Postdoctoral Researcher, Orchid Conservation

Title: Postdoctoral Researcher, Orchid Conservation
Exemption Status: Exempt
Department: Conservation Science / Ex situ collections
Reports to: Director of Conservation
Year-Round Full-time, (three-year position based on grant funding)
Supervises: Graduate students, research assistants, and volunteers (as needed)

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

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Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate's qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate's salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual's contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview: This is a three-year position, with an expected start date of October 2026. The position is funded by an IMLS National Leadership Grant, "From Collection to Conservation: A Collaborative, Data-Driven Framework for Creating a Genetically Resilient Orchid Collection," and will work closely with the Chicago Botanic Garden's Conservation Science team, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the BGCI Slipper Orchid Specialist Group, the North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC), and partner institutions among the 11 largest orchid-holding collections in the United States.

The postdoctoral researcher will serve as the project's data and genetics lead, compiling, validating, and standardizing collection records (provenance, taxonomy, propagation history, health status) across partner institutions, and applying modern genomic tools to quantify diversity, verify identity, detect hybridization, and reconstruct pedigrees. The project's initial taxonomic focus is on slipper orchids (Paphiopedilum, Cypripedium, and allied taxa) and the American ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii), with at least four U.S.-native species and four to five Paphiopedilum species targeted for full implementation.

Working alongside the Pollen Bank Manager and Conservation Horticulturist, and in coordination with zoo-conservation partners (including Brookfield Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, and the Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative), the researcher will help translate integrated genetic, demographic, and horticultural data into globally coordinated Species Management Plans-modeled on the Species Survival Plans used in the zoo community-that guide breeding, plant movement, and long-term stewardship across institutions.

The role offers substantial opportunity to shape research questions and analytical approaches while contributing to a national leadership effort in pedigree-based conservation management. The postdoctoral researcher will collaborate with scientists in genetics, horticulture, and collections management and will contribute to publications, protocols, training materials, and future grant proposals.

Responsibilities
In this role you will be responsible for the following:

1. Collection Data Compilation, Assessment, and Validation

• Coordinate with partner institutions, BGCI, and NAOCC to gather accession records, including provenance, taxonomic identity, propagation history, and health status, for target orchid taxa.
• Standardize and integrate submitted records into a unified, validated database, documenting assumptions for incomplete or inconsistent data.
• Identify data gaps and, where possible, construct pedigrees, tracing maternal and paternal lines and designating wild-collected founders.

1. Genetic Analysis and Pedigree Development

• Design and lead non-destructive tissue sampling from ex situ collections and, where available, wild populations.
• Generate DNA barcode and genome-wide SNP data using orchid-specific genomic tools (e.g., target-capture bait sets) to verify species identity and assess population structure.
• Analyze genetic diversity, relatedness, clonality, and hybridization; reconstruct pedigrees within and across institutions.
• Integrate genetic results with Phase 1 accession data to identify underrepresented founders and genetically valuable lineages.

1. Cross-Phase Coordination and Species Management Plan Development

• Collaborate with the Pollen Bank Manager and Conservation Horticulturist to incorporate demographic and horticultural data into a shared analytical framework.
• Contribute to the development of Species Management Plans (e.g., using PMx/PMxceptional), modeled on zoo-community Species Survival Plans, to guide breeding, transfer, and long-term stewardship decisions.
• Represent the project in collaborations with the BGCI Slipper Orchid Specialist Group, NAOCC, and zoo-conservation partners.

1. Data Analysis, Interpretation, and Dissemination

• Apply appropriate statistical, population-genetic, and bioinformatic approaches to project datasets; contribute results to BGCI PlantSearch and GenBank.
• Lead or co-author peer-reviewed publications and contribute to training manuals and best-practice guidance for participating botanic gardens.
• Present findings at scientific and professional meetings, including APGA and the BGCI Global Botanic Gardens Congress.

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

Qualifications

Required

• Ph.D. in botany, plant systematics, evolutionary biology, conservation genetics, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in molecular systematics or phylogenomics, including next-generation sequencing methods (e.g., library preparation, target capture, sequencing) and bioinformatic analysis of genomic data.
• Experience with population-genetic or pedigree-reconstruction analyses, or closely related quantitative approaches to diversity and relatedness.
• Strong programming and/or analytical skills (e.g., R, Python, phylogenomic or bioinformatics pipelines).
• Field and/or collections-based research experience with plants.
• Demonstrated record of peer-reviewed publication.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively across multiple institutions, manage multiple projects, and meet deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with common software applications.

Preferred

• Experience working with orchids or other threatened, horticulturally significant plant taxa.
• Experience with living collections, herbaria, or other museum/collections-based data.
• Familiarity with pedigree-management or population-viability software (e.g., PMx).
• Experience integrating field or collections observations with molecular data.
• Teaching or mentoring experience.
• Experience collaborating across multiple institutions or with international partners.

Physical Demands:

Sustained periods of standing, sitting, and walking between labs and field sites; lifting up to 20 pounds; frequent fieldwork in varying environmental conditions.

To apply: To apply, submit an application and upload a resume/CV for this position. Please also include a statement of interest (1 to 2 pages) describing your relevant experience (field, lab, collections, computational, or a combination), your interest and aptitude for learning new skills, how this position fits your future career goals, and a brief outline of how you might approach the independent research component of the position. We are especially interested in hearing your ideas for using eDNA and biological collections to study plant-pollinator interactions, including possible research questions, methods, or directions you would be excited to pursue. We are not looking for a fully developed proposal, but rather evidence of creativity, scientific thinking, and how you would build a project within the broad goals of the position. Please also include names and contact information for three references.

Why Apply?
Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX Coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.