Postdoctoral Research Associate in Synthetic Organic Chemistry

About us

The Department of Chemistry is a dynamic and collaborative environment within the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences, dedicated to cutting-edge research and academic excellence. We are excited to offer an opportunity for a motivated individual looking to advance their career in chemical research and contribute to impactful scientific discovery.

As a Research Associate in Chemistry, you will be part of a vibrant research community, working closely with academic staff, postdoctoral researchers, and students. You will play a key role in supporting and delivering high-quality research projects, contributing to publications, and fostering innovation within the department. This position also involves collaboration with faculty and central services to ensure a supportive and productive research environment.

About the role

The Cobb group are looking for a passionate and creative scientist to join our team as a postdoctoral researcher in synthetic organic chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at the King’s College London on a project that seeks to design powerful modular asymmetric catalysts inspired by the helices seen in nature. 

The successful candidate will join the dynamic and collaborative research group of Professor André Cobb, working at the forefront of foldamer research and cutting-edge synthetic methodologies (for information about the group, please visit http://www.cobbresearch.com) in collaboration with the group of Professor Craig Butts at the University of Bristol.

The postdoctoral researcher will be involved in designing and executing the synthesis of novel and innovative foldamer catalysts, and their application towards a variety of stereoselective processes, including organocatalytic and photocatalytic reactions. Applicants should have extensive experience in both small molecule (multi-step) synthesis and in solid phase peptide synthesis. Thus, the role could also be suitable for peptide and nucleic acid chemists who are interested in synthetic methodology.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art instrumentation, such as high throughput experimentation, and collaborate with experts in the field.

Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills are required to ensure success in liaising with a large and diverse research team:

• PhD in Organic Chemistry or a related field.
• Strong background in synthetic organic chemistry, and/or solid phase peptide synthesis.
• Demonstrated track record of high-quality research, as evidenced by publications in reputable journals.
• Excellent communication skills and experience of writing up research results for publication are expected.

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor André Cobb at andre.cobb@kcl.ac.uk.

This post is advertised with an intended start-date of 1st November 2025 with flexibility.

This is a full-time post, offered on a fixed-term contract until the 31st October 2026.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills & experience:

Essential criteria

• A PhD in synthetic organic chemistry (or pending results)
• Experience in multistep synthetic chemistry
• Experience in Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis
• Experience in separation & characterisation of small to medium sized molecules
• Experience in key spectroscopic techniques
• A strong record of publication in relevant & peer-reviewed journals
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to both write & present scientifically, clearly and succinctly.

Desirable criteria

• Experience in asymmetric synthesis and the determination of enantiomeric excess.
• Experience in using/applying density functional theory (DFT)
• Evidence of independent funding

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page.

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