Career Opportunities

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is hiring a Research Data Manager to lead the data management team to ensure research data for the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) and machine-readable.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Implement data best practices across the Center:
  • Consult with research groups to enforce standard operating procedures for data collection, formatting, sharing, storage, and archiving
  • Communicate with researchers concerning missing or ambiguous data, obtain follow-up information, and curate datasets and accompanying metadata
  • Serve as the main point-of-contact for CABBI researchers for complex data needs or questions
  • Collaborate with and leverage resources of organizations such as Computer Network Resource Group at IGB, Illinois Data Bank, Illinois Computes
• Lead data intake, curation, storage, and publication:
  • Synthesize research publications to identify key data and collaborate with researchers to implement a publication plan, assign tasks to data management team
  • Provide quality assurance/quality control of data; develop appropriate data entry methods to ensure accuracy and continuity of data, and meet project deadlines and guidelines
  • Manage multiple Center-wide databases and software tools, including LabCollector, BioCyc, etc
• Supervise team and collaborate with stakeholders:
  • Supervises data management team (2 full-time employees, undergraduate student), including task assignment, ongoing performance management, leave/travel approval, and conducting annual performance evaluation
  • Coordinate the CABBI Science Integration Committee
  • Serve as point of contact for collaborative data management efforts across the Bioenergy Research Centers
  • Other data-related tasks as assigned

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in biochemistry, microbiology, plant biology, crop sciences, information science, or another scientific discipline required.
• Three or more years of experience in data management.
• Experience working with electronic databases (e.g., SQL) and laboratory information management systems (LIMS) or online data repositories preferred.
• One or more years of experience supervising staff.

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on Friday, April 3, 2026. This is a hybrid role in Urbana, IL.

The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking two Visiting Research Scientists to conduct bioprocessing lab and pilot plant experiments and analyze data, synthesize results for technical reporting and submission to peer-reviewed scientific journals, and manage projects and research staff to improve work efficiency.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Conduct bioprocessing experiments and of deconstruction of biomass, conversion of sugars into fermentation products and recovery of coproducts from different waste and processing streams.
• Analyze data, synthesize results, and author annual technical reports and multiple manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Lead data organization and curation across multiple projects.
• Coordinate and manage projects to ensure data quality and to improve work efficiency.
• Supervise undergrads, graduate students, and technicians.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Bioprocessing, or closely related field.
• Experience processing biomass for biofuels, carbohydrate analysis, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, and downstream processing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive experience processing biomass for biofuels, carbohydrate analysis, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation and downstream processing
• Experience working with bioenergy crops such as Miscanthus, Bioenergy Sorghum, Switchgrass, etc.
• Experience in use of NMR for lipids or pigments quantification.
• 2+ years postdoctoral experience.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the close date. The previously determined salary range for this position was $60,000 to $61,000. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity.

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on Monday, March 30, 2026.

 The Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to advance high-throughput tools for plant phenotyping in bioenergy crops. We conduct exciting research at the intersection of biology, remote sensing, and data analytics to investigate the factors contributing to the adaptability, sustainability, and productivity of these crops across the United States. 

Position Overview 

The researcher will investigate and validate the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) and low-orbit high-spatial resolution satellites (e.g., Pleiades Neo, Planet SkySat) to determine traits of interest including spatial and temporal variability of plant composition and productivity affected by contrasting growing conditions across the country. 

The candidate will: 

• Define and monitor the field campaign to match data collection efforts of both ground-truthing and remote sensing data. 
• Implement scripting solutions for ingesting and calibrating remote sensing data and ground-truthing data for further analysis. 
• Investigate and implement modelling directions… 

Key Responsibilities 

• Coordinate and organize data collection efforts across multiple collaborating institutions. 
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams of plant scientists, computational biologists, and environmental scientists. 
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at national and international conferences. 
• Mentor undergraduate students as needed. 

Qualifications: 

• A Ph.D. in computational biology, crop science, agricultural engineering, or environmental science. 
• Knowledge, experience, and proficiency at the intersection of plant/crop sciences, remote sensing principles, and digital image processing. 
• Demonstrated programming skills in Python for managing and automating the analysis of large datasets. 
• Strong background in statistical analysis and computer vision frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, Tensorflow). 
• Proven ability in scientific writing and code implementation (e.g., GitHub), preferably in remote sensing and computer science-related topics applied to plant science. 
• Self-starter, ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team; excellent communication and organizational skills. 

