Entry Level Postdoctoral Research Associate Jobs
New grad postdoctoral research associate jobs welcome recent graduates and entry level candidates with zero to two years of experience, where a strong dissertation, thesis work, or research internship can matter more than a long resume. Most openings are on-site roles across Education, Healthcare & Medical Services, and Science & Research, with employers like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Arizona, and University of Virginia hiring at this level now.
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INTRODUCTION
Brookhaven National Laboratory’s National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate for AI-driven Lab Automation for Life Sciences for an on-site position in the Biological, Environmental and Planetary Science Division.
The aim of the position is to advance the frontiers of structural biology by developing AI-driven methods for improving crystal quality at scale. This role will enable new discoveries in life sciences and bio-technology relying on structural biology methods.
The ideal candidate would have a background and an interest in Biophysics, Biochemistry, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
Join a team of scientists at the leading macromolecular crystallography beamlines, the crystallization laboratory, the computing center and contribute to science projects at the interface between AI method development and large-scale research facilities.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop and implement AI-enabled laboratory-workflows for automated crystallization screening, optimization, and characterization integrating imaging, experimental metadata, and diffraction outcomes.
- Design and deploy computer vision methods to detect and track crystal growth.
- Develop closed-loop optimization approaches to recommend crystallization conditions and harvesting strategies based on experimental feedback.
- Develop, train and integrate AI/ML models with laboratory automation systems, including crystallization robotics, liquid handlers, and imaging platforms.
- Build scalable data pipelines linking experimental metadata, imaging data, and diffraction results for high-throughput analysis.
- Evaluate model performance using experimental metrics and support deployment into user-facing workflows.
- Collaborate with synchrotron beamline scientists and laboratory and crystallization staff.
- Document methods and results, contribute to manuscripts and reports, and present the work at conferences.
- Participate in interdisciplinary team science.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Ph.D. in computer science, bioinformatics, biophysics, applied mathematics, or related field.
- Expertise in machine learning, computer vision, or image analysis.
- Experience with data management and databases.
- Experience working with Python, scientific software development, version control and collaborative code development, such as Git.
- Ability to work in interdisciplinary teams.
- Strong publication record.
PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Experience with machine learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.) and integrating ML in a research lab facility.
- Familiarity with lab automation or robotics.
- Experience with black-box optimization, including active learning or Bayesian optimization.
- Experience with imaging, time-series or high-dimensional data.
- Exposure to crystallography or structural biology.
- Experience with multimodal datasets and developing reproducible workflows.
- Familiarity with experiment tracking and metadata capture.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- This position is a 2-year term, with the possibility of renewal contingent on performance and funding availability.
- Brookhaven Laboratory is committed to providing fair, equitable and competitive compensation. The full salary range for this position is $71,900-$119,000 / year. You will be placed at the level and salary commensurate with your experience. Salary offers will be commensurate with the final candidate’s qualification, education and experience and considered with the internal peer group.
- Candidates must have completed all degree requirements by the commencement of employment. BNL policy requires that after obtaining a PhD, eligible candidates for research associate appointments may not exceed a combined total of 5 years of relevant work experience as a post-doc and/or in an R&D position, excluding time associated with family planning, military service, illness or other life-changing events.
Brookhaven National Laboratory is committed to employee success and we believe that a comprehensive employee benefits program is an important and meaningful part of the compensation employees receive. Review more information at BNL | Benefits Program.
Brookhaven National Laboratory requires all non-badged personnel including visitors to produce a REAL-ID or REAL-ID compliant documentation to access Brookhaven National Laboratory. This is due to nationwide identification requirements for federal site access as required by the federal REAL ID Act. Those not in possession of a REAL ID-compliant document will not be permitted to access the site which includes access to the Laboratory for interviews.
