Senior Entomologist

We are seeking a contract Senior Entomologist to serve as the scientific lead for Colossal Biosciences’ New World Screwworm (NWS; Cochliomyia hominivorax) Biobanking Program, a multi-phase effort to establish a secure, traceable genetic baseline for NWS populations across North and Central America before, during, and after gene drive deployment. This role will design and execute the standardized fitness-validation battery for fresh and cryopreserved (thawed) screwworm cohorts, lead the field collection strategy across active outbreak regions, and oversee live-colony rearing in partnership with COPEG and USDA-APHIS. The Senior Entomologist will act as the central point of scientific accountability for the program — from protocol design and field deployment through data analysis, interpretation, and reporting to federal and partner stakeholders.

This is a 6 month contract position that includes collections trips. You do not need to be based on-site in Dallas but do need to be available for travel. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as scientific lead for the NWS Biobanking Program, owning experimental design, protocol standardization, and interpretation of results across Phase 1 (Fitness Validation), Phase 2 (Biobanking), and Phase 3 (Embryology Production) as activated.
• Design, implement, and quality-control the nine-trait fitness battery — mating latency, copulation duration, fecundity, egg hatch rate, larval viability (1st–3rd instar and 3rd instar–pupa), adult eclosion and sex ratio, flight performance, and host-seeking latency — across CF-Gen1, CT-Gen1, CF-Gen2, and CT-Gen2 cohorts.
• Establish and enforce strict standardization of temperature, humidity, photoperiod, age at testing, diet, handling, and observer methods so that cryopreservation-associated fitness effects can be distinguished from normal biological variation.
• Lead statistical analysis of fitness data, including calculation of Hedge’s g effect sizes and percent-difference comparisons relative to the CF-Gen1 baseline, and determine whether observed effects persist, recover, or change across generations.
• Direct the mobile field collection team across priority outbreak regions in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico, targeting 600–900 individuals from confirmed breeding populations.
• Oversee field collection methods including wound sampling from naturally infested animals, Swormlure-4 baited trapping, rotted-liver bait stations for gravid females, and controlled oviposition on heated substrates to meet live-material targets (2,500+ fertile eggs, 1,200+ larvae, 280+ mated pairs).
• Coordinate with local veterinarians, livestock facilities, COPEG operations, and ongoing eradication efforts to secure site access, maintain cross-border coordination, and ensure enhanced biosecurity protocols in active outbreak zones.
• Oversee live-colony rearing, larval diet preparation, pupation, and eclosion procedures in coordination with COPEG animal care protocols and Arthropod Containment Level 3 (ACL-3) requirements.
• Develop sample chain-of-custody, labeling, metadata, and quality-assurance procedures for live and non-live genetic material entering the biobank in accordance with established biobanking standards.
• Prepare detailed protocols, standard operating procedures, equipment specifications, and training materials for laboratory technicians and field personnel.
• Deliver weekly progress updates and monthly scientific reports to program leadership; prepare data summaries, statistical analyses, and technical narratives for federal and partner stakeholders and regulatory review.
• Provide entomological guidance to embryology, cryopreservation, and cell-culture teams on screwworm developmental biology, reproductive behavior, and host-seeking ecology to support colony reconstitution and restoration success metrics.
• Support post-intervention monitoring design, including documentation of genetic bottlenecks, founder effects, and population dynamics during range expansion.
• Contribute to peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and presentations that communicate program findings to the scientific and regulatory communities.

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Deep expertise in insect behavioral ecology, host selection, and developmental biology, with demonstrated ability to design and run rigorous laboratory behavioral and life-history assays.
• Strong foundation in experimental design and applied statistics, including effect-size analysis, power analysis, and interpretation of variance in behavioral and reproductive traits.
• Hands-on experience with insect field sampling and monitoring methods, including baited and pheromone trapping, sentinel or bait-station collection, and standardized arthropod survey techniques.
• Experience establishing and maintaining live insect colonies under controlled environmental conditions, including diet formulation and rearing standardization.
• Proven ability to lead interdisciplinary research teams and to coordinate across scientific, operations, and external partner organizations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to author protocols, technical reports, and peer-reviewed manuscripts and to present findings to executive and government stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of biosafety, containment, and animal-care compliance requirements for arthropod research facilities.
• Willingness and ability to travel to and work in field settings across Central America and southern Mexico, including active livestock outbreak zones.

Preferred Skills and Certifications:

• Direct experience with Diptera, particularly Calliphoridae or other myiasis-causing or livestock-pest flies; familiarity with Cochliomyia hominivorax biology, the Sterile Insect Technique, and COPEG operations strongly preferred.
• Prior research experience with USDA-ARS, USDA-APHIS, or comparable federal or international agricultural research programs.
• Background in biological control, beneficial insect introduction, or area-wide integrated pest management programs.
• Familiarity with cryopreservation, biobanking, or genetic resource preservation programs for insects or other invertebrates.
• Experience working under Arthropod Containment Level 2 or 3 (ACL-2/ACL-3) conditions or with USDA-APHIS permitting.
• Proficiency in statistical software (R, SAS, or similar) and data management platforms for large behavioral datasets.
• Spanish language proficiency a plus.
• Record of peer-reviewed publications in entomology, behavioral ecology, or related fields.

Education and Experience:

• Ph.D. in Entomology, Behavioral Ecology, or a closely related field required; emphasis in experimental statistics or ecological biochemistry a plus.
• 15 or more years of progressive research experience in entomology or insect ecology, with a substantial portion in a lead scientist or principal investigator role.
• Demonstrated track record of leading multi-year, multi-site research programs from design through publication.
• Experience in academic, federal, or industry research environments; adjunct or teaching experience in entomology or wildlife ecology a plus.
• Proven ability to mentor and supervise technicians, students, and early-career scientists.