Three open research positions at the DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI)
The DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is currently seeking candidates for three open research positions within our Metagenome and Microbial Programs. Please share these opportunities with qualified postdoctoral researchers, graduate students nearing completion, and research colleagues in your departments and professional networks. Application link: https://go.lbl.gov/JGImicrobiome.
1. Microbial Genomics Postdoctoral Fellow (Job ID: 107874)
• Program: Microbial Program
• Appointment Type: Postdoctoral Fellow (2-year term with potential renewal)
• Focus: Working in close collaboration with the Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC) and JGI scientists, this fellow will spearhead community reporting specifications and metadata standards for complex genomic datasets, including single-cell microeukaryotes, co-cultures, and microbial symbioses. Responsibilities include building automated metadata validation tools, FAIR-compliant schemas, and benchmark datasets.
• Qualifications: Ph.D. in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Microbiology, or a related field received within the past 3 years, with experience in metadata management, sequencing data analysis, and scripting (Python, R, or Bash).
2. Microbiome Postdoctoral Fellow (Job ID: 107905)
• Program: Metagenome / Microbiome Research
• Appointment Type: Postdoctoral Fellow (2-year term with potential renewal)
• Focus: This position investigates the genomic and metabolic traits underlying microbial cultivability. The fellow will combine machine learning, statistical modeling, and comparative genomics using the JGI Data Lakehouse and HPC environments to build predictive models that identify metabolic gaps, infer growth requirements, and bridge isolated cultures with metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs).
• Qualifications: Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Microbiology, or a related quantitative field received within the past 3 years, with proficiency in machine learning frameworks, comparative genomics, and statistical data analysis.
3. Metagenome Research Scientist (Job ID: 107907)
• Program: Metagenome Program
• Appointment Type: 2-Year Career-Track Term Appointment
• Focus: This role centers on leading large-scale computational analyses of complex microbial ecosystems using longitudinal, multi-site metagenomic time-series datasets (such as NEON and MONet). The scientist will leverage the JGI Data Lakehouse, High-Performance Computing (HPC), and cloud resources to develop reusable pipelines and models characterizing microbial community dynamics and interactions.
• Qualifications: Ph.D. or equivalent experience in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Microbial Ecology, or a related discipline, with demonstrated expertise in high-throughput sequencing pipelines and scalable workflow development.
Location & Work Environment
• Workplace: Integrative Genomics Building, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA.
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid work schedule (on-site collaboration combined with telework flexibility).
• Benefits: Comprehensive UC/Berkeley Lab benefits package covering health, retirement, and professional development support.
How to Apply
• Priority Application Deadline: December 4, 2026. Review of applications will begin immediately following the priority date.
• Application Link: https://go.lbl.gov/JGImicrobiome