Postdoctoral Investigator: Population Genetics of Marine Microbial Eukaryotes

Job Summary

Job Description

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Investigator in Genomics and Population Genetics focused on developing computational approaches to characterize genetic diversity, population structure, and adaptive variation in marine microbial eukaryotes using single-cell genomic, transcriptomic, and metagenomic data.

About the Role

The successful candidate will be supervised by Dr. Harriet Alexander. The goal of this position is to develop and apply population genetic approaches to single-cell, transcriptomic, and metagenomic datasets generated from natural microbial communities. Most protistan plankton cannot be cultured or isolated as individuals, so classical population genetic methods developed for organisms that can be sampled, genotyped, and tracked one at a time do not transfer directly to these systems. This position will build new analytical frameworks for extracting population-level signal from mixed-community sequence data, advancing our ability to study evolution and adaptation in the ocean’s most abundant and least understood organisms.

Essential Functions & Duties

• Conduct independent and collaborative research developing and applying population genetic methods to single-cell genomic, transcriptomic, and metagenomic data.
• Analyze high-throughput sequence data from environmental samples, develop and troubleshoot bioinformatics pipelines, and manage, curate, and archive genetic/genomic data.

Required Experience & Education

• Ph.D. in biological oceanography, evolutionary biology, population genetics or related field.
• Experience with high-throughput sequence data (single-cell genomics/transcriptomics and/or metagenomics).
• Proficiency in Python, R, and/or BASH.
• Direct experience with non-model or environmentally sampled organisms, workflow management systems (e.g., Snakemake, Nextflow), and high-performance computing is preferred but not required.

Additional Job Requirements

• Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, up to three relevant publications, and names/contact information for at least three professional references by August 15, 2026.
• Target start date is September 15, 2026.

EEO Statement

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.