Postdoctoral Researcher - Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering
Listed on 2026-09-15
-
Research/Development
Research Scientist, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Postdoctoral Researcher
- Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering Location
CO
- Golden
Postdoc (Fixed Term)
Hours Per Week40
Working at NLRNLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future.
Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth. At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories.
We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.
The RRES Center at NLR has an opening for a full time Postdoctoral Researcher within the Synthetic Biology and Bioconversion group. The initial appointment is for one year, with possible renewal up to three years.
The successful candidate will conduct metabolic engineering and synthetic biology to engineer a non-model, but genetically amendable, bacterium for aerobic conversion of single carbon (C1) substrates to fuels and chemicals.
The Successful Candidate Will Be Able To- Work safely and independently in a laboratory setting
- Plan, execute, and troubleshoot research
- Collaborate effectively with others within and across disciplines
- Communicate scientific results effectively, both in written and oral formats
- Author peer-reviewed publications
Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.
- Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Required Qualifications
- Strong understanding of bacterial metabolism and genetics
- Research experience in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology including designing synthetic operons, constructing plasmids, and genome editing
- Experience in development and implementation of synthetic biology tools
- Strong safety record
- Ability to deliver high-quality results within aggressive timelines
- Experience performing adaptive laboratory evolution
- Experience working with non-model bacteria
- Experience with whole genome sequencing and analysis
- Experience using metabolic models
- Experience generating and analyzing systems biology datasets such as proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and fluxomics.
The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.
Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)Job Profile:
Postdoctoral Researcher / Annual Salary Range: $76,600 - $126,400
NLR takes into consideration a candidate's education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee's salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.
BenefitsSummary
Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short-term disability insurance*; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; and paid holidays. NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement.
- Based on eligibility rules
NLR is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background…
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