Requisition Id 11672 

Overview: 

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will support the Biogeochemical Dynamics Group within the Biological and Environmental Systems Sciences Directorate (BESSD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). We seek an applicant with a deep passion for investigating microbial activities in soils, and a penchant for modeling complex processes.

Soil microbial necromass is now believed to be selectively preserved in soil organic matter, contributing strongly to long-term carbon storage. Decomposition pathways and the extent of preservation are determined by interactions between compound chemistry, microbial community composition, soil mineral reactivity, and nutrient and moisture availability. In this project, long-term experiments will be used to trace the decomposition and preservation of specific necromass molecules, the elution of carbon dioxide, and activities of the microbial community over time. Lab-scale measurements of microbial community structure, and metabolic networks from sequence and metaproteomics data will be used to discover key microbial functions associated with decomposition of specific necromass biomolecules. The forefront of modeling soil organic matter decomposition involves identification and parameterization of microbial functional traits. The Continuum Microbial Enzyme Decomposition (CoMEND) model was developed to represent decomposition pathways based on observations of gene functional traits. Several sets of companion experiments, with a range of environmental, biological, and mineralogical data, will be available to test, validate, and improve the trait-based modeling approach. This trans-disciplinary project will enable development of trait-based approaches to improve prediction of microbial functions governing soil carbon and nutrient cycling.

BESSD is an interdisciplinary research and development organization with more than 60 years of achievement in local, regional, national, and international environmental research. Our vision is to expand scientific knowledge and develop innovative strategies and technologies that will strengthen the nation’s leadership in creating solutions to help sustain the Earth’s natural resources. Our scientists conduct research, develop technology, and perform analyses to understand and assess responses of environmental systems at the environment-human interface and the consequences of alternative energy and environmental strategies.

The Earth Systems Science section is world-renowned for large-scale experimental manipulations and is currently leading the US DOE flagship ‘Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments’ (SPRUCE) field experiment (https://mnspruce.ornl.gov/ ) . ESD staff also lead the Next Generation Ecosystem Experiment (NGEE) Arctic project (https://ngee-arctic.ornl.gov ), and we are an integral partner in the NGEE Tropics research project (https://ngee-tropics.lbl.gov/ ) . We also lead the Critical Interfaces Science Focus Area (CI-SFA, https://www.esd.ornl.gov/programs/rsfa/ ), which investigates the role of hydrology on the transformation of redox-sensitive elements, such as mercury, in a flowing stream system. ESS staff also lead the development of multiple land system components in the US DOE Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM, https://e3sm.org/ )

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• The selected candidate will be joining a diverse team of empirical and modeling researchers, working at the cutting edge of modeling microbial activities in soils.
• Key duties will be to use and improve trait-based microbiological models using available omics and environmental data.
• Work with a trans-disciplinary team to use existing data and contribute to new experiments to represent microbial activities using trait-based frameworks.
• Collaboration within and outside of the lab will be essential to the success of this position. The role will involve the opportunity to work with partner research groups in the U.S.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:

• A PhD in Ecological Modeling, Microbial Ecology, or a related field completed within the last 5 years

Preferred Qualifications:

• Modeling and coding expertise, as measured through first-author publications and/or major conference presentations focused on Metagenomics, Microbiology, Community Ecology, or a related field
• An excellent record of productive and creative research demonstrated by publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• A passion for understanding the natural world and representing it in models
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory 
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs

Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment. The appointment length will be for up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and the availability of funding.

Please submit three letters of reference when applying to this position. You can upload these directly to your application or have them sent to postdocrecruitment@ornl.gov with the position title and number referenced in the subject line.

Instructions to upload documents to your candidate profile:

• Login to your account via jobs.ornl.gov
• View Profile
• Under the My Documents section, select Add a Document

Benefits at ORNL:  

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain talented people. The laboratory offers many employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to help you and your family live happy and healthy. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also provided for convenience.

Other benefits include: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Life Insurance, Pet Insurance, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

If you have difficulty using the online application system or need an accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email: ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov .

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.