Postdoctoral Research Associate (tamus)

Job Description

Agency

Department

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 how you can be a part of AgriLife and make a difference in the world!

Position Information

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde. The Postdoctoral Research Associate will perform independent and collaborative roles in vegetable physiology-environmental stress research requiring an advanced level of knowledge in a field of plant science, predominantly intellectual and varied in character which requires consistent use of discretion and judgment.

Responsibilities:

• Perform independent research with a focus on nutrient and water use efficiency and stress management strategies for tomato grafting using diverse pools of rootstocks and scions
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• Conduct research under controlled environment and protected cultivation systems (growth chambers, greenhouse hydroponics, high tunnels) and conventional or organic fields
• Participate in a collaborative team research project related to soil and plant nutrient uptake in spinach varieties grown in commercial fields and hydroponics systems
• Collaborate in the preparation of proposals for funding agencies and industry
• Compose and write scientific publications, progress and annual/final reports for grants
• Operate research field and lab equipment
• Supervise graduate students and other lab/field personnel in research
• Plan, conduct, monitor and participate in independent and collaborative tomato and spinach research projects under protected and open field cultivation systems  
• Use lab and field equipment (ICP, HPLC, gas exchange analyzer, soil/root/plant sensors, chlorophyll fluorescence, etc.), data loggers and image processing tools
• Use soil and canopy sensors to monitor soil, water and nutrient status, plant growth, flowering, yield and microclimate modifications
• Maintain and calibrate laboratory and environmental stress field instrumentation
• Monitor and quantify major tomato insects and diseases on tomato and spinach in response to genotypes, environmental modifications and soil conditions
• Collect and organize samples for growth, mineral or biochemical analysis
• Harvest plant samples from the experimental plots which requires the ability to lift or move heavy loads up to 50 pounds
• Utilize simple to complex statistical analysis and generate narrative and graphical reports
• Evaluate data and summarize results for preparation in peer reviewed publications
• Participate in grant applications
• Present at grower’s field days, CEA conferences, workshops and/or horticultural professional societies meetings
• Other related duties as required

Required Qualifications:

• PhD degree in horticulture, agronomy, plant physiology, or closely related field
• Strong background and research experience in the use of environmental stress physiology instrumentation (gas exchange analyzer, soil/root/plant sensors), data loggers, and image processing tools to collect plant phenotypic/genotypic and environmental data
• Strong ability to formulate hypothesis, design experiments, handling scientific data, perform statistical analysis, and writing scientific reports  
• Experience in laboratory procedures for soil, plant and fruit quality analysis
• Evidence of publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Excellent English written and oral communication skills
• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others
• Proven organizational skills
• Ability to effectively communicate with faculty, students, staff and growers
• Ability to drive and travel independently or in groups

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in the cultivation of tomato production systems in greenhouse, high tunnels and open fields
• Experience in grafting techniques for tomato
• Experience in the measurement of plant stress hormones, nutrients and antioxidant compounds (ICP, HPLC)
• Experience in measuring root traits and related software applications
• Experience in monitoring for plant stress, nutrition, health, and biocontrol of pests​

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.

Texas A&M AgriLife Research (http://agriliferesearch.tamu.edu) is the state’s premier research agency in agriculture, natural resources, and life sciences. A member of the Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M AgriLife Research collaborates with the Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and many others to help fulfill the Texas A&M System’s land-grant mission of teaching, research, extension, and service.

For additional information contact Dr. Daniel Leskovar, Center Director by email at d-leskovar@tamu.edu or by phone at 830-988-6124. All inquiries are confidential.

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 packing 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 leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas  
• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife

Applicant Instructions

Applications received by Texas A&M AgriLife must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to prepopulate the online application.

Required Documents

Cover letter

Detailed curriculum vitae stating education, experience and qualifications

List of three references with contact information

Please note attachments can be uploaded as one document or multiple attachments can be included.

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/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.