Research Associate in Organic Synthesis (fixed-term role)

The Department of Chemistry have an exciting opportunity to work on new photocatalytic processes for the synthesis of valuable amine-containing building blocks for medicinal chemistry.

You will be working as part of a team under the supervision of Dr Alex Cresswell to develop photocatalytic methods for the functionalisation of simple, readily available primary amine starting materials using organic photocatalysts. We will apply these new processes to the synthesis of pharmacologically-relevant targets and will gain fundamental understanding of the systems through mechanistic analysis.

As a Research Associate you will

• help lead the research of a motivated team of chemists
• gain experience of the development and application of new catalytic methods
• perform both individual and collaborative research projects and work with the team to develop new ideas
• write up research results for publication in scientific journals and will have the opportunity to disseminate the work through presentations at internal and external seminars and conferences.

About us:

The Cresswell group currently comprises 8 PhD students (mostly industry-funded), and two PDRAs. We are based in the main Chemistry building in two modern and well-equipped labs. We have two Teledyne-Isco automated chromatography systems and a Teledyne-Isco prep-HPLC system. We also own two Vapourtec continuous flow chemistry platforms (an E-series Easy-Medchem and an R-series RS-400 with full automation, the former equipped with a UV-150 photoreactor), a Uniqsis PhotoSyn flow photoreactor, and a Huber CC-85 recirculating chiller (for flow photoredox down to –60 °C). Our group has full access to the analytical and technical facilities offered at Bath, including NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, XRD analysis, and the EPSRC-funded Dynamic Reaction Monitoring (DReaM) facility (flow NMR).

Further information

This position is funded for 12 months initially, and can be extended by a further 12 months subject to mutual agreement.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Alex Cresswell (ajc202@bath.ac.uk), however, please submit your application via the University website.

What we can offer you:

• a very generous employer contributory pension scheme
• generous annual leave allowance with an additional 5 discretionary days so that you can enjoy a positive work life balance
• we are a family-friendly University and with an increasingly agile workforce, are open to flexible working arrangements
• an excellent reward package that recognises the talents of our diverse workforce
• a wide range of personal and professional development opportunities
• a number of support options available for new and existing staff to help with the cost of some immigration expenses which you may be eligible for: Relocation allowance, Visa Reimbursement, Interest-Free Loan.

We aim to be an inclusive university, where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We have an excellent international reputation with staff from over 60 different nations and have made a positive commitment towards gender equality and intersectionality receiving a Silver Athena SWAN award. We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds will lead to a better environment for our employees and students, so we encourage applications from all genders, backgrounds, and communities, particularly from under-represented groups, and value the positive impact that will have on our teams. 

Advert information