Postdoctoral Research Associate

Requisition Number: DU13114

Department Name: 81060:PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCES

Work Location: Lexington, KY

Salary Range: $54,000

Type of Position: Other

Position Time Status: Full-Time

Required Education: Ph.D. in Plant Breeding & Genetics or related field awarded prior to start date

Required Related Experience: Demonstrated experience in field-based plant breeding projects
Demonstrated proficiency in written and oral communication in English

Required License/Registration/Certification:

• Valid US Driver’s License, and eligible to drive University of Kentucky vehicles

Physical Requirements: Positions may include, but not limited to, sitting for long periods of time, repetitive motion, lifting, pushing/pulling, exposure to heat/cold.

Shift: Monday – Friday; 8-5 is standard, may include nights/weekends/holidays as required by project/supervisor

Job Summary: This advertisement seeks to fill an open postdoctoral position in the Rye Breeding Project in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY). The goal of this project is to develop commercially viable, short statured, high yielding, open pollinated rye varieties suitable for baking, brewing and distillation. The selected candidate will play a pivotal role in “The Initiative to Bring Rye Back to Kentucky” by serving as a connecting link between farmers, end-users and researchers, promoting soil health and sustainable production practices, designing experiments, and collecting, analyzing, sharing, and reporting data to the growers and project’s board. The candidate will thus have the opportunity to improve interpersonal and strategic planning skills, along with knowledge and documentation of sustainable farming practices.The candidate is also expected to develop rye breeding populations, screen for agronomic fitness as well as end use quality, and participate in the development of a nascent rye genomic selection platform. In addition to generating germplasm, publishable data and new agronomic, breeding, and/or genomic knowledge, the selected candidate will work with the rye breeding team on manuscript preparation, meeting presentations and grant writing, and mentor graduate and undergraduate students.The anticipated division of time is: farm visits and communicating with growers (15%); writing post-farm visit reports, organizing data, writing newsletters and planning annual meetings (10%) conducting experiments and analyzing data (50%), contributing to manuscript or grant writing and mentoring of lab members (25%). This position is funded by “The Initiative to Bring Rye Back to Kentucky” for one year, with the opportunity for up to two additional years, contingent on performance.To apply, please upload (1) Letter of interest that addresses each of the requirements and preferred qualifications, (2) CV, and (3) Contact information for three professional references. Initial review of applications will begin on March 3, 2025, but will be open until the position is filled. Please direct questions to Dr. Lauren Brzozowski (lauren.brzozowski@uky.edu).

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities: Skills/knowledge will vary depending on project and area of research.

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? : No

Preferred Education/Experience: Experience working with farmers in collaborative research projects
Expertise in molecular or genomic plant breeding methods
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Evidence of performing high-quality research individually and as part of a team

Deadline to Apply: 08/31/2026