Job description

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.

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 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.

The faculty member may also develop collaborative research activities with the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) through separately defined and approved arrangements. Such collaborations would complement the faculty members’ primary nine-month appointment and responsibilities at UWF.

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

Primary Responsibilities

• 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 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.
• Required Qualifications
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• A record of securing competitive external research funding or, for early-career candidates, strong evidence of the potential to establish an externally funded research program.
• Expertise in analyzing large, complex biological datasets, including multiomics, imaging, clinical, environmental, or other data.
• Experience integrating computational methods with wet-lab experimental research.
• Experience mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate student researchers appropriate to career stage.
• Research interests that directly complement and expand the collaborative strengths of the Department of Biology and the Center for Computational Intelligence.
• Experience developing interdisciplinary or multi-investigator research proposals and working effectively across disciplinary or institutional boundaries.
• 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.
• Application Instructions
• Review of applications will begin October 15, 2026. Applications received by this date will receive full consideration; however, the position will remain open until filled.
• Applicants should submit:
• Cover letter, maximum two pages.
• Current curriculum vitae.
• 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.
• Names, phone numbers, and email addresses of at least three professional references.

To apply, please visit: https://careers.uwf.edu

Desired Start Date: August 8, 2027

Preferred Response Date: October 15, 2026, will remain open until filled.

The University of West Florida, a regional, comprehensive public university serving over 15,000 students, was established in 1963. It is located on a 1,600-acre wooded campus in the westernmost city in the Panhandle region of Florida. Pensacola, the City of Five Flags and the “cradle of naval aviation,” is home to the US Naval Air Station and the Blue Angels (and neighboring Eglin Air Force Base). Pensacola is renowned for its white, sugar-sand beaches and the aquamarine waters of the Gulf of America, labeled the Emerald Coast.

How to apply

Candidates must apply online through the University of West Florida website: https://careers.uwf.edu/. Applicants are required to attach a cover letter, resume, and list of professional references to the online application. 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 [email protected].

The University of West Florida is an Equal Opportunity/Access/Disabled/Veteran employer. Any individual requiring special accommodation to apply is requested to advise UWF by contacting UWF Human Resources at 850-474-2694. Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check and credential verification. E-Verify is required for employment. All applications for employment at the University are subject to Florida public records law.