Why work with us? 

This is an excellent opportunity to develop innovative research at the intersection of data analytics and remote sensing applied to plant science. This position is a key part of an initiative that strength the collaboration between multiple DOE-funded centers, which brings an unique setting to contribute as part of a multi-disciplinary team of scientists including experts in plant biology, computational biology, and environmental sciences. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive research environment. As part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, you will have access to world-class resources and facilities and the opportunity to engage with a large community of leading researchers at the forefront of plant science. 

Application Process 

Interested candidates should submit the following materials: 

• A cover letter describing your research interests, experience, and career goals. 

• A detailed curriculum vitae (CV). 

• Contact information for three professional references. 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Please email your application materials as a single PDF file to Jennifer Quebedeaux (quebede2@illinois.edu). 

Contact Information 

For inquiries about the position, please contact: Sebastian Varela (sv79@illinois.edu), Bin Peng (binpeng@illinois.edu) or Andrew Leakey (leakey@illinois.edu). 

The Plant Molecular Physiology lab at University of Florida, headed by Professor Fredy Altpeter, is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral research associate with experience in plant genetic engineering, molecular biology and project management to join our team. The research program focuses on designing feedstocks for biofuels and bioproducts using the CABBI “plants as factories” concept.

The successful candidate will apply existing CRISPR‐Cas9 systems to validate targets for crop improvement, develop multiplex genome editing strategies and transgenic approaches for metabolic engineering, and characterize genetically modified events under controlled environment and field conditions similar in scope to our recent publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27306903; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.12411/epdf; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.12833/full.

Extensive background in molecular genetics is essential, including analysis of RNAseq data, design and construction of complex vectors, plant tissue culture, biolistic gene transfer, molecular and phenotypic characterization of transgenic plants. Knowledge in plant metabolism, physiology and genomic regulation is desirable. This work requires excellent interpersonal and communication skills in English as well as excellent writing skills as demonstrated by a strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals. Recent graduates are encouraged to apply.

Please email your resume, cover letter, and contact information of  three references to the PI, altpeter@ufl.edu. The University of Florida is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as an individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran. Salary will be competitive and includes benefits.

Application review will continue until a suitable candidate is identified. Start date is flexible.

Selected publications related to this position:

• Parajuli, S., Kannan, B., Karan, R., Liu, H., Garcia-Ruiz, E., Kumar, D., Singh, V., Zhao, H., Long, S.P., Shanklin, J., Altpeter, F. March 21, 2020. “Towards Oilcane: Engineering Hyperaccumulation of Triacylglycerol into Sugarcane Stems.” GCB Bioenergy. DOI: 10.1111/gcbb.12684. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcbb.12684
• Kannan, B., Jung, J.H., Moxley, G. W., Lee, S.M. Altpeter, F. 2017. TALEN mediated targeted mutagenesis of more than 100 COMT copies/alleles in highly polyploid sugarcane improves saccharification efficiency without compromising biomass yield. Plant Biotechn. J. (in press). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.12833/full
• Altpeter F. et al. 2016. Advancing Crop Transformation in the Era of Genome Editing. Plant Cell. 28: 1510‐1520. http://www.plantcell.org/content/early/2016/06/22/tpc.16.00196.full.pdf+html
  Jung, J. H. and F. Altpeter. 2016. TALEN mediated targeted mutagenesis of the caffeic acid O‐methyltransferase in highly polyploid sugarcane improves cell wall composition for production of bioethanol. Plant. Mol. Biol. 92: 131‐142. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27306903
• Zale, J., J.H. Jung, J.Y. Kim, B, B. Patha, R. Karan, H. Liu, X. Chen, H. Wu, J. Candreva, Z. Zhai, J. Shanklin, F. Altpeter. 2016. Metabolic engineering of sugarcane to accumulate energy‐dense triacylglycerols in vegetative biomass. Plant Biotech. J. 14: 661‐669. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.12411/epdf

The Plant Molecular Physiology lab at University of Florida, headed by Professor Fredy Altpeter, is seeking a highly motivated Ph.D. student with experience in plant tissue culture and genetic engineering and molecular biology to join our team. The research program focuses on genome editing and metabolic engineering of sugarcane to improve crop performance and quality.

