Microbial and Plant Research Engineer
Please see Special Instructions for more details.
Our agency supports second-chance employment for individuals who were previously incarcerated, or justice-involved. We invite all potential applicants to apply for positions for Which they may be qualified.
Please Note:
* A criminal background check will be conducted on the candidate finalist prior to the offer of employment.
* If it is determined that no applicants meet the minimum competency, education, and experience requirements, then management may consider other applicants.
* Salary will be determined based on competencies, equity, budget, and market considerations.
* Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing an electronic application. The application must be completed in full detail (including work history) for your qualifications to be considered.
* Failure to complete the application completely may result in you not being considered for the vacant position.
* Your application for the position will not be completed until you receive an online confirmation number at the end of the process of applying for a position.
* If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at
OHR@wssu.edu. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodation in the application and interview process, please call 336-750-2834.
Position Details
Classification Information
| Position Classification Title |
Research Assistant/Technician/Technologist, Senior |
| FLSA |
Exempt |
| Position Class |
89832 |
Position Overview
| Join the Ramily! |
Join the Ramily!
Winston-Salem State University (
WSSU) is a distinguished institution that combines academic excellence, community engagement, and a commitment to fostering student success. We are proud to be North Carolina's only university to earn the distinguished designation of Opportunity College by the Carnegie Classifications of Higher Education and the American Council on Education (
ACE).
WSSU is dedicated to preparing students for leadership roles through rigorous programs in health sciences, business, education, and the humanities. Known for its supportive environment, the university fosters a close-knit community that nurtures both professional and academic excellence.
Situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina-known as the city of Arts and innovation,
WSSU provides students with opportunities to engage in a dynamic mix of professional, social, and cultural experiences. Winston-Salem is home to thriving arts, healthcare, and technology sectors, offering both students and faculty unique collaboration opportunities and professional development pathways.
With its beautiful campus, strong sense of community, and dedication to fostering personal and professional growth, Winston-Salem State University is an ideal place to teach, work, and learn. |
| Position Summary |
The Microbial and Plant Research Engineer supports computational biology and data-driven research that accelerate discovery in plant-microbiome interactions and crop improvement. The role sits at the intersection of computational biology, data science, and plant science, developing reproducible data pipelines and predictive and applied models that integrate multi-omics (genomics/transcriptomics/metagenomics), phenomics, environmental variables, and breeding data to support breeding decisions and biological insight.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
AI/ML Development (Applied Research Usable Tools)
- Apply statistical and machine learning methods to analyze plant-microbiome datasets, including feature engineering and integration of multi-modal data.
- Implement model evaluation and interpretation and diagnostics (calibration, leakage checks, ablation tests, SHAP/permutation importance where appropriate) to ensure scientific rigor and reproducibility.
- Leverage cloud-based tools, including GPU-enabled environments, and emerging AI/LLM-assisted approaches where appropriate.
- Supports research computing and scientific workflows and does not provide centralized IT infrastructure or end-user support services.
Data Engineering & Reproducible Pipelines
- Build reproducible and well-organized pipelines for multi-omics and microbiome analysis (metagenomics/amplicon workows, variant calling/GWAS support, integration with phenotyping and environmental data).
- Organize and maintain research data in alignment with FAIR principles (ndable, accessible, interoperable, reusable), with strong metadata and documentation practices to support reproducibility.
Software Development & Research Enablement
- Develop research-focused tools and workflows that support analysis and reuse across the research team (e.g., notebooks, scripts, lightweight applications, and visualizations).
- Collaborate closely with plant breeders, microbiologists, and eld staff to translate biological questions into testable computational tasks and usable outputs.
- Produce publishable gures and analysis reports; contribute to manuscripts and grant/reporting materials as needed.
Computing Environment
- Utilize cloud-based computing environments (including GPU-enabled resources) to support scalable data processing and modeling
- Follow appropriate data stewardship and responsible data use practices consistent with research standards
|
Position Information
| Position Number |
584001 |
| Working Position Title |
Microbial and Plant Research Engineer |
| Building and Room No. |
Wilveria B Atkinson Room 412 |
| Appointment Type |
Time limited |
| If Time Limited. |
Yes |
| Appointment Length. |
24 months |
Requirements and Preferences
| Position required to work during periods of adverse weather or other emergencies |
Not Mandatory |
| Normal Work Schedule |
Mon-Fri 8-5 |
| Department Required Skills |
- Bachelor's degree with 5+ years of relevant experience, or Master's degree in a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience .
- Experience in computational biology, bioinformatics, data science, or related research computing, with strong Python (or similar) experience.
- Demonstrated experience applying statistical or machine learning methods to biological or life sciences datasets.
- Strong fundamentals in version control (Git), testing practices, documentation, and code review habits. |
| Preferred Years Experience, Skills, Training, Education |
- MS/PhD in a relevant field (bioinformatics/computational biology/plant science + computation).
- Prior work specifically in at least one: plant genomics, microbiome ecology, crop breeding analytics,
GWAS, genomic prediction/selection.
- Experience with workflow systems (Nextflow/Snakemake), containerization, and
HPC scheduling.
- Familiarity with common bioinformatics/microbiome toolchains and formats (
FASTQ/
BAM/
VCF, QIIME2 or comparable, etc.).
- Evidence of research outputs: publications, open-source repos, or released tools. |
| Required License or Certification |
|
| Valid US Driver's License |
No |
| Commercial Driver's License Required |
No |
| Physical Required |
No |
| List any other medical/drug tests required |
|
Posting Details
Posting Details
| Internal Posting Only |
No |
| Time Limited Position |
Yes |
| Appointment Length |
24 months |
| Salary |
Commensurate with education and experience |
| Open Date |
04/24/2026 |
| Close Date |
05/05/2026 |
| Open Until Filled |
No |
| Special Instructions Summary |
Our agency supports second-chance employment for individuals who were previously incarcerated, or justice-involved. We invite all potential applicants to apply for positions for Which they may be qualified.
Please Note:
* A criminal background check will be conducted on the candidate finalist prior to the offer of employment.
* If it is determined that no applicants meet the minimum competency, education, and experience requirements, then management may consider other applicants.
* Salary will be determined based on competencies, equity, budget, and market considerations.
* Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing an electronic application. The application must be completed in full detail (including work history) for your qualifications to be considered.
* Failure to complete the application completely may result in you not being considered for the vacant position.
* Your application for the position will not be completed until you receive an online confirmation number at the end of the process of applying for a position.
* If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at
OHR@wssu.edu. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodation in the application and interview process, please call 336-750-2834. |
Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
- Public Job Posting
- Internal Job Posting
- Agency Referral
- Advertisement/Publication
- Personal Referral
- Website
- Other
Required Documents
- Resume
- Cover Letter
Optional Documents
- Portfolio
- References List
|
Winston Salem State University
Commensurate with education and experience
Apr 24, 2026