Postdoctoral Researcher, Orchid Conservation

Position Overview

This is a three-year position, with an expected start date of October 2026. The position is funded by an IMLS National Leadership Grant, "From Collection to Conservation: A Collaborative, Data-Driven Framework for Creating a Genetically Resilient Orchid Collection," and will work closely with the Chicago Botanic Garden's Conservation Science team, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the BGCI Slipper Orchid Specialist Group, the North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC), and partner institutions among the 11 largest orchid-holding collections in the United States.

The postdoctoral researcher will serve as the project's data and genetics lead, compiling, validating, and standardizing collection records (provenance, taxonomy, propagation history, health status) across partner institutions, and applying modern genomic tools to quantify diversity, verify identity, detect hybridization, and reconstruct pedigrees. The project's initial taxonomic focus is on slipper orchids (Paphiopedilum, Cypripedium, and allied taxa) and the American ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii), with at least four U.S.-native species and four to five Paphiopedilum species targeted for full implementation.

Working alongside the Pollen Bank Manager and Conservation Horticulturist, and in coordination with zoo-conservation partners (including Brookfield Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, and the Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative), the researcher will help translate integrated genetic, demographic, and horticultural data into globally coordinated Species Management Plans—modeled on the Species Survival Plans used in the zoo community—that guide breeding, plant movement, and long-term stewardship across institutions. The role offers substantial opportunity to shape research questions and analytical approaches while contributing to a national leadership effort in pedigree-based conservation management.

The postdoctoral researcher will collaborate with scientists in genetics, horticulture, and collections management and will contribute to publications, protocols, training materials, and future grant proposals.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with partner institutions, BGCI, and NAOCC to gather accession records, including provenance, taxonomic identity, propagation history, and health status, for target orchid taxa.
• Standardize and integrate submitted records into a unified, validated database, documenting assumptions for incomplete or inconsistent data.
• Identify data gaps and, where possible, construct pedigrees, tracing maternal and paternal lines and designating wild-collected founders.
• Design and lead non-destructive tissue sampling from ex situ collections and, where available, wild populations.
• Generate DNA barcode and genome-wide SNP data using orchid-specific genomic tools (e.g., target-capture bait sets) to verify species identity and assess population structure.
• Analyze genetic diversity, relatedness, clonality, and hybridization; reconstruct pedigrees within and across institutions.
• Integrate genetic results with Phase 1 accession data to identify underrepresented founders and genetically valuable lineages.
• Collaborate with the Pollen Bank Manager and Conservation Horticulturist to incorporate demographic and horticultural data into a shared analytical framework.
• Contribute to the development of Species Management Plans (e.g., using PMx/PMxceptional), modeled on zoo-community Species Survival Plans, to guide breeding, transfer, and long-term stewardship decisions.
• Represent the project in collaborations with the BGCI Slipper Orchid Specialist Group, NAOCC, and zoo-conservation partners.
• Apply appropriate statistical, population-genetic, and bioinformatic approaches to project datasets; contribute results to BGCI PlantSearch and GenBank.
• Lead or co-author peer-reviewed publications and contribute to training manuals and best-practice guidance for participating botanic gardens.
• Present findings at scientific and professional meetings, including APGA and the BGCI Global Botanic Gardens Congress.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in botany, plant systematics, evolutionary biology, conservation genetics, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in molecular systematics or phylogenomics, including next-generation sequencing methods (e.g., library preparation, target capture, sequencing) and bioinformatic analysis of genomic data.
• Experience with population-genetic or pedigree-reconstruction analyses, or closely related quantitative approaches to diversity and relatedness.
• Strong programming and/or analytical skills (e.g., R, Python, phylogenomic or bioinformatics pipelines).
• Field and/or collections-based research experience with plants.
• Demonstrated record of peer-reviewed publication.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively across multiple institutions, manage multiple projects, and meet deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with common software applications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with orchids or other threatened, horticulturally significant plant taxa.
• Experience with living collections, herbaria, or other museum/collections-based data.
• Familiarity with pedigree-management or population-viability software (e.g., PMx).
• Experience integrating field or collections observations with molecular data.
• Teaching or mentoring experience.
• Experience collaborating across multiple institutions or with international partners.

Application Requirements

To apply, submit an application and upload a resume/CV for this position. Please also include a statement of interest (1 to 2 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.