Biology Jobs in Tennessee
Biology jobs in Tennessee are consistently active, with strong demand concentrated in pharmaceutical research and development, agricultural sciences, environmental consulting, and healthcare laboratory services. Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville anchor the hiring market, where employers such as Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Eastman Chemical Company maintain ongoing biology hiring across experience levels. The most in-demand specialties right now are microbiology, molecular biology, and environmental biology. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Animals routinely make decisions that affect their fitness, yet they do not always choose the optimal option. This NSF-funded project examines choice overload , a phenomenon in which decision-makers become overwhelmed by the number or complexity of available options, resulting in suboptimal decisions, delayed decisions, or failure to choose at all. The project will investigate three proposed drivers of choice overload: decision task difficulty, assortment complexity, and preference uncertainty. Using bumblebees as an experimental system, the postdoctoral researcher will conduct behavioral experiments that test how nectar rewards and other biologically relevant floral traits influence foraging decisions and decision quality.
The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. Claire Hemingway and project collaborators while contributing to experimental design, data collection, quantitative analyses, and dissemination of findings. This work is expected to advance understanding of animal decision making, behavioral ecology, cognition, and pollinator biology.
The anticipated start date is 11/1/2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. Funding is available for 2.5 years , contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued availability of funding. The initial appointment will be for one year and will serve as a probationary period, with continuation subject to successful performance review.
The postdoctoral research position will involve collaborative experimental design, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparation, and participation in the development of external funding proposals. The successful candidate will lead experiments examining decision-making and choice overload in bumblebees, including studies of how decision task difficulty, assortment complexity, and preference uncertainty influence foraging behavior and decision outcomes. Responsibilities will include developing and conducting behavioral experiments, managing and analyzing data using reproducible research practices, publishing findings in peer-reviewed journals, and presenting research at scientific conferences. The postdoc will provide mentorship to undergraduate and graduate researchers in the lab and contribute to maintaining a collaborative, productive, and positive research environment. The position will also provide opportunities to participate in project outreach activities focused on animal behavior and decision-making science.
Research in the Hemingway Lab combines controlled behavioral experiments with quantitative and evolutionary approaches to understand how animals make decisions in complex environments. This position requires full-time, in-person work and will primarily involve laboratory-based research using bumblebees, with opportunities for collaborative research across study systems and disciplines. Candidates should be enthusiastic about animal behavior, experimental research, and quantitative analysis.
UTK is home to an interdisciplinary community of behavioral scholars called the Collaborative for Animal Behavior (CoLAB), which provides outstanding opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, professional development, and networking with researchers across a broad range of behavioral disciplines. Located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and many other natural areas, Knoxville offers exceptional access to outdoor recreation while also supporting a vibrant arts, food, and music community.
Required Qualifications
Education:
PhD in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Entomology, Animal Behavior, Neurobiology, Environmental Science, or related discipline.
ABD candidates will be considered if all degree requirements are completed before the start date.
Experience:
Experience conducting biological research and quantitative data analysis.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Strong analytical and statistical skills
Experience using R, Python, MATLAB, or similar software for data analysis
Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively
Ability to communicate scientific findings effectively
Ability to manage research projects
Ability to contribute to a positive laboratory environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with pollinators, insects, or other invertebrate study systems
- Experience conducting behavioral assays and animal choice experiments
- Experience with animal cognition, decision-making, sensory ecology, or behavioral ecology research
- Strong quantitative background, including mixed modeling, experimental design, or computational approaches
- Experience managing independent research projects from conception to publication
- Interest in developing independent research questions related to animal decision making, cognition, and behavioral ecology
Work Location
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Onsite
Compensation and Benefits
Anticipated hiring range: $60,000-$62,000
Application Instructions
For full consideration, the following application materials should be included in the online application:
- Curriculum vitae
- Cover letter that includes:
- the candidate’s educational background and prior research experience,
- current research focus and future research goals, including what topic(s) they hope to pursue as a postdoc in the Hemingway Lab
- perceived competencies and experience in relevant skills, including scientific writing, coding, statistical analysis, and experimental methods,
- what they hope to gain from this position and how it will support their long-term development as a scientist
- A PDF of a first-author publication (published or in press)
- Two letters of recommendation emailed by your recommender directly to Dr. Claire Hemingway (chemingw@utk.edu).
