APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

 

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

 

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Department of Food Science at Penn State University is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Scholar to contribute to research on the discovery, engineering, and application of novel enzymes in food systems. The successful candidate will conduct research in the Food Biomolecule Laboratory. The anticipated start date is October 1, 2025. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in Food Science, Biochemistry, Biological Engineering, Biotechnology, or a related discipline by the time of appointment.

• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following areas: protein engineering, structural bioinformatics, enzymology, and food chemistry.

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.

• A record of peer-reviewed publications and presentations.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on the discovery and characterization of novel food enzymes to enhance the functionality of food molecules.

• Integrate molecular biology, bioinformatics, and protein engineering tools to improve enzyme performance.

• Design and optimize enzyme-catalyzed reactions for food structure modification.

• Contribute to manuscript preparation, and present research findings at scientific conferences.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply at https://hr.psu.edu/careers. Please include (1) a one-page cover letter describing background, research interests and goals; and (2) a CV detailing education, work experience, research skills, publications, and contact information of at least two references. Questions can be directed to Prof. Yi Zhang at yjz5549@psu.edu.

 

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

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