Synthetic Biologist - Postdoctoral Researcher

About the role

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World! Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has turned bold ideas into world-changing impact advancing science and technology to strengthen U.S. security and promote global stability. Our mission spans four critical national security areas: nuclear deterrence, threat preparedness, energy security, and multi-domain defense, empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture built on innovation and operational excellence, LLNL is a place where your expertise can make a real impact. This is a two‑year Postdoctoral appointment with the possibility of extension to a maximum of three years, open to those who have been awarded a PhD at time of hire.

Responsibilities

• Conduct fundamental and applied research in microbial synthetic biology for environmental and resource recovery applications using established and innovative experimental approaches.
• Develop and execute high throughput assays to evaluate the functionality of protein variants and analyze resulting data with guidance as needed.
• Design research plans, generate and analyze results, and contribute to publishing findings in peer‑reviewed journals.
• Present research outcomes at conferences, seminars, and technical meetings with increasing independence.
• Contribute to technical reports for sponsors and stakeholders and assist with research proposals, as appropriate.
• Pursue independent, but complementary, research interests and interact with a broad spectrum of scientists internally and externally within and outside the Laboratory.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Must be eligible to access the Laboratory in compliance with Section 3112 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
• PhD in Microbiology, Synthetic Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or a related field emphasizing genetic engineering and molecular biology.
• Strong background in bacterial physiology and strain engineering for environmental or industrial applications demonstrated through doctoral research, publications, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in library‑scale cloning and engineering bacterial strains and other common molecular biology and microbiology laboratory techniques.
• Experience with high throughput experimental screening and selection methods in bacteria.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research as evidenced by peer‑reviewed publications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment.

Skills

• Experience with protein design/engineering or microbial evolution techniques (e.g., adaptive laboratory evolution).
• Experience with computational protein design or enzyme engineering, such as rational design and/or directed evolution.
• Proficiency in bioinformatics or scientific programming (e.g., Python, C, C++, R, Java, Matlab).
• Expertise in metalloprotein biochemistry and/or metal homeostasis, including metal sensing, metal transport, or metal storage mechanisms.

Benefits

• Included in 2026 Best Places to Work by Glassdoor!
• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (depending on project needs)

Pay

$123,048 Annually

Schedule

Full-time on-site presence required.