Faculty Positions

Position Title / Rank: Assistant Professor in Bean Breeding and Computational Biology

Department: Plant Agriculture

Date Posted: March 29, 2023
Deadline: June 1, 2023 or until a suitable candidate is found
Please reference AD #23-17

Position Description:

The Department of Plant Agriculture, Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph invites applications for a full-time tenure-track position in Plant Breeding, at the Assistant Professor level. This position is located at the Guelph campus and requires a PhD in Plant Breeding, Plant Genetics, or closely related field.

The successful candidate will demonstrate teaching excellence in plant genetics and plant breeding, including quantitative genetics and genomics, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. They will supervise MSc and PhD students in their thesis research, and also contribute to instruction in a course-based Masters program in Plant Agriculture. The chosen candidate will manage an existing, successful breeding program developing commercially viable edible bean cultivars adapted to the Ontario production environment, and will develop and lead a comprehensive, externally funded research program.

The successful candidate will join a world-class, collaborative faculty in the Department of Plant Agriculture, with members conducting cutting-edge research in the disciplines of plant breeding and genetics, weed science, plant pathology, soil science, agronomy, plant physiology, plant conservation, and plant-based bioproducts. Salary is negotiable and commensurate with qualifications. The department will provide competitive research start-up funds; other research support and subsidized access to research facilities is available through the Research Alliance Agreement between the University of Guelph and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The Department of Plant Agriculture is Canada’s largest and most diverse applied plant biology department in Canada and has recognized strengths in a broad cross-section of plant sciences including agronomy, horticulture, breeding, molecular genetics, genomics, controlled environment systems, plant physiology, post-harvest physiology, plant pathology, and plant-based bioproducts. The Department currently has 30 faculty members and employs 100 staff and more than 100 graduate students. Faculty within the Department have access to modern laboratory, growth room and greenhouse facilities, as well as fourteen well-equipped research stations across the province. As part of the Ontario Agricultural College, Plant Agriculture has a long history of achievement in serving the agriculture and agri-food industries within Ontario and beyond.

The University of Guelph is the third largest employer in Guelph, a city of approximately 130,000 people, located about an hour drive west of Toronto, Ontario. University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of over 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across over 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. It is a unique place, with transformative research and teaching and a distinctive campus culture. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose in every experience connected to our university positions us to create positive change, here and around the world. Our university community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.

Application Process

Assessment of applications will begin on June 1, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. Applications should consist of the following materials in a single PDF file:

  1. Letter of interest
  2. Teaching philosophy statement (1 page)
  3. Research interests statement: short- and long-term (1 Page)
  4. Curriculum vitae
  5. EDI Statement: Describe the strategies you will use to foster inclusion and support a diverse community in your research program and classrooms (300 word maximum)
  6. References: Contact information for three (3)

Email applications to:

Dr. Hugh Earl, Chair
c/o Jen Kingswell, Chair's Administrative Assistant
Department of Plant Agriculture
University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
Email: applypag@uoguelph.ca

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University recognizes that applicants may have had obligations outside of work that have negatively impacted their record of achievements (e.g., parental, elder care, and/or medical). You are not required to disclose these obligations in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these obligations do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.

The University of Guelph resides on the ancestral lands of the Attawandaron people and the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and we offer our respect to our Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Métis neighbours as we strive to strengthen our relationships with them.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion (https://uoguel.ph/ox2p9) is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

If you require a medical accommodation during the recruitment or selection process, please contact Occupational Health and Wellness at 519-824-4120 x52674.