About The Department
EEB is in the top 10% of ecology programs in North America based on research impact ( Keville et al., 2017 ), ahead of peer institutions such as UCLA and UC San Diego. Our faculty and students come from around the globe. Our faculty is a mix of internationally known senior researchers and an energetic group of junior faculty at the cutting edges of their fields. We train graduate and undergraduate students with research interests in ecology, evolutionary biology, animal behavior, conservation biology, behavioral and population genetics, computational biology, development of theory for evolution and ecology, ecosystem and community ecology, global change biology, diverse areas of organismal biology, and biology education.
Animals routinely make decisions that affect their fitness, yet they do not always choose the optimal option. This NSF-funded project examines choice overload , a phenomenon in which decision-makers become overwhelmed by the number or complexity of available options, resulting in suboptimal decisions, delayed decisions, or failure to choose at all. The project will investigate three proposed drivers of choice overload: decision task difficulty, assortment complexity, and preference uncertainty. Using bumblebees as an experimental system, the postdoctoral researcher will conduct behavioral experiments that test how nectar rewards and other biologically relevant floral traits influence foraging decisions and decision quality.
The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. Claire Hemingway and project collaborators while contributing to experimental design, data collection, quantitative analyses, and dissemination of findings. This work is expected to advance understanding of animal decision making, behavioral ecology, cognition, and pollinator biology.
The anticipated start date is 11/1/2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. Funding is available for 2.5 years , contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued availability of funding. The initial appointment will be for one year and will serve as a probationary period, with continuation subject to successful performance review.
The postdoctoral research position will involve collaborative experimental design, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparation, and participation in the development of external funding proposals. The successful candidate will lead experiments examining decision-making and choice overload in bumblebees, including studies of how decision task difficulty, assortment complexity, and preference uncertainty influence foraging behavior and decision outcomes. Responsibilities will include developing and conducting behavioral experiments, managing and analyzing data using reproducible research practices, publishing findings in peer-reviewed journals, and presenting research at scientific conferences. The postdoc will provide mentorship to undergraduate and graduate researchers in the lab and contribute to maintaining a collaborative, productive, and positive research environment. The position will also provide opportunities to participate in project outreach activities focused on animal behavior and decision-making science.
Research in the Hemingway Lab combines controlled behavioral experiments with quantitative and evolutionary approaches to understand how animals make decisions in complex environments. This position requires full-time, in-person work and will primarily involve laboratory-based research using bumblebees, with opportunities for collaborative research across study systems and disciplines. Candidates should be enthusiastic about animal behavior, experimental research, and quantitative analysis.
UTK is home to an interdisciplinary community of behavioral scholars called the Collaborative for Animal Behavior (CoLAB), which provides outstanding opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, professional development, and networking with researchers across a broad range of behavioral disciplines. Located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and many other natural areas, Knoxville offers exceptional access to outdoor recreation while also supporting a vibrant arts, food, and music community.
Required Qualifications
Education:
PhD in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Entomology, Animal Behavior, Neurobiology, Environmental Science, or related discipline.
ABD candidates will be considered if all degree requirements are completed before the start date.
Experience:
Experience conducting biological research and quantitative data analysis.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Strong analytical and statistical skills
Experience using R, Python, MATLAB, or similar software for data analysis
Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively
Ability to communicate scientific findings effectively
Ability to manage research projects
Ability to contribute to a positive laboratory environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with pollinators, insects, or other invertebrate study systems
- Experience conducting behavioral assays and animal choice experiments
- Experience with animal cognition, decision-making, sensory ecology, or behavioral ecology research
- Strong quantitative background, including mixed modeling, experimental design, or computational approaches
- Experience managing independent research projects from conception to publication
- Interest in developing independent research questions related to animal decision making, cognition, and behavioral ecology
Work Location
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Onsite
Compensation and Benefits
Anticipated hiring range: $60,000-$62,000
Application Instructions
For full consideration, the following application materials should be included in the online application:
- Curriculum vitae
- Cover letter that includes:
- the candidate’s educational background and prior research experience,
- current research focus and future research goals, including what topic(s) they hope to pursue as a postdoc in the Hemingway Lab
- perceived competencies and experience in relevant skills, including scientific writing, coding, statistical analysis, and experimental methods,
- what they hope to gain from this position and how it will support their long-term development as a scientist
- A PDF of a first-author publication (published or in press)
- Two letters of recommendation emailed by your recommender directly to Dr. Claire Hemingway (chemingw@utk.edu).
