Postdoctoral Research Associate

Job Title
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Agency
Texas A&M Agrilife Research
Department
Animal Science
Proposed Minimum Salary
Commensurate
Job Location
College Station, Texas
Job Type
Staff
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 Forest Service
Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
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.
Click here to learn more about joining AgriLife!
Position Information
Job Summary:
The Postdoctoral Research Associate is responsible for studying how bacterial stress responses and multispecies biofilm ecology drive the persistence of zoonotic foodborne pathogens, and evaluate pre-harvest interventions that reduce these pathogens in beef on dairy production systems. The position sits within an active One Health research program that combines controlled laboratory work, field sampling, and multi-omics analysis.
Responsibilities:
Design, conduct, and troubleshoot controlled experiments on bacterial stress responses, multispecies biofilm models, and pathogen persistence.
Process environmental and animal-source samples, prepare sequencing libraries (16S and shotgun metagenomics), and carry out downstream analysis in R or Python.
Plan and support environmental sampling in production settings, including coordination collaborators.
Maintain careful records and contribute to laboratory data management practices.
Lead and co-author peer-reviewed manuscripts, reports for funding agencies, and conference presentations.
Mentor graduate and undergraduate students and contribute to a collegial laboratory environment.
Contribute to grant reporting and, where appropriate, to the preparation of new proposals.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Supervision: This position will be supervised by Dr. Sapna Dass. Research Microbiologist at the USDA-ARS Food Safety Research Unit (Burlington, Vermont) will provide additional mentorship in research design, laboratory methods, field coordination, and professional development.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications:
PhD in microbiology, microbial ecology, or a related field, or equivalent research experience.
Hands-on experience in bacterial culture and general molecular microbiology.
Knowledge of microbiome or sequencing data, including 16S or metagenomics, and basic analysis in R or Python.
Careful documentation and the ability to design and run controlled experiments independently.
Clear scientific writing and the ability to communicate results.
Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with biofilm models, multispecies microbial communities, or bacterial stress response assays.
Pre-harvest or on-farm sampling in beef or dairy systems.
A record of peer-reviewed publications.
Other Requirements:
This position is funded through grants or contracts. Continued employment is dependent upon ongoing funding and satisfactory job performance. Employment is contingent upon the continued availability of funding and satisfactory job performance.
In order to be considered for this position prior to your doctoral degree being conferred, please attach a letter from your school’s official Graduate Office, Registrar’s Office or PhD Committee Chair certifying that all requirements for the doctoral degree have been met and stating the degree conferral date.
What You Need to Know
Salary: Compensation is commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications.
Position Funding: This position is funded through grants or contracts. Continued employment is dependent upon ongoing funding and satisfactory job performance. Employment is contingent upon the continued availability of funding and satisfactory job performance.
Flexible Work Arrangements: This position is not eligible for remote work.
Sponsorship: This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States and must not require sponsorship now or in the future.
Important Notice Regarding H1-B Sponsorship:
Your employment at Texas A&M AgriLife may require nonimmigrant sponsorship. A Presidential proclamation issued on September 19, 2025, imposes a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025. Texas A&M AgriLife will NOT pay this fee. If the fee is imposed on your petition, this offer of employment will be revoked. If actions taken during your employment result in the imposition of this fee, your employment will be terminated. To the extent that this statement conflicts with any applicable System or member Policy, Regulation, or Rule, this statement will control. We recommend that you consult with your private immigration counsel at your own expense regarding potential implications.
In addition, on January 27, 2026, Texas Governor Abbott issued a moratorium on the filing of any new H-1B unless approved by the Texas Workforce Commission. Accordingly, if you will now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status this moratorium may affect our ability to employ you should you be selected as the final candidate.
Benefits and Leave:
Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance (AgriLife contributes to premiums)
12–15 annual paid holidays
Up to 8 hours/month sick leave and at least 8 hours/month vacation
Automatic