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POSITION DETAILS

Employment based visa sponsorship will be considered for this position.

Position Number:  128670
Classification Title:  Assistant Professor
Working Title:  Assistant or Associate Professor, Computational Biology/Bioinformatics

Department:  Biology
FLSA Status:  Exempt
Salary Range:  Commensurate with education and experience
Pay Basis:  Annually

POSITION OVERVIEW

JOB SUMMARY:

The Department of Biology at the University of West Florida (UWF) invites applications for a full-time, nine-month, open-rank tenure-earning faculty position at the Assistant Professor, or Associate Professor level in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a closely related field. Qualified research-intensive applicants can be considered for a joint appointment with IHMC.

The successful candidate will hold a primary academic and tenure-earning appointment in the Department of Biology and will be expected to contribute to interdisciplinary research through sustained collaboration with IHMC and UWF’s Center for Computational Intelligence. We seek candidates who use computational, quantitative, or data-intensive approaches to address significant biological or biomedical questions, strengthening computational biology within the department while fostering research connections across the university.

Areas of Interest

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Bioinformatics, computational biology, and genomics/multiomics
• Systems biology and biological data science
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence applications in biological systems
• Quantitative biology and computational modeling
• Computational approaches to human, microbial, environmental, or biomedical research

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be expected to:
• Maintain an active research program with the potential for sustained external funding in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a related area.
• Develop collaborative research initiatives with Biology faculty, IHMC scientists, and researchers affiliated with UWF’s Center for Computational Intelligence.
• Mentor and engage undergraduate and graduate students in computational and interdisciplinary research.
• Teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses in areas such as bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics, data analysis, or other core/elective courses supporting departmental curricula.
• Contribute to the research, educational, and service missions of the Department of Biology, the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering (HMCSE), and the University.
• Participate in departmental, college, university, and professional service.

About the Department

The Department of Biology is a collegial and growing department within the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering, with a strong culture of mentorship and hands-on student research. Faculty pursue a broad range of research areas including molecular biology, microbiology, ecology, genetics, biochemistry, and physiology. The department is housed in modern facilities with research laboratories and a state-of-the-art, $26 million Laboratory Sciences Annex featuring teaching laboratories. Faculty members maintain active research laboratories, and shared instrumentation supports a wide range of biological and biomedical research. Faculty actively engage with campus centers and interdisciplinary programs to build collaborative research and training opportunities. As a Research 2: High Spending and Doctorate Production institution, UWF offers a supportive environment for faculty developing competitive, student-centered research programs.
Learn more about the Department of Biology at www.uwf.edu/hmcse/departments/biology

About IHMC

The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) is an independent not-for-profit research institute of the State University System of Florida with over 120,000 ft2 of research and administrative space across four buildings (three in Pensacola, FL; one in Ocala, FL). IHMC has grown into one of the nation’s premier research institutes with multiple university and industry affiliations and more than 180 researchers and staff pioneering technologies aimed at leveraging and extending human capabilities to ultimately advance the human condition. The IHMC research portfolio encompasses three, cross-linking pillars: Amplified Intelligence and Machine Learning; Robotics and Exoskeletons; and Healthspan, Resilience and Performance. IHMC’s interdisciplinary research team includes computer scientists, physiologists, computational biologists, cognitive psychologists, neuroscientists, clinicians, cell and molecular biologists, biomechanists, engineers, roboticists, rehabilitation experts and social scientists. The IHMC Healthspan, Resilience and Performance Research Complex is a state-of-the-field 40,000 ft2 building on the IHMC Pensacola Campus that enables innovative, translational research via leading-edge laboratories and core facilities merging clinical, applied and basic biological sciences under one roof.

Salary and Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank. UWF offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid leave options.

Review of applications will begin November 1, 2026. Applications received by this date will receive full consideration; however, the position will remain open until filled.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree from an accredited institution in biology, bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics, biostatistics, data science, computer science, or a closely related discipline.
• Evidence of scholarly productivity through peer-reviewed publications or equivalent scholarly contributions appropriate to career stage.
• Demonstrated application of computational or quantitative approaches to biological or biomedical research questions.
• Evidence of, or demonstrated potential for, effective university-level teaching and student mentoring.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to conduct interdisciplinary and collaborative research.
• Candidates seeking appointments at the Associate Professor rank must demonstrate a sustained record of scholarship, teaching, service, and professional accomplishments appropriate to the proposed rank.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree from an accredited institution in biology, bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics, biostatistics, data science, computer science, or a closely related discipline.
• Evidence of scholarly productivity through peer-reviewed publications or equivalent scholarly contributions appropriate to career stage.
• Demonstrated application of computational or quantitative approaches to biological or biomedical research questions.
• Evidence of, or demonstrated potential for, effective university-level teaching and student mentoring.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to conduct interdisciplinary and collaborative research.
• Candidates seeking appointments at the Associate Professor rank must demonstrate a sustained record of scholarship, teaching, service, and professional accomplishments appropriate to the proposed rank.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Physical Requirements: Occasional and/or light lifting required. Limited exposure to elements such as heat, cold, noise, dust, dirt, chemicals, etc., but none to the point of being disagreeable. May involve minor safety hazards where likely results would be cuts, bruises, etc.
• Impact of Deadlines: Routine deadlines. Usually sufficient lead time. Variance in work volume, seasonal, and predictable. Priorities can be anticipated. Some interruptions are present. Involves occasional exposure to demands/pressures from persons other than immediate sup.
• Standing: Daily
• Walking: Daily
• Sitting: Daily
• Reaching with hands and arms: Daily
• Climbing or balancing: Occasionally
• Stooping: Occasionally
• Use of hands to handle objects: Daily
• Lifting up to 10lbs: Frequently
• Lifting up to 25lbs: Occasionally
• Lifting over 25lbs: Occasionally
• Talking as express or exchange of ideas verbally: Daily
• Hearing as perceive sound by ear: Daily
• Vision as distinguish colors & depth: Daily

Special Requirements or Considerations of the Job:  

• This position requires a criminal background screening.

Special Instructions to Applicants:  Candidates must apply online through the University of West Florida website: https://careers.uwf.edu. Applicants are required to attach a cv, letter of interest (max of 2 pages) and contact information for three references. References will be contacted upon submission of this application. An opportunity to upload these documents will be provided during the application process. For assistance, please contact Human Resources at 850.474.2694 or email jobs@uwf.edu.

If one or more of your advanced degrees is awarded from an institution outside of the United States, UWF will require a credential evaluation and/or translation prior to onboarding. This credential evaluation should include original documents received directly from your institution so that the agency can evaluate and attest that your credential is equivalent to a similar degree earned at a US institution. If your credential is not in English, this evaluation should also include a translation to US English.

UWF does not endorse any particular approved agency; however, typically any current National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member agency is acceptable. You are advised to check with the agency first to make sure your educational background can be evaluated as some agencies do not evaluate all international degrees.

When necessary, these credential evaluations will be requested as part of the Offer Letter with instructions on where and to whom these documents should be submitted.

Applicants should also submit:

A research statement, maximum two pages, describing the applicant’s research accomplishments and future research program; plans for developing or expanding an externally supported research program at UWF; potential collaborations with Department of Biology faculty and the Center for Computational Intelligence; and approaches for engaging undergraduate and graduate students in research.
Teaching philosophy, maximum two pages.
Unofficial transcripts; official transcripts will be required upon hire.

ADDITIONAL POSTING DETAILS

Number of Vacancies: 1
Work Hours:  8:00am - 5:00pm
FTE:  1.0
Preferred Response Date:  10/30/2026