Junior​/Assistant Specialist - Microbiome Engineering - Innovative Genomics Institute

Junior/Assistant Specialist
- Microbiome Engineering
- Innovative Genomics Institute

Position overview

Position title: Junior/Assistant Specialist

Salary range: The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step  the following table for the current salary scale(s) for this position. A reasonable full-time estimate for this position is $57,600 - $67,000.

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: Fall 2026

Position duration: One year with the possibility of extension based on performance and availability of funding.

Application Window

Open date: August 5, 2026

Next review date: Thursday, Aug 20, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Friday, Sep 4, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley seeks applications for a Junior/Assistant Specialist in the Ronda Lab, in the area of microbiome engineering.

The Ronda Lab at the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), UC Berkeley, develops and deploys genome engineering and synthetic biology platforms to understand and reprogram microbial communities. Research in the lab centers on designing molecular tools for in situ microbiome editing, decoding host-microbiome molecular interactions, and translating these discoveries into next-generation biotechnology applications in health and agriculture. This position supports a metabolic engineering project focused on the rumen microbiome and others human-related microbiomes.

The Junior/Assistant Specialist will work at the intersection of anaerobic microbiology, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology to develop and apply tools for engineering rumen microbial communities. The position will be embedded in the highly collaborative research environment of the IGI, with access to cutting-edge genomics and molecular biology facilities and expertise across UC Berkeley.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Responsibilities: The position will contribute in three major ways:
1) metabolic and synthetic biology experiments targeting rumen microbial communities others human-related microbiomes, including anaerobic culturing, isolation and characterization of microbes, strain engineering, and microbial community manipulation;
2) molecular biology and genomics workflows, including plasmid design and construction, bacterial transformation or conjugation, PCR-based screening, Sanger and next-generation sequencing validation, and preparation of metagenomic sequencing libraries; and
3) data management and computational analysis, including processing and interpretation of metagenomic and amplicon sequencing datasets to characterize community composition and functional changes in engineered communities. The position will maintain detailed records of all experiments, conclusions, and results through lab notebooks and internal data management systems. The Junior/Assistant Specialist will contribute to manuscript preparation, present findings at internal lab meetings and scientific conferences, and participate in the preparation of grant proposals.

Opportunities to mentor undergraduate researchers and contribute to the collaborative culture of the Ronda Lab and the broader IGI community are expected.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Bachelor's degree or equivalent international degree or enrolled in a bachelor's degree or equivalent international degree program.

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

-Bachelor's degree or equivalent international degree.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in strain/microbiome engineering, with particular interest in rumen microbial communities, anaerobic microbiology, microbial metabolism, and synthetic biology approaches for engineering bacterial functions.
• Experience with metabolic engineering, microbial pathway design, microbial…