details

Position Information

Announcement Number STAFF - VA - 27148 For questions regarding this position, please contact:

Frank Stewart

[email protected]

(406) 994-2235

Classification Title Postdoctoral Researcher Working Title Postdoctoral Researcher Brief Position Overview

The Stewart lab studies how aquatic microbial diversity and ecology are shaped by environmental change. The scientist will join a collaborative team funded by Simons Foundation to understand microbial responses to changes in ocean oxygen availability. The position will involve field work in low oxygen aquatic environments (e.g., marine oxygen minimum zones), laboratory experiments, and a blend of biochemical, molecular, and bioinformatic analyses. The scientist will be encouraged to develop independent lines of research within the broader goals of the project.

Position Number 4C6567 Department Microbiology & Cell Biology Division College of Agriculture/MAES Appointment Type Research Professional Contract Term Fiscal Year Semester If other, specify From date If other, specify End date FLSA Exempt Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining FTE 1.0 Benefits Eligible Eligible Salary Salary commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications. Contract Type LOA If other, please specify Recruitment Type Open

Position Details

General Statement

Montana State University is hiring a Ph.D.-level research scientist to study the physiology and ecology of marine microbes. The scientist will work in the lab of Frank Stewart in MSU’s Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology. The Stewart lab studies how aquatic microbial diversity and ecology are shaped by environmental change. The scientist will join a collaborative team funded by Simons Foundation to understand microbial responses to changes in ocean oxygen availability. The position will involve field work in low oxygen aquatic environments (e.g., marine oxygen minimum zones), laboratory experiments, and a blend of biochemical, molecular, and bioinformatic analyses. The scientist will be encouraged to develop independent lines of research within the broader goals of the project.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties

The research scientist will work broadly to advance the Stewart lab’s ongoing research in the field of aquatic environmental microbiology and bring new research questions and funding to the lab. Specific duties will include:

Organizing and leading field work in marine and freshwater environments.
Culturing of anaerobic or micro-aerobic microbes.
Conducting biogeochemical experiments to measure changes in the metabolism of aquatic microbial communities.
Extracting, purifying, and characterizing microbial DNA and RNA pools using standard techniques in molecular biology and sequencing.
Conducting bioinformatic and statistical analyses of microbial omic datasets.
Synthesizing and presenting results in the form of conference presentations/posters and scholarly papers.
Contributing to or leading the submission of grant proposals.
Mentoring undergraduate and graduate researchers.
Conducting or leading planning meetings with international collaborators.
Attending and participating in departmental seminars and lab meetings.
Developing and leading outreach efforts to educate students and the public on how oceans and microorganisms affect societal, economic, and ecological wellbeing (e.g., via K-12 learning initiatives, local seminars, and professional development workshops).

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

To be considered for this position, candidates must have demonstrated experience and success in:

Completed Ph.D. in environmental microbiology, biological oceanography, biogeochemistry, or a related field.
Sampling of microorganisms from diverse aquatic habitats.
Experimental or bioinformatic analysis of microbial metabolisms under low oxygen concentration.
Isolation, culturing, or quantitative rate measurements of anaerobic or micro-aerobic microbial metabolisms.

Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

Experience working on teams, including under challenging field conditions aboard research vessels.
Technical science communication through public speaking, video, writing, or social media.
Educational outreach and engagement with non-scientist stakeholders and the public.

The Successful Candidate Will

The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic, self-directed, motivated by experimental and analytical challenges, and proficient in biogeochemical and molecular microbiology techniques.

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information

This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Physical Demands

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodation. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

This position has supervisory duties? No

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies 1 Desired Start Date Position End Date (if temporary) Open Date Close Date Applications will be:

Screening of applications will begin on December 1, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.

Special Instructions

This position is not eligible for new sponsorship.

EEO Statement

Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.

In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.

Applicant Documents

Required Documents