Assistant Professor, Microbial Ecology
Job Details
Who we are
Why Rensselaer? Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is the first technological research university in the United States. We bring creativity, science, and technology together to address society's greatest challenges. We cultivate exceptional problem-solvers by immersing them in a culture of rigorous inquiry, disciplined practice, and hands-on application. Our strategic plan, RPI Forward, charts a pioneering course for the next era of RPI. Explore the RPI Forward plan. ↗︎
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With top notch employee health and retirement benefits, Rensselaer offers its full-time employees a generous paid time off program, tuition remission, and opportunities for career growth.
The Biological Sciences Department at Rensselaer has 23 faculty members, 45 graduate students, and over 350 undergraduate students. Biological Sciences is home to several NSF CAREER and NIH MIRA award winners, 6 Society Fellows, participates in 2 NIH T32 training grants and 1 R25 grant, with annual research expenditures totaling around $7 million per year.
The department also provides a collaborative and supportive mentoring environment to foster the success of its faculty, with the Institute providing additional opportunities for professional development to assist faculty in meeting their teaching, research, and career aspirations.
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Job Summary
The Department of Biological Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY, invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Microbial Ecology.
We seek a passionate and innovative individual to study the evolution and adaptation of complex microbial communities in the environment. The successful candidate will investigate how these communities function and their critical roles in global processes.
The ideal candidate will have a proven potential to establish a robust, externally funded research program primarily in the field of microbial ecology and contribute to the department's teaching mission.
This position is part of a faculty cluster hire funded by support from the Simons Foundation designed to stimulate research in the basic sciences across New York State.
Minimum Qualifications
Candidates must possess a Ph.D. degree or an equivalent foreign qualification in ecology, biology, or a closely related field. Postdoctoral experience is highly preferred. Applicants for the Assistant Professor position should demonstrate potential for future excellence in research, scholarship, and teaching. We are especially interested in candidates with a proven ability to write grants and secure external funding focused on microbial ecology.
We welcome applications from exceptional candidates, especially those who possess skill sets that address fundamental problems in ecology. We desire a candidate who complements existing strengths at RPI and can leverage platforms such as the Darrin Freshwater Institute and the Jefferson Project at Lake George.
We are looking for individuals experienced in broad areas of microbial ecology and evolution who can contribute to the teaching mission of the department. All applicants must meet the stated minimum education and experience requirements.
Starting Salary/Rate
Expected hiring range: $108,000 - $118,000
Pay transparency disclosure: The selected candidate’s salary will be determined based on factors that include the available budget, internal equity, and the final candidate’s qualifications, experience, education and other job-related credentials. This hiring range is provided as Rensselaer’s good faith estimate of the expected hiring range at the time of posting.
Application instructions
Follow the on-screen prompts at https://careers.rpi.edu/en-us/job/495556 to create a brief online profile with contact information for 3 professional references. Please be ready to upload the following:
- Cover letter (please use the link for "letter of interest"
- Curriculum Vitae
- Evidence of teaching effectiveness + this could be course evaluations, surveys, feedback, or anything else that speaks to your ability to teach effectively. + In the absence of this type of documentation, please upload a statement of your teaching approach
- Statement of research
- Statement describing your contributions to a welcoming and inclusive learning community.
You may disregard the supporting documents links.
If you need assistance with the online application process, please contact careers@rpi.edu.
Job Posted Date
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applications received by December 15, 2025 will receive first consideration.
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