Plant Ecology Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position overview
Salary range: The current salary range for this position is $103,600 - $244,500 (9-month academic year salary); however, off-scale salary and other components of pay, which would yield compensation that is higher than this range, are offered to meet competitive conditions.
Anticipated start: July 1, 2027
Application Window
Open date: June 24, 2026
Next review date: Friday, Jul 31, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final date: Friday, Jul 31, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date.
Position description
Associate/Full Professor- Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics- Integrative Biology and Director- University of California Berkeley Herbaria
The University of California, Berkeley, invites applications for a joint appointment as Associate or Full Professor in Plant Ecology, Evolution and/or Systematics in the Department of Integrative Biology, and Director of the University of California (UC) Berkeley Herbaria (i.e., the University Herbarium and Jepson Herbarium). The appointment as professor will be tenured, with rank and step determined at appointment; the appointment as director will be for an initial five-year term, with the possibility of renewal.
Faculty in Integrative Biology are expected to demonstrate achievement, originality, and productivity in research; effectiveness and inclusion in teaching and mentorship; and a commitment to shared governance in service. In research, faculty are expected to develop and sustain an innovative, integrative, and internationally recognized research program in plant ecology, evolution and/or systematics. "Plant" is defined broadly, in a non-phylogenetic sense, to encompass all organisms represented in the Herbaria's collections, including embryophytes, algae, fungi, and lichens, in both terrestrial and marine systems. The intellectual scope of the position is likewise interpreted broadly and may include, among other areas, specimen-based and comparative studies in systematics, phylogenetics, ecology, population genetics, conservation biology, ecophysiology, biodiversity informatics, evolutionary biology, and related disciplines. We are especially interested in candidates whose research will both benefit from and contribute to the Herbaria's extensive physical collections, its digital resources, and ongoing bioinformatics and data-integration initiatives.
The collections of the UC Berkeley Herbaria comprise internationally important research collections, a dynamic biodiversity informatics program, active educational and public outreach initiatives, and a broad portfolio of institutional research collaborations and projects. Notable examples include the Jepson Manual, the definitive comprehensive print guide to the native and naturalized vascular plants of California, and the online Jepson eFlora. The Director is expected to provide intellectual and administrative leadership for all areas of the UC Berkeley Herbaria's mission, including stewardship and growth of the collections; support for research, education, and public engagement; and the continued development of digital and informatics resources. The Director will work closely with affiliated faculty and oversee a staff of ten professionals spanning collections management, research support, biodiversity informatics, education, and administration. The Director will also hold substantial responsibilities in institutional advancement and external relations, including securing extramural support through competitive grants, philanthropy, and donor engagement to sustain and expand the Herbaria's collections, research programs, informatics infrastructure, and educational and outreach activities.
We welcome applicants from a broad range of career stages and professional backgrounds. Candidates may include tenured faculty at universities, as well as researchers or curators holding equivalent senior positions at non-tenure-granting institutions such as museums, botanical gardens, governmental or international research institutions, or other major biodiversity research centers. Consideration will be given to candidates' career stage during the review process. Candidates must meet Berkeley standards for appointment with tenure.
Finalist interviews will take place over a 1.5-day campus visit. We expect interviews to begin mid-October through mid-November.
As one of the world's leading public research universities, Berkeley is deeply committed to excellence in scholarship, education, and public service, and to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as integral components of its research and teaching missions, demonstrated in our campus Principles of Community .
The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit the Office for Faculty Equity and Welfare's website .
For more information about our units, please visit the Department of Integrative Biology website and the University and Jepson Herbaria website .
Qualifications
Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
PhD degree (or equivalent international degree).
Additional qualifications (required at time of start)
Minimum 5 years prior experience as an independent researcher (not including PhD or postdoctoral work) and at least 3 years prior experience teaching in a higher education environment
Preferred qualifications
Demonstrated commitment to collection-based comparative research; herbaria growth, development, fundraising, and administration.
Application Requirements
Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V., including a full list of publications.
• Cover Letter - Please provide a summary of how your accomplishments in research, teaching, and potential for leadership of the Herbaria match the needs of this search.
• Statement of Research Objectives and Accomplishments - Please provide a summary of your research objectives and accomplishments in approximately 500 words.
• Statement of Leadership and Service - In the context of the Herbaria Directorship, please discuss your institutional leadership accomplishments alongside your past and proposed academic, professional, and/or public service activities. Candidates are encouraged to highlight specific leadership experiences relevant to directing institutional infrastructure or collections. This statement can include, for example, managing organizational budgets or teams, fundraising, and more broadly, participating in professional or scientific associations, serving on committees that advance department or campus goals, and conducting outreach activities that remove barriers and increase broad participation of academics and the public in your field. Please limit this statement to approximately 500 to 750 words.
• Statement of Teaching Interests - In approximately 500 words, please discuss prior teaching experience, teaching approach, and future teaching interests. This can include, for example, specific efforts and accomplishments, and future plans to support the success of all students through inclusive curriculum, classroom environment, and pedagogy. Please also discuss your mentoring experiences and approach. This can include, for example, past efforts and future plans to support the success of all students, and to foster an inclusive research environment that removes barriers and promotes equitable access and advancement of the research program.
• Authorization to Release Information Form - An institutional reference check will be completed only if you are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. Download, complete, sign, and upload the Authorization to Release Information form .
• Significant publication or preprint #1 - In addition to a pdf of the publication, provide a cover statement that begins with the manuscript title and author list and then summarize, in up to ~300 words each, the applicant's role and the significance and impact of the selected publication.
• Significant publication or preprint #2 - In addition to a pdf of the publication, provide a cover statement that begins with the manuscript title and author list and then summarize, in up to ~300 words each, the applicant's role and the significance and impact of the selected publication.
• Significant publication or preprint #3 - In addition to a pdf of the publication, provide a cover statement that begins with the manuscript title and author list and then summarize, in up to ~300 words each, the applicant's role and the significance and impact of the selected publication.

Reference requirements

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

Applicants must provide the names and contact information of their references. Confidential letters from the references will only be requested for those applicants that advance to the final stages of consideration.
Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05405
Help contact: ib_ap_assist@berkeley.edu
About UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy ( APM 210 1-d ). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community , which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.
The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.
For more information, please refer to the University of California's Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy .
In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.
As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.
The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, or discrimination. Consistent with this commitment, UC Berkeley requires all applicants for Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload an Authorization of Information Release form into AP Recruit as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, applicants will only be subject to institutional reference checks if and when they are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. More information is available on this website .
As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

Job location
Berkeley, CA