As a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory requires employees to obtain and maintain a DOE Uncleared Personal Identity Verification (UPIV) credential in accordance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) requirements. The credentialing process is completed as part of onboarding and enables access to DOE facilities and information systems. As a condition of employment, the selected candidate must be able to obtain and maintain a UPIV credential. These requirements are established under DOE Order 206.2 Chg. 2, Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM), and DOE Order 473.1A- Physical Protection Program.
About us
Brookhaven National Laboratory delivers discovery science and transformative technology to power and secure the nation’s future. Brookhaven Lab is a multidisciplinary laboratory with seven Nobel Prize-winning discoveries, 37 R&D 100 Awards, and more than 70 years of pioneering research. The Lab is primarily supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science. Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA) operates and manages the Laboratory for DOE. BSA is a partnership between Battelle and The Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University. BSA salutes our veterans and active military members with careers that leverage the skills and unique experience they gained while serving our country.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Guided by our core values of integrity, responsibility, innovation, respect, and teamwork, Brookhaven Science Associates is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer-Vets/Disabled. We are committed to fostering a respectful and collaborative environment that fuels scientific discovery. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by law. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
BSA employees are subject to restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Programs, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation at the time of hire for review by Brookhaven. The full text of the Order may be found at: https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0486.1-BOrder-a/@@images/file
INTRODUCTION
Brookhaven National Laboratory’s National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate for AI-driven Lab Automation for Life Sciences for an on-site position in the Biological, Environmental and Planetary Science Division.
The aim of the position is to advance the frontiers of structural biology by developing AI-driven methods for improving crystal quality at scale. This role will enable new discoveries in life sciences and bio-technology relying on structural biology methods.
The ideal candidate would have a background and an interest in Biophysics, Biochemistry, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
Join a team of scientists at the leading macromolecular crystallography beamlines, the crystallization laboratory, the computing center and contribute to science projects at the interface between AI method development and large-scale research facilities.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop and implement AI-enabled laboratory-workflows for automated crystallization screening, optimization, and characterization integrating imaging, experimental metadata, and diffraction outcomes.
- Design and deploy computer vision methods to detect and track crystal growth.
- Develop closed-loop optimization approaches to recommend crystallization conditions and harvesting strategies based on experimental feedback.
- Develop, train and integrate AI/ML models with laboratory automation systems, including crystallization robotics, liquid handlers, and imaging platforms.
- Build scalable data pipelines linking experimental metadata, imaging data, and diffraction results for high-throughput analysis.
- Evaluate model performance using experimental metrics and support deployment into user-facing workflows.
- Collaborate with synchrotron beamline scientists and laboratory and crystallization staff.
- Document methods and results, contribute to manuscripts and reports, and present the work at conferences.
- Participate in interdisciplinary team science.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Ph.D. in computer science, bioinformatics, biophysics, applied mathematics, or related field.
- Expertise in machine learning, computer vision, or image analysis.
- Experience with data management and databases.
- Experience working with Python, scientific software development, version control and collaborative code development, such as Git.
- Ability to work in interdisciplinary teams.
- Strong publication record.
PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Experience with machine learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.) and integrating ML in a research lab facility.
- Familiarity with lab automation or robotics.
- Experience with black-box optimization, including active learning or Bayesian optimization.
- Experience with imaging, time-series or high-dimensional data.
- Exposure to crystallography or structural biology.
- Experience with multimodal datasets and developing reproducible workflows.
- Familiarity with experiment tracking and metadata capture.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- This position is a 2-year term, with the possibility of renewal contingent on performance and funding availability.
- Brookhaven Laboratory is committed to providing fair, equitable and competitive compensation. The full salary range for this position is $71,900-$119,000 / year. You will be placed at the level and salary commensurate with your experience. Salary offers will be commensurate with the final candidate’s qualification, education and experience and considered with the internal peer group.
- Candidates must have completed all degree requirements by the commencement of employment. BNL policy requires that after obtaining a PhD, eligible candidates for research associate appointments may not exceed a combined total of 5 years of relevant work experience as a post-doc and/or in an R&D position, excluding time associated with family planning, military service, illness or other life-changing events.
