Assistant Professor - Plant Responses to Environmental Changes

Assistant Professor – Plant Responses to Environmental Changes – Department of Plant and Microbial Biology

Position overview

Salary range: $84,100–$132,900 (9‑month academic year salary). Off‑scale salary and other components of pay, which would yield compensation higher than this range, are offered to meet competitive conditions.

Anticipated start: July 1, 2027

The Department of Plant and Microbial Biology in the Rausser College of Natural Resources at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) invites applications for a tenure‑track Assistant Professor faculty position in “Plant Responses to Environmental Changes”. The department is a community of scholars whose research advances knowledge in plant and microbial systems in terms of biochemistry, cell and developmental biology, genetics and genomics, ecology, evolution, and pathogenesis, and their applications to ecosystems, agriculture, bioenergy, biomedicine, and biotechnology.

Our undergraduate students have a choice of vibrant majors that span the disciplines in the department, and we administer top‑ranked Ph.D. programs in microbiology and plant biology. Researchers benefit from extensive greenhouse and field space and opportunities for interactions and collaborations with other biological science departments and units on campus, including the Innovative Genomics Institute, the Energy Biosciences Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Food Institute, the Plant Gene Expression Center, the Joint Genomics Institute, and the Joint Bioenergy Institute.

The department seeks applicants conducting fundamental research to provide knowledge on how plants respond and adapt to environmental changes, including abiotic stress factors (e.g., temperature, drought, flooding, salinity) and biotic interactions (e.g., pathogenic and symbiotic microbial interactions, insects, parasitic plants). The candidate’s research will be expected to integrate cutting‑edge genetic, genomic, physiological, quantitative analysis and modeling, systems biology, and/or synthetic biology approaches.

Applicants should also have strong interests in teaching and mentoring the next generation of scientists in plant biology. Candidates whose research programs include both fundamental biology and translational research bearing on crop improvement, particularly in the context of adaptation to climate change‑associated environmental challenges, are especially encouraged to apply.

Basic qualifications (required at time of application): Ph.D. (or equivalent international degree) or enrollment in a Ph.D. or equivalent international degree‑granting program.

Preferred qualifications:

• Demonstrate evidence of strong research productivity, potential for funding, and a commitment to excellence in teaching and research mentoring of undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars.
• Demonstrate evidence of expertise and scholarship within a relevant field such as, but not limited to, genetics, cell and molecular biology, genomics, quantitative analysis and modeling in researching mechanisms underlying plant responses to environmental changes.
• Demonstrate strong research skills and a potential to establish an innovative research agenda, to communicate their work effectively to a broader public, and to work with other researchers from diverse disciplines.
• Have proven excellence in research in plant resilience to climate change and ample evidence of potential for continued scientific leadership, creativity, and independence, as demonstrated by a record of significant, impactful, and innovative publications, envisioned in a compelling research statement, and corroborated by strong letters of reference.

Berkeley, CA

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.