About The Department
EEB is in the top 10% of ecology programs in North America based on research impact ( Keville et al., 2017 ), ahead of peer institutions such as UCLA and UC San Diego. Our faculty and students come from around the globe. Our faculty is a mix of internationally known senior researchers and an energetic group of junior faculty at the cutting edges of their fields. We train graduate and undergraduate students with research interests in ecology, evolutionary biology, animal behavior, conservation biology, behavioral and population genetics, computational biology, development of theory for evolution and ecology, ecosystem and community ecology, global change biology, diverse areas of organismal biology, and biology education.
See All 10 Biology Jobs in Tennessee
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Find Biology JobsBiology Jobs by City in Tennessee
Where Tennessee roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Biology Job Market in Tennessee
A snapshot from current Tennessee openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What Tennessee Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in biology jobs across Tennessee.
- Bachelor's degree in biology, microbiology, biochemistry, or a closely related life science field
- Laboratory skills including PCR, cell culture, microscopy, or relevant analytical techniques
- Experience with data analysis, scientific documentation, and laboratory information management systems
- Familiarity with Good Laboratory Practice standards and regulatory compliance requirements
- Strong written and verbal communication skills for preparing research reports and collaborating with teams
- Master's or doctoral degree preferred for research scientist and principal investigator roles
Biology Jobs in Tennessee: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a biology in Tennessee?
Most biology positions in Tennessee require at minimum a bachelor's degree in biology or a related life science from an accredited institution. There is no single state-issued biology license in Tennessee, but specific roles do require credentials: clinical laboratory scientists must obtain licensure through the Tennessee Department of Health, and environmental roles may require registrations tied to state or federal permits. Employers in pharmaceutical, research, and healthcare settings typically favor candidates with hands-on laboratory coursework and documented technical skills.
Which companies hire biologys in Tennessee?
Tennessee biology roles are posted by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Tennessee, and Alsac/St. Jude Children'S Research Hospital and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Tennessee's combination of major research universities, federal laboratory facilities, and a growing life sciences corridor makes it one of the more varied biology hiring markets in the Southeast.
Which Tennessee cities have the most biology jobs?
Memphis and Knoxville have the most biology openings in Tennessee right now. Nashville leads because of its dense concentration of healthcare systems, biotech firms, and university research programs, while Knoxville benefits from proximity to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, and Memphis draws demand through its agricultural research base and regional healthcare networks.
Are there remote biology jobs in Tennessee?
Yes, but they're rare. Most biology work is inherently hands-on, tied to laboratories, field sites, or clinical environments that require physical presence. About 0% of biology openings tied to Tennessee are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and those positions are concentrated in roles like bioinformatics, regulatory affairs, and science writing where the core work is analytical or documentation-based rather than lab-dependent.
How can I get hired as a biology in Tennessee with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a laboratory technician or research associate role, which Tennessee employers in healthcare and academia use to bring in candidates fresh from undergraduate programs. Institutions like Vanderbilt University, the University of Tennessee system, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital regularly post entry-level and new-graduate positions. A relevant internship, undergraduate thesis research, or documented laboratory coursework gives candidates a concrete edge, and obtaining a clinical laboratory assistant certificate through a Tennessee community college strengthens applications for hospital and diagnostic lab roles.
Where can I find and apply to biology jobs in Tennessee?
You can find and apply to biology jobs in Tennessee on Migrate Mate, which lists current Tennessee openings updated in real time. Search the roles available, find the ones that match your background and interests, and apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 10 Biology Jobs in Tennessee
Find roles in Tennessee that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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