Brookhaven National Laboratory is committed to employee success and we believe that a comprehensive employee benefits program is an important and meaningful part of the compensation employees receive. Review more information at BNL | Benefits Program.
Brookhaven National Laboratory requires all non-badged personnel including visitors to produce a REAL-ID or REAL-ID compliant documentation to access Brookhaven National Laboratory. This is due to nationwide identification requirements for federal site access as required by the federal REAL ID Act. Those not in possession of a REAL ID-compliant document will not be permitted to access the site which includes access to the Laboratory for interviews.
As a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory requires employees to obtain and maintain a DOE Uncleared Personal Identity Verification (UPIV) credential in accordance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) requirements. The credentialing process is completed as part of onboarding and enables access to DOE facilities and information systems. As a condition of employment, the selected candidate must be able to obtain and maintain a UPIV credential. These requirements are established under DOE Order 206.2 Chg. 2, Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM), and DOE Order 473.1A- Physical Protection Program.
About us
Brookhaven National Laboratory delivers discovery science and transformative technology to power and secure the nation’s future. Brookhaven Lab is a multidisciplinary laboratory with seven Nobel Prize-winning discoveries, 37 R&D 100 Awards, and more than 70 years of pioneering research. The Lab is primarily supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science. Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA) operates and manages the Laboratory for DOE. BSA is a partnership between Battelle and The Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University. BSA salutes our veterans and active military members with careers that leverage the skills and unique experience they gained while serving our country.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Guided by our core values of integrity, responsibility, innovation, respect, and teamwork, Brookhaven Science Associates is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer-Vets/Disabled. We are committed to fostering a respectful and collaborative environment that fuels scientific discovery. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by law. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
BSA employees are subject to restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Programs, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation at the time of hire for review by Brookhaven. The full text of the Order may be found at: https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0486.1-BOrder-a/@@images/file
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Find JobsEntry Level Postdoctoral Research Associate Job Market
Who's Hiring
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital17
- University of Arizona12
- University of Virginia12
- Washington University in St. Louis8
- Brookhaven National Laboratory6
Top Industries Hiring
- Education99
- Healthcare & Medical Services32
- Science & Research18
- Non-Profit & Social Services12
- Investment & Asset Management10
Entry Level Postdoctoral Research Associate Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an entry level postdoctoral research associate job?
Employers hiring entry level postdoctoral research associates look for a recently completed doctoral degree, published or submitted research, and laboratory or fieldwork experience gained during your graduate program. Strong letters of recommendation from faculty advisors, a clear research statement, and demonstrated familiarity with the methods used in the host lab give candidates a real edge at this stage. Applying during the final year of your PhD program is common and encouraged.
Which companies hire entry level postdoctoral research associates?
Companies hiring entry level postdoctoral research associates right now include St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Arizona, and University of Virginia, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. At this level, hiring comes from a mix of research universities, academic medical centers, national laboratories, and life sciences companies that run active research programs and regularly bring on early-career scientists.
Are there remote entry level postdoctoral research associate jobs?
Yes, though most postdoctoral research associate roles require on-site work due to lab or facility access. About 5% of entry level postdoctoral research associate openings are remote or hybrid as of July 2026, and those positions tend to be in computational, data-driven, or theoretical research areas where bench work is not required.
Are these new grad postdoctoral research associate jobs?
Yes. The entry level postdoctoral research associate openings on this page include new grad, recent graduate, and junior roles designed for candidates who have just completed or are finishing a doctoral degree. A posting is typically new-grad friendly when it welcomes zero to two years of independent research experience, counts graduate research as qualifying experience, or explicitly invites applications from candidates who have recently defended their dissertation.
Which industries hire the most entry level postdoctoral research associates?
Entry Level postdoctoral research associate roles concentrate in Education, Healthcare & Medical Services, and Science & Research, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. Those sectors drive hiring at this level because they depend on a steady pipeline of newly trained researchers to staff funded grants, advance product pipelines, and support ongoing scientific programs.