Postdoctoral Research Associate –Microbiome, Bacterial Genomics, and Single-Cell Genomics

We are seeking a highly motivated computational biologist to join our lab at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to lead genomic and single-cell analysis for projects focused on bacterial heterogeneity, microbiome interactions, antibiotic response, and genome architecture.
Our group develops and applies cutting-edge bacterial single-cell RNA-seq platforms, long-read sequencing, and functional genomics to uncover how pathogens adapt in hosts and respond to drugs. This position is ideal for someone who wants to drive analysis, shape biological stories, and grow into a senior computational scientist in a hybrid experimental–computational environment.

What You Will Do

·       Lead analysis of microbiome datasets (metagenomics, strain-level profiling, 16S).

·       Analyze bacterial scRNA-seq and long-read transcriptomic data.

·       Detect and interpret structural variation from Nanopore/PacBio sequencing.

·       Build scalable, reproducible pipelines for large genome collections and public databases.

·       Collaborate closely with experimental scientists to frame hypotheses and interpret results.

·       Co-author high-impact manuscripts and grant proposals.

·       Mentor trainees developing computational skills.

We Are Looking For Someone Who

·       Has a PhD in computational biology, genomics, bioinformatics, microbiology, or a related field.

·       Is fluent in Python/R and Unix-based workflows.

·       Has experience with microbial genomics, metagenomics, or long-read sequencing.

·       Can design analyses independently and anticipate reviewer concerns.

·       Enjoys shaping projects scientifically—not just executing tasks.

Especially Excited If You Have

·       Experience with RNA-seq.

·       Structural-variant detection or genome architecture analysis.

·       Workflow frameworks (Snakemake, Nextflow, WDL).

·       Large-scale comparative genomics.

This is a leadership-track computational role for someone who wants to define a research program inside a fast-moving, biology-driven lab.

No Search Firms

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. Please do not call or email. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee or other representative at St. Jude via email, the internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place and approved by HR will result in no fee being paid in the event the candidate is hired by St. Jude.