Vacant job

Do you want to conduct research in evolutionary biology, supported by competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Do you want an employer that values sustainable employment and offers secure, advantageous working conditions? We invite you to apply for a postdoctoral position in molecular evolution at Uppsala University.

The position is located at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (ICM) at Uppsala University. We are divided into seven research programs with different focuses: Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Biophysics, Molecular Evolution, Molecular Systems Biology, and Structural Biology. The department has over 200 employees and around 50 doctoral students. Please read more about ICM at http://www.icm.uu.se (http://www.icm.uu.se).

The position is placed within the Molecular Evolution program, led by Jennifer James. The successful candidate will become a member of a newly formed research group working at the intersection of population genetics, phylogenetic analysis, and proteomics. If you are interested in using bioinformatics and computational biology to answer major questions in evolutionary biology, apply for this position!

Job Description

This is a postdoctoral position funded by the Swedish Research Council (VR). The proposed work will be entirely computational, focusing on the analysis of existing proteomic and genomic datasets. The postdoctoral researcher will therefore be responsible for writing code, performing statistical analyses, and writing and publishing scientific articles. The project aims to understand how protein domains are combined and arranged in protein-coding genes, in order to answer the following three research questions:

• How are protein domains associated over evolutionary time, and do some domain properties predict a large number of interaction partners?
• Where does selection tend to act in multi-domain proteins?
• Is variation in the association rate of protein domains, or variation in rearrangement rates, driven by selection? Are specific domain combinations associated with certain clades of organisms, and can this be an informative trait for understanding phylogenies, or for drawing conclusions about genome rearrangement?

The selected candidate is expected to lead the project work and develop these ideas, with flexibility to shape the exact direction of the research according to their own interests.

Qualifications

We are looking for a highly motivated and creative person with a PhD in biology, or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD in biology.

The degree must be completed no later than the time when the employment decision is made. Preference will be given to those who have completed their degree within the last three years. When calculating the three-year time limit, the starting point is the last application date. If there are special reasons, such as leave due to illness, parental leave, trust positions within trade unions, etc., such a degree may have been completed earlier. The applicant must be able to express themselves fluently in spoken and written English.

The ability to code (e.g., in Python) is a valuable skill for this position. Experience working with a high-performance computing cluster is also important, as is the ability to use command-line tools and perform statistical analyses with programs such as R.

Desirable / Additional Qualifications

A background in evolutionary biology will be considered advantageous for this position. Experience in computational biology, bioinformatics, or mathematics is desirable, as is good communication skills and the ability to work both in a team and independently. An interest in developing research ideas and exploring new methods will also be beneficial. The ideal candidate should be comfortable with bioinformatics and population genetics, and be enthusiastic about making this project their own!

About the Position

The employment is fixed-term for 2 years according to the central collective agreement. The scope is full-time. Start date: 2026-09-07 or by agreement. Location: Uppsala.

Application

The application (in English) should include:

• A cover letter describing yourself, your research interests, and your motivation for applying for this position.
• CV.
• Name and contact details for at least two reference persons (email address and phone number).
• Relevant publications.
• PhD degree.

Information about the position is provided by: Jennifer James, [email protected]

Please send your application no later than June 29, 2026, Ref: UFV-PA 2026/1828.

Uppsala University is a broad research university with a strong international standing. The ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a difference in society. Our most important asset is all 7,500 employees and 53,000 students who, with curiosity and engagement, make Uppsala University one of the country's most exciting workplaces.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at Uppsala University: https://uu.se/om-uu/jobba-hos-oss/ (https://uu.se/om-uu/jobba-hos-oss/)

The position may be subject to security clearance. In the case of security clearance, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved.

We decline offers of recruitment and advertising assistance.

Applications are received in Uppsala University's recruitment system.

Union Representatives: Saco-S - [email protected], Seko - [email protected], ST (OFR/S) - [email protected]