Postdoctoral Associate

Job Summary

The University of Colorado Museum is seeking a full-time Postdoctoral Associate to conduct archaeological and paleo-environmental research into the origins of animal domestication in Mongolia and ancient Eurasia, as part of NSF Award CAREER:
Understanding Animal Domestication and Human-Environmental Relationships (#2438455).

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The Natural History Museum Institute is a multidisciplinary research institute. It is one of the 12 research institutes on CU Boulder campus part of the Research and Innovation Office.

This postdoctoral scholar will be responsible for conducting original research on faunal assemblages from ongoing excavations of Bronze Age and earlier assemblages in western Mongolia, and in helping the University of Colorado to arrange and organize a biomolecular laboratory workflow for paleo-environmental research. The successful applicant will be responsible for:

• Managing grant benchmarks and assisting in preparation of grant reports.
• Facilitating archaeological excavations in Mongolia (July/August 2026).
• Helping to collate, organize, and present excavation data from prior field seasons, and prepare these for publication.
• Working with project partners to collect and organize paleo-environmental data, and link with archaeological results.
• Publishing results in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Helping to prepare academic content for sharing with the public through museum exhibits and public programming.
• Conducting original archaeozoological and biomolecular research on animal domestication and human-animal interactions from archaeological materials from western Mongolia and beyond.

The annual salary for this full-time position is $67,080.

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation.

Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be ambitious. Be inspired. Be Boulder.

• A Ph.D. in Archaeology, Anthropology, or closely related field in-hand at the time of application.
• Experience in the analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites (zoo archaeology/archaeozoology).
• Comfort with laboratory and biomolecular settings, and/or strong knowledge of ZooMS (Zoo archaeology by Mass Spectrometry).
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex schedules and meet deadlines.
• Strong academic writing skills.
• Willingness to travel overseas and occasionally conduct challenging archaeological field research.
• Comfort with basic archaeological data organization tools (e.g., GIS, Excel).

To Apply, Please Submit The Following Materials

• Resume/CV
• Cover Letter
• Names and contact information for three references:
  Please upload a document that lists the name, email, and phone number for references who will be contacted by phone.
• Optional:
  Transcripts/Proof of Degree

If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources department using an approved online vendor. If your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit a translated version (if applicable) as an optional attachment.

Please apply by March 6th, 2026 for full consideration.

Note:

Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.