Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology

Position overview Salary range: The salary range for this position is $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 22, 2026 Next review date: Tuesday, Dec 1, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee. Final date: Wednesday, Sep 22, 2027 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled. Position description The Department of Plant Pathology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis is recruiting an Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology with an emphasis on plant health and microbiomes. This is an academic year (9-month), tenure-track Assistant Professor position that includes an appointment in the California Agricultural Experiment Station (AES), with responsibility for research and outreach relevant to the AES mission, as well as university service. The appointee is expected to establish a competitive, externally funded research program in plant microbiome science that addresses critical and emerging issues in plant pathology. The program should advance microbiome-informed approaches to the diagnosis, prediction, and/or management of plant diseases and develop science-based solutions to promote plant health. Research should generate fundamental and applied understanding of the composition, function, and/or dynamics of plant-associated microbial communities (including bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, viruses, and/or other microorganisms) and their interactions with plant hosts and each other. Areas of interest may include disease-suppressive microbiomes, dysbiosis and pathobiomes, host-microbiome-pathogen interactions, pathogen-pathogen and pathogen-nonpathogen interactions, disease complexes and multi-infections, microbiome engineering, synthetic communities, and the ecology and evolution of pathogens within the phytomicrobiome. Research may also address climate-driven changes in plant-microbiome interactions and emerging diseases, span model, agricultural, and/or natural plant systems, and should have a strong mechanistic and/or predictive foundation. The appointee will be expected to teach GDB103: The Microbiome of People, Animals and Plants, a 3-unit, upper-division undergraduate course that serves Global Disease Biology (GDB) and other students. The appointee is also expected to contribute to required GDB courses, such as GDB90: Introduction to Global Disease Biology, GDB 187: Global Disease Biology Seminar, and PMI129Y: One Health: Human, Animal & Environment Interfaces, and will have opportunities to contribute to graduate courses such as PLP201B: Ecology and Epidemiology of Plant Pathogenic Organisms and PLP298: Microbial Ecology. Training and mentoring of graduate students, undergraduate student advising, curricular development, outreach, and departmental and university service are expected. The successful candidate will be an active member of the Plant Pathology Graduate Program and other graduate groups as appropriate and will have opportunities to collaborate with Cooperative Extension specialists and advisors, relevant industries, and other public stakeholders. This recruitment is conducted at the Assistant Professor rank, and the resulting appointment will be at that rank regardless of the 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 advance to full review, at which time letters of recommendation will be requested and included in subsequent evaluations. Work Life 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. 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 (required at time of application) Ph.D. in plant pathology, microbiology, microbial ecology, or a related field with experience, interest, and academic coursework related to microbial communities of healthy and diseased plants. Degree must be awarded by start of position. Preferred qualifications (other preferred, but not required, qualifications for the position) Postdoctoral experience preferred. Evidence of leadership and organizational skills relevant to the development of successful research, teaching and outreach programs in the discipline of plant microbiome science in the context of plant health and disease. Evidence of scholarship during graduate and post-graduate activities, including peer-reviewed publications. 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 and other audiences. Willingness and interest to advise undergraduates. Demonstrated ability, potential, and/or interest to mentor M.S. and Ph.D. students and possibly postdoctoral researchers. Evidence of communication skills and collegiality consistent with effective departmental, campus and professional citizenship. Interest in, understanding of, and commitment to the objectives of a land-grant university and the Agricultural Experiment Station, including mission-oriented research. Application Requirements Document requirements Curriculum Vitae including publication list - Your most recently updated C.V. Statement of research accomplishments and interests, including future research plans, relevant to plant microbiome science in the context of plant health and disease 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 accomplishments and philosophy Transcripts - If the applicant is within five years of Ph.D. degree, please upload transcripts. (Optional) Publications - Please upload up to three publications. Cover Letter (Optional) Reference requirements 3-5 required (contact information only) 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: Affinitive 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. The University of California and UC Davis are 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