Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Soil Microbiome

About the role

The Plant‑Soil Microbiome Ecology and Innovation Lab at the University of British Columbia seeks a motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to lead a collaborative project mapping soil microbial biodiversity across forest and agricultural ecosystems in British Columbia.

Key responsibilities

• Design and coordinate research projects, including methodology development and proposal preparation.
• Collect and process soil samples for microbiome analysis in the field and laboratory.
• Perform DNA extraction, PCR, and sequencing‑library preparation.
• Analyze amplicon and metagenomic sequencing data using bioinformatics, statistical and visualization workflows.
• Maintain detailed metadata, sample inventories and project documentation.
• Develop, test and harmonize field, laboratory and data‑analysis protocols.
• Prepare reports, manuscripts, presentations and outreach materials.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students and support daily lab operations.

Required profile

• PhD in Soil Science, Plant Science, Microbiology or a closely related discipline.
• Experience with soil microbiome research and molecular laboratory techniques.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with external partners, land stewards and community groups.

Required skills

• DNA extraction
• PCR
• Sequencing‑library preparation
• Amplicon and metagenomic sequencing analysis
• Bioinformatics pipelines
• Statistical analysis
• Data visualization
• Metadata and sample inventory management

What we offer

• Salary range CAD $60,000–$70,000 per year plus benefits.
• Full‑time, one‑year fixed‑term appointment with possible renewal.
• Access to state‑of‑the‑art facilities at UBC’s Vancouver Point Grey campus.