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Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Negaunee Collections (Pollinator eDNA)
Exemption Status: Exempt
Department: Conservation Science / Plant and Pollinator Ecology
Reports to: Director of Conservation
Year-round, Full-time (two-year position, with the possibility of a one-year extension depending on grant funding)
Supervises: Graduate students, research assistants, and volunteers (as needed)

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

• 2026 A Guide to Your Benefits JP.pdf

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate’s qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate’s salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual’s contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview: This is a two-year position, with the possibility of a one-year extension depending on performance and funding, with an expected start date of October 2026. The person in this position will work with scientists at both the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Field Museum. The position combines two primary roles: supporting the curation and accessioning of insect collections from the Chicago Botanic Garden for long-term deposit at the Field Museum and leading the development and evaluation of eDNA-based approaches to study plant–pollinator interactions from biological collections.

The postdoctoral research associate tasks will be twofold. The research associate will assist with the curation and organization of insect collections, with particular attention to micromoth species, helping prepare and transfer these materials to the Field Museum. In parallel, they will also lead a methods-driven research program to establish a flexible and scalable pipeline to reconstruct pollination networks using eDNA. This work will focus on one of two complementary strategies: (1) identifying plant species from pollen DNA recovered from insect specimens or other collections-based materials, or (2) identifying pollinator communities through insect DNA recovered from flowers and floral surfaces in living plant collections. Ultimately the project will depend on the researcher’s preferences, expertise, and professional aspirations.

A key objective of the position is to evaluate the strengths, limitations, and potential taxonomic biases of current metabarcoding approaches and to develop improved workflows (e.g., marker selection, target capture, and validation strategies) for major pollinator groups. The postdoctoral researcher will integrate molecular data with observational or experimental datasets to assess methodological accuracy and ecological inference. While integration of both approaches is encouraged, the position allows for deep exploration of a single pathway if logistical or analytical constraints limit scope.

The role offers substantial flexibility to shape the research direction while contributing to broader institutional goals related to pollinator conservation, collections-based science, and methodological innovation. The postdoctoral research associate will collaborate with scientists working in ecology, molecular biology, and collections management and will contribute to publications, protocol development, and future grant proposals.

Responsibilities
In this role you will be responsible for the following:

1. Curation and accessioning insect collection

The postdoctoral research associate will collaborate with curatorial staff at the Field Museum to accession and curate insects collected at the Chicago Botanic Garden, with particular emphasis on a valuable and extensive micromoth inventory.

1. Research design and project leadership

Lead the design and execution of an independent postdoctoral research project using environmental DNA (eDNA) to study plant–pollinator interactions in collaboration with project mentors.

1. eDNA method development and validation
   • Conduct field- and collections-based sampling of flowers, insects, or pollen as required by the chosen research pathway.

• Develop, test, and optimize laboratory and analytical workflows for eDNA applications relevant to pollination biology, including DNA extraction, marker selection, amplification, sequencing, and/or target-capture approaches.
• Evaluate taxonomic coverage and biases of existing molecular markers, particularly for key pollinator groups (e.g., Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera) and plant taxa.
• Validate eDNA results using complementary data sources, such as direct observations, experimental plant trials, or existing datasets.
• Document protocols and contribute reproducible workflows that can be adopted by future projects.

1. Data analysis, interpretation, and presentation
   • Analyze molecular and ecological data using appropriate statistical and bioinformatic approaches. Contribute to data visualization, synthesis, and interpretation for manuscripts and presentations.
   • Lead or co-author peer-reviewed publications resulting from the postdoctoral research.
   • Present findings at scientific meetings, seminars, and internal research forums.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

Required

• Ph.D. in ecology, evolution, entomology, conservation biology, molecular biology, or a related field
• Laboratory and/or field experience:
  • Laboratory experience may include various molecular methods, library preparation, sequencing, and bioinformatics.
  • Field experience may include plant ecology, pollination ecology, pollinator ecology, and/or insect ecology.
• Strong programming and/or analytical skills (e.g., R, Python, bioinformatics pipelines)
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively, manage multiple projects, and meet deadlines
• Demonstrated record of publication
• Excellent communication skills
• Proficiency with common software applications

Preferred

• Strong knowledge of pollinator ecology, plant–pollinator interactions, and/or collections-based research
• More than two years of field experience with plants and/or pollinators
• Experience with eDNA methods, target-capture, metabarcoding, or pollen barcoding
• Experience integrating field observations with molecular and/or collections data
• Mechanical or laboratory equipment troubleshooting skills

Physical Demands:

Sustained periods of standing, sitting, and walking between labs and field sites; lifting up to 20 pounds; frequent fieldwork in varying environmental conditions.

To apply: To apply, submit an application and upload a resume/c.v. Please also include a statement of interest (one to two pages) describing your relevant experience (field, lab, collections, computational, or a combination), your interest and aptitude for learning new skills, how this position fits your future career goals, and a brief outline of how you might approach the independent research component of the position. We are especially interested in hearing your ideas for using eDNA and biological collections to study plant–pollinator interactions, including possible research questions, methods, or directions you would be excited to pursue. We are not looking for a fully developed proposal, but rather evidence of creativity, scientific thinking, and how you would build a project within the broad goals of the position. Please also include names and contact information for three references. This position is intentionally flexible, and the successful applicant will help shape the research direction in collaboration with mentors. Applicants are encouraged to reach out in advance to Jeremie Fant (jfant@chicagobotanic.org), to discuss the position and explore potential project ideas.

Applications will close on June 22, 2026.

Why Apply?
Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

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