Post-Doctoral Research Associate, The Center for Molecular Biophysics: UTK

University Of Tennessee College
University Of Tennessee College

Full-time

Knoxville, TN, USA

USD 60k-60k / year

Posted on Oct 28, 2026
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This position will assist Prof. Jeremy Smith as well as other research faculty and research scientists in performing research predicting protein function from multi-modal inputs, including protein structure, dynamics simulations and ligand binding. The positions may make use of high-performance computing and/or cloud computing platforms for their work. The positions will be part of a working team and will coordinate their efforts closely with faculty and research scientist mentors as well as outside collaborators. This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon the continued funding of the grant.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!
The Center for Molecular Biophysics, within the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, is seeking a post-doctoral research associate for projects related to molecular modeling, AI and simulation of macromolecular structure, dynamics and function. This is a one-year position. This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon the continued funding of the grant.

Required Qualifications:

  • Education:

    • PhD

  • Experience:

    • In atomistic computer simulations and/or AI and computer programming.

  • Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

    • Excellent working knowledge of chemistry, physics or computer science.

    • Analytical skills necessary to collect information from diverse sources, perform analyses, summarize, and present the information to communicate data, trends, and solve problems
    • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
    • Ability to multitask

    • Molecular modeling and simulation of biological macromolecular systems

    • Practical experience developing AI models

    • Simulating algorithms to understand fundamental behavior


Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.


Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience:

    • Experience deploying scientific software on high-performance computing and/or cloud-computing environments

    • Protein structure prediction

    • Ensemble docking

    • Computational workflow development

    • Experience with generative machine learning

Work Location:

  • Location: University of Tennessee site at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)

  • Onsite

Compensation and Benefits:

  • Anticipated hiring range: $60,000

  • Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here

  • Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions:

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments:

  • Resume

  • Cover Letter

  • Three references

About The College/Department/Division: The University of Tennessee Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology (BCMB) is home to over 400 undergraduate majors. Housed in the Ken and Blaire Mossman (1311 Cumberland Ave.) and Hesler Biology and Greenhouse (1406 Circle Dr.) Buildings, our research teams of faculty, undergrads, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows are working on topics ranging from molecular structure to organismal levels.

The postdoctoral fellows will be responsible for the development of various research topics including AI-enabled protein function prediction, MD simulation and ligand binding. Workflow development may also be involved. Research on drug and vaccine design will also be undertaken. Researchers will assist in performing molecular modeling, engage in software development, and coordinate with others to develop AI models. The researchers will also develop scientific manuscripts associated with their work and present their results where appropriate.

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