Assistant Professor of Food Microbiology

Position overview Salary range: $106,800 - $130,700 (annual). "Off-scale salaries" and other components of pay, i.e., a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions, qualifications, and experience. Application Window Open date: September 23, 2026 Next review date: Tuesday, Dec 1, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Final date: Wednesday, Mar 31, 2027 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Position description The Department of Food Science and Technology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis is recruiting an Assistant Professor of Food Microbiology with a preferred emphasis in Genomics and Ecology of Microbial Foodborne Pathogens. This is an academic year (9-month), tenure track Assistant Professor position that includes an appointment in the California Agricultural Experiment Station (AES). Faculty members who hold an Agricultural Experiment Station appointment have a responsibility to conduct research and outreach relevant to the mission of the California Agricultural Experiment Station. Participation in outreach programs and performance of university service are also expected. The appointee is expected to establish a competitively funded research program in the genomics and ecology of foodborne pathogens, including their interactions within complex microbial communities in food systems to address critical or emerging issues in microbial food safety. The successful candidate will develop an internationally recognized research program that advances understanding of how foodborne pathogens persist in various pre- and post-harvest handling, storage, transportation, and processing operations. The program will explore how these pathogens are transferred through food systems by considering genetic, physiological, and ecological properties, with the goal of informing new intervention strategies. Approaches may span molecular genetics, functional genomics, pangenomics, experimental microbiology, and ecological analysis, along with computational biology, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI) /machine learning (ML) methods where applicable to the candidate's research program. Candidates whose work incorporates or extends toward genomic, metagenomic, or ecological dataset analysis, predictive modeling of pathogen emergence and persistence, or the use of AI/ML approaches to interpret large-scale food-system and environmental datasets are especially encouraged to apply, as these are growing priority areas for the department. Emphasis will also be placed on connecting fundamental or applied pathogen research to broader food-system risks. The candidate will be poised to engage across disciplines, collaborating with colleagues as needed to translate biological findings into actionable knowledge for food safety management. The appointee will be responsible for developing and teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses. Examples of existing courses include FST104 - Food Microbiology and FST 108 - Food Sanitation. Furthermore, the appointee will be expected to develop one or more new courses focused on food safety and the genomics of foodborne pathogens. The appointee is also expected to mentor undergraduate and graduate students and participate in curricular development. Participation in and development of public outreach efforts and/or community engagement programs, and performance of departmental and university service is expected. This position is expected to collaborate with Cooperative Extension specialists and advisors, partners in allied industries or other appropriate public stakeholders. This recruitment is conducted at the assistant professor rank. The resulting hire will be at the assistant professor rank, regardless of the proposed appointee's qualifications. Initial review of applications will be conducted using anonymized versions of the Statement of Research Accomplishments and Interests. Applications demonstrating sufficient potential based on this review will be advanced to full review. UC Davis supports Family-friendly recruitments. UC Davis covers travel expenses for a second person to accompany an invited faculty recruitment candidate who is a mother (or single parent of either gender) of a breast or bottle-feeding child less than two years of age. Work Life UC Davis recognizes the necessity of supporting faculty with efforts to integrate work, family and other work-life considerations. To recruit and retain the best faculty, the campus sponsors a Work LifeProgram that provides programs and services that support faculty as they strive to honor their commitments to work, home and community. Academic Affairs The UC Davis Partner Opportunities Program (POP) and Capital Resource Network (CRN) are services designed to support departments and Deans' offices in the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty. For information about POP, please visit Partner Opportunities Program (POP). For information about the CRN, please visit Capital Resource Network. Please note eligibility for these programs may be based on policy and funding availability. Qualifications Basic qualifications Basic qualification: Ph.D. or equivalent in a field of Food science, microbiology, pathogen genomics, ecology, computational biology, or other related fields at the time of appointment. Preferred qualifications Post doctoral experience preferred. Evidence of leadership and organizational skills relevant to the development of a successful research, teaching and outreach program in the discipline of food safety and food microbiology. Evidence of scholarship during graduate and post-graduate activities. Demonstrated ability or potential to obtain extramural support for research activities. Demonstrated ability or potential to develop and instruct undergraduate and graduate courses and to present information to scientific audiences. Willingness and interest to advise undergraduates. Demonstrated ability or potential and interest to mentor M.S. and Ph.D. students. Evidence of communication skills and collegiality consistent with effective departmental, campus and professional citizenship. Interest, understanding, and commitment to the objectives of a land-grant university and the Agricultural Experiment Station including mission-oriented research and a substantive outreach engagement programming. Application Requirements Document requirements Initial review of applications will be conducted using anonymized versions of the Statement of Research Accomplishments and Interests. Applications demonstrating sufficient potential based on this review will be advanced to full review. Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. including publication list. Cover Letter Statement of Research - statement of research accomplishments and future research plans relevant to Microbial Food Safety and the Genomics and Ecology of Microbial Foodborne Pathogens Authorization to Release Information Form - This form is required for all applicants applying to academic recruitments. Please see the Employment Disclosure Requirements webpage for more information. Download, complete, sign, and upload the form. Statement of Teaching - statement of teaching accomplishments and philosophy, Publication #1 - up to three publications. Publication #2 (Optional) Publication #3 (Optional) Transcripts - transcripts if the applicant is within five years of Ph.D. degree, (Optional) Reference requirements 4 required (contact information only) the names, addresses, including e-mail, of four professional references Help contact: View email address on click.appcast.io About UC Davis As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer. UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties APM - 035: Affordative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled, "Authorization to Release Information" into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all employees and students. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service are embodied by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values. A variety of resources and programs are available to academics, staff, and students that reflect the core values reflected in our strategic plan: "To Boldly Go," our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs' Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400. UC Davis is also a national leader in inclusive practice. There are numerous links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our administration, campus rankings, locations, campus safety, sustainability, visiting UC Davis and UC Davis Health. The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come. UC Davis is committed to offering a wide variety of benefits for employees. The University of California Employee benefits and UC Davis New Employee benefits webpages have additional information. As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements. Job location Davis, CA #J-18808-Ljbffr University of California - Davis