Salary/Position Classification

• $72,000+ 9-month contract, Dependent on Experience, Exempt
• 40 hours per week
• 100% Remote Work Availability: No
• Hybrid Work Availability (requires some time on campus): No

Purpose of Position

We seek a broadly trained, applied freshwater ecologist to strengthen the Fisheries and Wildlife Program and our focus on ecology of the Northern Great Plains. This is a 9-month, tenure-track position. We especially encourage applications from candidates with a strong background in freshwater ecology or limnology. Example areas of study could include, but are not limited to, aquatic microbial, invertebrate, or vertebrate community dynamics, water quality, nutrient cycling, harmful algal blooms, invasive species, and climate change and land use impacts on freshwater ecosystems. The successful candidate will demonstrate outstanding promise for establishing a sustainable research program that will attract a diversity of external funds and be aligned with the UND LEADS Strategic Plan. The Department of Biology is an academic unit in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of North Dakota. It serves about 500 undergraduate majors and 30 M.S. and Ph.D. students. In addition to teaching, our faculty members are involved in private, state, and federally funded research programs that span scales of organization from molecular biology to developmental biology and physiology to population and landscape ecology. The department’s faculty members actively train undergraduate and graduate students in their research programs. 

Established in 1883, the University of North Dakota is the oldest research university in North Dakota. Founded with a strong liberal arts foundation, it is the state’s flagship university and is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as having very high research activity. UND offers degrees in more than 225 fields of study and enrolls nearly 16,000 students. It is the home of the state’s only School of Law and School of Medicine. The School of Medicine and Health Sciences has major initiatives in rural and public health, and Aerospace is home to one of the first and largest unmanned aerial vehicle programs in the world.

UND is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, a vibrant college town of over 57,000 people located on the border of North Dakota and Minnesota. Short commutes, a great public-school system, high quality medical facilities, low crime, ample parks and theaters, and a cost of living below that found in large American cities are some of Grand Forks’ advantages. Ranked as one of the top 5 Best Small College Towns, and America’s Best Hockey Town, Grand Forks offers stellar quality of life without the metropolitan hassles.

Duties & Responsibilities

Required Competencies

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including evidence of the ability to teach, inspire, and mentor students
• Ability to develop an original, independent, and extramurally funded research program in limnology and/or freshwater ecology relevant to the state/region
• Effective interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate with diverse students, staff, faculty, and colleagues.
• Ability to implement high-impact teaching practices.
• Ability to contribute to the department’s Fisheries and Wildlife program and research strengths in the Ecology of the Northern Great Plains

Minimum Requirements

• Ph.D. in freshwater ecology, limnology, or a closely related field.
• Successful completion of a Criminal History Background Check

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the US and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience and expertise in applied freshwater ecology or limnology
• Experience obtaining diverse extramural research funding
• Experience working with a variety of stakeholders (e.g., state and federal agencies, non-governmental, landowners, industry).
• Experience mentoring students in research
• Experience teaching undergraduate or graduate courses related to limnology, freshwater ecology, or aquatic ecology.
• Relevant professional or postdoctoral experience

To Apply

To assure full consideration, applications must be received by 11/07/2025 and include the following materials:

• Cover letter highlighting qualifications for position
• Curriculum vitae
• Statements of research interests (not to exceed 3 pages)
• Statements of teaching interests (not to exceed 2 pages)
• Three representative publications as pdf files
• Names and contact information for three references
• Unofficial transcripts. Please note that the selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts upon hire.