Research Scientist II

Ensured Consideration Date: 17 Jul 2026

Michigan Technological University is an R1 technological research university founded in 1885 in Houghton. Our rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan''''s scenic Upper Peninsula and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Research focus areas include defense, health, energy, automotive, environment, and aerospace.

The area's waters, forests, and snowfall support year-round recreation, including skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, and paddling. The University is an integral part of the region, supported by a friendly and welcoming community that takes pride in being a true college town. We embrace our size, climate, sense of adventure, and originality.

Summary

The Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) at Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech) aims to advance freshwater and coastal ocean research as a foundation for health, economic prosperity and global sustainability through interdisciplinary research cutting across Michigan Tech's academic programs. The GLRC institute includes collaborative faculty from twelve disciplines within the Colleges of Engineering, Computing, Sciences and Arts, Business, and Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences. The GLRC seeks a Research Scientist II or III to fill a gap in computational genomics across campus.

The Research Scientist will be involved in many current and upcoming research projects and would also be expected to lead new projects specific to methods development, generating and analyzing new data to address environmental questions around biodiversity, environmental degradation, etc., or leveraging the increasing availability of publicly available genomic datasets to ask novel questions across large temporal and spatial scales. Building reproducible data analysis pipelines using machine learning and large language models is the future of computational bioinformatics and this researcher would be expected to build collaborations with faculty in the College of Computing and Mathematical Sciences as well.

Responsibilities and Essential Duties

1. Evaluate and apply bioinformatics approaches to environmental data.

2. Contribute technical expertise to sponsored research as both a project lead and team member.

3. Successfully grow a funded research program, to become self-supporting into the future.

4. Prepare and deliver reports or presentations of research projects/analysis results to project sponsors as appropriate.

5. Lead and contribute to the generation of proposals and external funding.

6. Apply safety-related knowledge, skills, and practices to everyday work.

7. Apply research security knowledge to data, facilities, and personnel.

8. Commit to learning about continuous improvement strategies and applying them to everyday work. Actively engage in University continuous improvement initiatives.

9. Apply safety-related knowledge, skills, and practices to everyday work.

Required Education, Certifications, Licensures

• Ph.D. in bioinformatics, computational biology, biological sciences, or similar related field.
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident with ability to obtain and maintain necessary government clearances and access.

Required Experience

• Experience developing reproducible bioinformatics analysis pipelines for environmental data.
• Successful track record of working in multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong record of scholarly productivity, including peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, or other research outputs.

Desirable Education and/or Experience

• Demonstrated leadership, project management, and mentoring experience in a research environment.
• Track record of successful major grant proposal authorship and execution.
• Rigorous graduate-level coursework in one or more programming languages and statistical courses, particularly with environmental or ecological data.
• Industry experience in the areas of interest, or similar areas.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

• Strong programming skills with experience in one or more of the following programming languages/software: python, R, metagenomic pipelines such as DADA2, basic handling of high throughput sequencing data such as Samtools, GATK, statistical analysis tools for genetic associations, including mixed model platforms, multivariate models, and Bayesian approaches.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse partners and represent the organization externally.
• Commitment to advancing Michigan Tech's research mission and supporting a collaborative, inclusive research environment.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to translate research into applied outcomes, including technology development, policy engagement, or industry partnerships.
• Demonstrated success in, or potential future contributions to, working with persons with a wide variety of backgrounds and viewpoints.

Work Environment and/or Physical Demands

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

Required Training and Other Conditions of Employment

Every employee at Michigan Technological University will receive the following training courses:

Employee Safety Overview

Annual Data Security Training

Anti-Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation Training

Annual Title IX Training

Additional training will be required by the department on a periodic basis.

Background Check:

Offers of employment are contingent upon and not considered finalized until the required background check has been performed and the results received and assessed.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) % (1=100%)

1.0

FLSA Status

Exempt

Appointment Term

12 months

Pay Rate/Salary

The minimum salary for this position is $65k. The final salary will depend on experience and qualifications.

Title of Position Supervisor

Assistant Director, Ecosystems Science Center

Posting Type

Internal & External

Dependent on Funding

Yes

Additional Information

This position is contingent upon the continued availability of external funding.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

If you require any auxiliary aids, services, or accommodations during Michigan Tech's hiring process please notify the Human Resources office at 906-487-2280 or hr-help@mtu.edu.

Other Conditions of Employment:

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of your appointment, and maintain eligibility without sponsorship throughout your appointment.

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. Michigan Tech will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the Michigan Tech Public Safety.

In compliance with the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) and its implementing regulations (34 CFR Part 86), Michigan Tech is committed to maintaining a drugfree campus environment and actively promoting the health and safety of its community. Find our notice that outlines the University''''s policies, legal sanctions, health risks, and available support resources related to the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol.

Required Education, Certifications, Licensures* (minimum requirements)