Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Current job opportunities are posted here as they become available.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Exempt

Negaunee Integrative Research

Since the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, our organization has aimed to connect people to the natural environment and human history.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage:
  Including medical, dental, vision plans, and even pet insurance.
• Financial Security:
  Life and disability benefits plus a 403(b) savings plan to help you plan for the future.
• Work‑Life Balance:
  Generous paid time off, paid sick leave, and paid holidays to ensure you have time to recharge and spend with loved ones.
• Exclusive Perks:
  Enjoy great employee discounts and complimentary general admission to participating cultural institutions.

The Grainger Bioinformatics Center in the Science and Education Department at The Field Museum is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Scientist to conduct phylogenomic research on lichens. This is a full‑time, 2‑year position focused on RADseq and target enrichment datasets to investigate evolutionary relationships, phylogenetics, and species delimitation. Ongoing projects and datasets are available, enabling rapid progress toward publication.

• Manage population genomic and phylogenetic analyses using RADseq and target enrichment data.
• Process SNP data, conduct population structure analyses, phylogenetic inference, and species delimitation using modern statistical and computational approaches.
• Carry out analyses primarily in R and Python.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation, with the expectation of leading at least one first‑author publication.
• Collaborate on additional research projects.
• Provide mentorship, including training undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in STEM and contributing to a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment.

• Strong background in bioinformatics, computational biology, evolutionary biology, or a related field.
• Experience with genomic data analysis, phylogenetics, and working in Linux‑based environments.
• Familiarity with population genomics tools and coalescent‑based methods preferred.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Postdoctoral researcher will contribute to manuscript preparation, with the expectation of leading at least one first‑author publication and collaborating on additional research projects. The position includes mentorship responsibilities, including training undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in STEM and contributing to a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment.

The position is based on‑site at The Field Museum in Chicago, with an anticipated start date of June 1st.

Mentorship will follow an established Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan.

The position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

35 hours

Not eligible

1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr. Chicago, IL 60605

This position is represented by Field Museum Workers’ United, AFSCME Council 31, AFL‑CIO.

$61,461/Annually

The Field Museum is an equal‑opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination, embracing diversity, and fostering mutual respect. We value the unique perspectives each team member brings, which empowers our ability to innovate and overcome challenges.

At the Field Museum, we are dedicated to making our career website and recruitment process accessible to everyone. If you encounter any difficulty when using or accessing our online application, or if you need a reasonable accommodation for completing your application, participating in interviews, or any other part of the selection process, please reach out to us at recruitment .