Research Fellow Ref 41852 (Fixed Term)

Hours: full time or part time hours considered up to a maximum of 1 FTE. Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need).

Location: Brighton, United Kingdom

Contract Type: fixed-term until 30/09/2026. 

Grade and Salary: Grade 7 starting at £38,784 to £41,064 per annum, pro rata if part time. See current salary scales.

Closing date: Applications must be received by midnight of the closing date.

Expected Interview date: 16/11/2025. Interviews will be remote via MS Teams.

Expected start date: January 2026.   

About the role

A Postdoctoral Research Fellow position is available for an outstanding synthetic chemist to undertake research in the field of lanthanide and actinide organometallic chemistry. The project will entail the design and synthesis of new f-element organometallic complexes in low oxidation states, and the study of their electronic structure and magnetic properties.

About you

The ideal candidate will have, or should be close to completing, a PhD or equivalent in synthetic organometallic/coordination chemistry. Expertise in the synthesis and structural characterization of air-sensitive compounds (including glove-box techniques) are essential. The successful applicant will have experience in experimental aspects of small-molecule structure determination by X-ray crystallography, from crystal growth to preparation of data for publication. Experience of solution-phase NMR spectroscopy is advantageous, and you should ideally have experience of ligand synthesis. The successful applicant will also demonstrate a willingness to learn about magnetic property measurements and associated data analysis techniques. You should be capable of working under your own initiative and leading a small research team consisting of PhD and undergraduate research students. Excellent communication and organizational skills are therefore required. 

About our School 

Please find further information regarding the School of Life Sciences on our website.

The School of Life Sciences is proud to hold a Silver Athena Swan Award.  

Why work here 

Find out more about our reward and benefits package. 

Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion 

Further Key Information

Please contact Professor Richard Layfield (r.layfield@sussex.ac.uk) for informal enquiries.

For full details and how to apply see our vacancies page.

The University is committed to equality and valuing diversity, and applications are particularly welcomed from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Mathematics (STEMM) at Sussex.

Please note that this position may be subject to ATAS clearance if you require visa sponsorship.

The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.  

Visa Sponsorship Queries: This role has been assigned an eligible SOC code and meets the salary requirements for Skilled Worker Sponsorship if full time and appointed at Grade 7.4. Please consult our Skilled Worker Visa information page for further information about Visa Sponsorship. 

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