Amino Acid Biogeochemistry Postdoc

This position is an on-site role at Northern Arizona University, primarily requiring work at an NAU site, campus, or facility. Opportunities for remote work are rare. The position is subject to funding availability and involves regular driving on behalf of the university. Employees must comply with Arizona Administrative Code Fleet Safety Policy, including driver’s license verification, training, and monitoring.

About The Department/College

The School of Earth & Sustainability is part of the College of the Environment, Forestry & Natural Science at Northern Arizona University's Flagstaff Mountain Campus.

About The Position

We seek a Postdoctoral Scholar to join NSF-funded research projects exploring amino acid biogeochemistry across two complementary ongoing projects:

• Developing amino acid geochronology applied to high sea-level deposits globally: This project advances amino acid racemization methods for dating Last Interglacial shorelines (~125,000 years ago) when global sea levels were higher than today—a critical time interval for understanding ice-sheet stability and coastal responses to warming. The scholar will measure amino acid racemization in a curated global collection of marine mollusk shells from dozens of Last Interglacial sites to create temperature-dependent age benchmarks that can reliably date shells from undated localities. The work will generate a transformative dataset to make amino acid geochronology more robust and widely applicable.
• Investigating amino acids in lake sediment: This project investigates amino acid racemization and decomposition patterns in radiocarbon-dated and laboratory-heated lake sediment to understand organic matter cycling over thousands to millions of years. The scholar will measure reaction parameters for amino acid racemization and decomposition in lake sediment cores across geographically diverse lakes. By quantifying how microbial biomarkers track organic matter processing alongside amino acid alteration in sediments with contrasting organic matter content, this work contributes to understanding the long-term fate of organic matter in lakes.

This two-year position offers an exceptional opportunity to develop expertise in biogeochemical analysis and its applications to paleoclimate research while working within an interdisciplinary team. This includes opportunities to collaborate with the ACE Isotope Lab, providing direct access to state-of-the-art facilities for integrating radiocarbon with amino acid datasets. The scholar will gain hands-on experience with analytical techniques, data interpretation, manuscript preparation, and collaboration with domestic and international researchers.

Responsibilities

• 75% - Research & Data Analysis
  • Analyze and interpret amino acid datasets (D/L ratios, racemization patterns, amino acid compositions) in support of geochronological and paleoenvironmental research questions.
  • Perform statistical and computational analyses of amino acid data; interpret results within paleoenvironmental context.
  • Collaborate with faculty and graduate students in research projects.
  • Prepare publications of research findings for peer-reviewed journals.
  • Present research results at research seminars and regional/national conferences.
• 20% - Laboratory Operations & Technical Support
  • Conduct amino acid analyses on marine shells and lake sediment samples using HPLC and related analytical techniques.
  • Manage and curate sample collections; maintain records of analyses and QC procedures.
  • Support the operations and maintenance of the Amino Acid Geochronology Laboratory as a shared-user research facility.
  • Assist in training graduate and undergraduate students in laboratory techniques and data interpretation.
• 5% - Other
  • Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• PhD in Earth Science, Environmental Science, Biogeochemistry, or related field by the start date.
• A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above minimum qualifications.

Qualifications

• Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience with research into Quaternary geochronology and paleoenvironments.
  • Background in organic geochemistry.
  • Track record of peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
• Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
  • Knowledge:
    • Use of laboratory/field instruments and tools.
    • Principles and techniques of the subject disciplines.
  • Skills:
    • Organizational and project management skills.
    • Leadership, coordination, and/or supervision skills.
    • Data collection, processing, and analysis.
  • Abilities:
    • Highly motivated to perform research in a collaborative environment.
    • Establishes and maintains effective working relationships.
    • Communicates effectively.

Pay

Salary range is $58,882 to $70,000. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.