The Biomass Science and Conversion Technology department, located in Livermore, California, performs biological and bioengineering research with applications in advanced biofuels and renewable energy. Our department contains a multidisciplinary team of approximately 30 people, including staff scientists, postdocs and technologists with expertise in chemical engineering, biochemical engineering, biophysics, analytical chemistry, advanced spectroscopy, microbiology, computational biology, and molecular biology.

The basic research activities in the department are focused on developing a fundamental understanding of chemical and biological conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals. The department is also developing a focus on systems and synthetic biology as they relate to biofuel production. Applied research activities are focused on enzyme and microbial engineering for biofuel production, advanced biomass pretreatment, synthetic biology, algal biofuels, and advanced imaging techniques. Key sponsors include the DOE Office of Science, DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Sandia LDRD Program.

The department also plays an essential role at the DOE Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a multi-organizational research center comprising world-class resources and expertise located at a facility in Emeryville, California. The goal of JBEI is to use rapidly advancing scientific techniques, such as systems and synthetic biology, to accelerate development of the nation's biofuels industry.

Job Summary:

The Post-Doctoral Appointee Program is designed to recruit outstanding Ph.D. applicants to assist a line organization in meeting its mission objectives and to provide a professional technical work environment for the employee. The Ph.D. must have been conferred within one to five years prior to employment. These assignments are for a one-year period, with the option at management's discretion to serve no more than five additional one-year assignments.

  
Primary Job Duties:

We are seeking an independent, energetic scientist who will join our team in using state-of-the-art microbiology and molecular biology techniques to understand microbial lignin degradation and metabolism and to engineer organisms to produce value-added products from lignin. The candidate will have opportunities to collaborate with leading scientists and engineers at Sandia, JBEI, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory through a project funded by the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office.

Benefits:

At Sandia you will receive many benefits as a valued employee of a premier national multi-program engineering and science research laboratory. In our Total Rewards package you will enjoy competitive pay, great benefits, a stimulating, positive environment and learning opportunities that will help build your career. More information may be found on our Careers website.

To submit your application for this position, please click on the "Apply through website" button. Please upload a resume, and complete the submission process to indicate your interest in this position.

Required:

• PhD in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Biochemical Engineering, Enzymology, or a related field 
• Experience generating and analyzing genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic datasets in lab or in collaboration with The Joint Genome Institute and/or the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory Or background in molecular biology and enzymology, including the ability to design and construct expression systems and familiarity with enzyme assays relevant to lignin deconstruction 
• Demonstrated track record of publishing in the peer-reviewed scientific literature

Desired:

• Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills 
• Demonstrated ability to conduct experiments independently, maintain appropriate records and manage data 
• Familiarity with microbial deconstruction and metabolism of lignin
• Experience with metabolic engineering of bacteria or fungi, modifying both the host genome and transgenic sequences 
• Experience using bioinformatics tools to analyze genomic, transcriptomic, metabolomic and proteomic datasets and use them to generate detailed metabolic maps 
• Background in aromatic metabolism and knowledge of analytical tools that utilize GC, LC, and mass spectrometry 
• Familiarity and working knowledge of DOE biofuel programs.

No security clearance required.

This position does not currently require a Department of Energy (DOE)-granted security clearance.

Sandia will conduct a pre-employment background review that includes personal reference checks, law enforcement record checks, and employment and education verifications. Further, employees in New Mexico must pass a U.S. Air Force background screen for access to the work site. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause access to be denied or terminated, rendering the inability to perform the duties assigned and resulting in termination of employment.

If hired without a clearance, and one subsequently becomes required or you bid on positions that require a DOE-granted security clearance, a pre-processing background review that includes personal reference checks, law enforcement record and credit checks, and employment and education verifications may be conducted prior to a required federal background investigation. Applicants for DOE-granted security clearances must be U.S. citizens and be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate DOE security clearance as required for the position.

Apply here: http://sandia.jobs/california-usa/jbei-postdoctoral-appointee-microbial-lignin-degradation/BE0C93512CC3498CA0557FEE29DAD141/job/?utm_source=researchgate&utm_medium=JOBS&utm_campaign=DE-Pilot