The successful candidate will apply existing CRISPR‐Cas9 systems to validate targets for crop improvement, develop genome editing strategies that do not leave a transgenic footprint in vegetatively propagated sugarcane, and characterize genetically modified events similar in scope to our recent publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27306903; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.12411/epdf; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.12833/full.

Hands-on experience with plant tissue culture and genetic transformation is essential. The ideal candidate will also be experience with vector construction, molecular and phenotypic characterization of transgenic plants. This work requires excellent interpersonal and communication skills in English as well as excellent writing skills as demonstrated by a strong publication record in peer reviewed journals.

Please email your resume, cover letter, GRE scores, GPA, and contact information of  three references to the PI, altpeter@ufl.edu. The University of Florida is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as an individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran. Stipend will be competitive and includes benefits.

Application review will continue until a suitable candidate is identified. Start date is flexible.

Selected publications related to this position:

• Parajuli, S., Kannan, B., Karan, R., Liu, H., Garcia-Ruiz, E., Kumar, D., Singh, V., Zhao, H., Long, S.P., Shanklin, J., Altpeter, F. March 21, 2020. “Towards Oilcane: Engineering Hyperaccumulation of Triacylglycerol into Sugarcane Stems.” GCB Bioenergy. DOI: 10.1111/gcbb.12684. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcbb.12684
• Kannan, B., Jung, J.H., Moxley, G. W., Lee, S.‐M. Altpeter, F. 2017. TALEN mediated targeted mutagenesis of more than 100 COMT copies/alleles in highly polyploid sugarcane improves saccharification efficiency without compromising biomass yield. Plant Biotechn. J. (in press). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.12833/full
• Altpeter F. et al. 2016. Advancing Crop Transformation in the Era of Genome Editing. Plant Cell. 28: 1510‐1520. http://www.plantcell.org/content/early/2016/06/22/tpc.16.00196.full.pdf+html
  Jung, J. H. and F. Altpeter. 2016. TALEN mediated targeted mutagenesis of the caffeic acid O‐methyltransferase in highly polyploid sugarcane improves cell wall composition for production of bioethanol. Plant. Mol. Biol. 92: 131‐142. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27306903
• Zale, J., J.H. Jung, J.Y. Kim, B, B. Patha, R. Karan, H. Liu, X. Chen, H. Wu, J. Candreva, Z. Zhai, J. Shanklin, F. Altpeter. 2016. Metabolic engineering of sugarcane to accumulate energy‐dense triacylglycerols in vegetative biomass. Plant Biotech. J. 14: 661‐669. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.12411/epdf

Illinois is a world leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. We serve the state, the nation, and the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and addressing critical societal needs through the transfer and application of knowledge. Illinois is the place where we embrace difference. We embrace it because we value it. Illinois is especially interested in candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching, and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of the Illinois community.

CABBI is seeking full-time academic hourly workers in a plant breeding environment. Successful candidates will work on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus and at the Illinois Energy Farm, south of campus. The work is in a plant breeding laboratory with bioenergy grasses including Miscanthus, sugarcane and their hybrids, to support a sustainable bioeconomy.

Responsibilities for the position:

• Conduct experiments on plant breeding and genetics of perennial grasses. Propagate and grow plants in the field, greenhouses and growth chambers.
• Collect data from research experiments, including use of high-throughput systems such as tablet computers, barcode readers, Bluetooth-enabled measuring devices.
• Tasks may also include dividing plants, repotting, tying up plants to stakes and cages in greenhouse, planting seed, transplanting seedlings in the field, mowing and weeding, operating irrigation equipment, operating and maintaining small equipment, labeling with accuracy, sampling plants, harvesting stems, harvesting plots in field, making crosses, harvesting and packing seed, digging up selections from the field, taking and entering data.

B.S. in Plant Science or related field required. Experience doing farm work, greenhouse work, and/or plant science experiments desired. Must be willing to work outside in heat or cold. Rate of pay starts at $15/hour.

TO APPLY: Applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, and contact information to Brent Berns, bdberns@illinois.edu.  Applications will be evaluated as they are received.

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. Convictions are not a bar to employment. Other pre-employment assessments may be required, depending on the classification of Civil Service employment.

As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or veteran status. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.