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HHMI is focused on supporting and moving science forward in a variety of different ways ranging from conducting basic biomedical research, empowering educators, inspiring students, developing the next generation of scientists – even stretching into film and media production.  Our Headquarters is in the greater Washington, DC metro area and is home to over 300 employees with expertise in investments, communications, digital production, biomedical sciences, and everything in between.  The work housed here supports and augments the groundbreaking research conducted in HHMI labs across the nation.  As HHMI scientists continue to push boundaries in laboratories and classrooms, you can be sure that your contributions while working here are making a difference.

This is a role for a scientist who wants to build a research program, not simply carry out someone else's design.

The Science Education Alliance (SEA) is an HHMI program that connects hundreds of faculty at two-year and four-year colleges and universities into a national research community. Through the PHAGES and GENES projects, SEA has built a distributed model for inclusive research and education, where students contribute to scientific discovery through their coursework. The program provides instructor training, centralized infrastructure, and scientific coordination to make that possible at scale.

The Staff Scientist sits at the center of SEA's scientific work, building on what the PHAGES and GENES projects have already generated and identifying the questions worth pursuing next. The role involves developing new research directions, working closely with SEA leadership and lab staff, interpreting complex datasets, and translating discovery science into opportunities that faculty and students across the SEA network can participate in. It calls for someone who can hold a scientific vision and a distributed, collaborative context at the same time, working alongside people who are committed to both the science and the educational mission.

This position will report in-person to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with occasional travel to Headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland. 

How to Apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit a resume along with a cover letter describing an independent research project they have led and what draws them to a role that connects discovery science with undergraduate education.

We encourage qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States to apply. Please note, we are not able to sponsor a visa for this position at this time.

What you will actually do

• Drive the science forward. Lead independent research projects that advance SEA's scientific mission. Identify promising new questions emerging from PHAGES and GENES data and develop research strategies to pursue them.

• Build new directions. Work with SEA leadership and external collaborators to develop larger-scale research areas and collaborative initiatives that extend what SEA does scientifically. This is not just executing an existing roadmap.

• Design and implement. Develop experimental approaches and analytical frameworks, including large-scale genomic and sequencing workflows. Run the experiments, build the pipelines, interpret the findings.

• Make meaning from data. Analyze complex datasets and synthesize findings into scientific and programmatic direction. Help the team understand what the data indicates and what to do next.

• Develop community tools and methods. Contribute to the methodologies and collaborative approaches that SEA's distributed faculty and student community can use. The goal is science that scales.

• Communicate and publish. Contribute to scientific publications, conference presentations, reports, and other research communications. Serve as a named scientific contributor and representative of the program's work.

• Support junior researchers. Advise junior lab members and contribute scientific leadership within the SEA community.

What we are looking for

• A scientist who leads. Has run an independent research project from question to publication (or preprint), rather than executing someone else's design. Held ownership of the work and has a first-author paper or preprint to show for it.

• PhD in biology or a related field. A doctorate is required. At least one year of postdoctoral research experience is preferred and will be the common profile for this role.

• Deep technical fluency. Bench experience with bacteria and bacteriophages, along with proficiency in molecular biology, microbiology, and bioinformatics. Understanding of how large-scale genetic screens and sequencing projects work, including building and running data analysis pipelines for transcriptomics, amplicon sequencing, or metagenomics.

• Comfort with complexity at scale. Ability to handle large, heterogeneous datasets and to build or adapt bioinformatics pipelines. Does not require a fully scoped handoff to begin working.

• Scientific curiosity that runs wide. Interest in where the science leads, even when it moves outside prior training. Energized by novel questions rather than narrowed by them.

• Collaborative instincts. Works well with people who bring different kinds of expertise. Able to give and receive scientific feedback without ego getting in the way. Understands that a distributed research community requires generosity as well as rigor.

• Clear scientific communication. Writes in a way that can be published and presented to external audiences. Able to explain the work and its purpose to people outside the subfield.

Nice to have

• Experience working in or alongside an educational research program or networked research community

• A track record of science communication beyond peer-reviewed publication

What this role is not

• A postdoc in a traditional academic lab. There is no PI, no single lab hierarchy, and no tenure clock. This role includes scientific autonomy, but the context is a national education program, not a university department.

• A purely bench-based research position. A meaningful part of this role involves translating scientific findings into frameworks that SEA's distributed faculty and student community can engage with. Being an educator is not required, but attention to that connection matters.

• A role for someone who needs a fully scoped brief before starting. SEA is actively building new research directions. The job involves identifying and framing questions, not just answering pre-formed ones.

• A communications or curriculum role. The position is fundamentally scientific. Writing and community work are part of the job, but the primary output is research.

Practical details

This role reports to SEA leadership within HHMI's Science Education department. It requires a PhD in biology or a related field and at least one year of postdoctoral research experience, with a demonstrated first-author publication or preprint expected. They will be in-person at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with occasional travel to our headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland. 

Physical Requirements

Remaining in a normal seated or standing position for extended periods of time; reaching and grasping by extending hand(s) or arm(s); dexterity to manipulate objects with fingers, for example using a keyboard; communication skills using the spoken word; ability to see and hear within normal parameters; ability to move about workspace. The position requires mobility, including the ability to move materials weighing up to several pounds (such as a laptop computer or tablet).

Persons with disabilities may be able to perform the essential duties of this position with reasonable accommodation. Requests for reasonable accommodation will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Please Note:

This job description sets forth the job’s principal duties, responsibilities, and requirements; it should not be construed as an exhaustive statement, however. Unless they begin with the word “may,” the Essential Duties and Responsibilities described above are “essential functions” of the job, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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Compensation and Benefits

Our employees are compensated from a total rewards perspective in many ways for their contributions to our mission, including competitive pay, exceptional health benefits, retirement plans, time off, and a range of recognition and wellness programs. Visit our Benefits at HHMI site to learn more. 

Hiring Pay Range

Pay Type:

The posted range reflects HHMI’s good faith estimate of the anticipated hiring salary range for this role at the time of posting. Actual hiring compensation is determined by a candidate’s qualifications, experience, and internal equity.

HHMI is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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