Research Associate in Synthetic Organic Chemistry

We seek to recruit an enthusiastic, highly motivated experimental scientist with proven intellectual and technical abilities to work on a synthetic organic chemistry project. This project, funded through a European Research Council Consolidator Grant, focuses on the emerging concept of frustrated radical pairs (FRPs) as a new platform for synthetic chemistry. Building on the principles of frustrated Lewis pairs, the research will explore how carefully designed combinations of Lewis acids and bases can generate and control open-shell reactivity, enabling novel bond-forming processes. The work will centre on identifying and developing complementary Lewis acid–base systems that can form and stabilise frustrated radical pairs without undergoing classical quenching. A key objective is to understand how the structure and properties of these components influence radical generation, persistence, and reactivity. This will provide fundamental mechanistic insight into FRP behaviour, including the factors governing selectivity and efficiency in bond formation. Alongside mechanistic studies, the project will investigate the application of FRPs in organic synthesis, with the aim of establishing general strategies for constructing complex molecular architectures. By systematically tuning Lewis acid and base combinations, the research seeks to unlock new reactivity patterns and expand the synthetic toolbox available for the preparation of high-value compounds.

Applicants must hold a postgraduate degree at PhD level (or nearing completion / submission) in a relevant area of synthetic chemistry.

Further information is available at the following group webpages:
Prof. Rebecca Melen - Professor Rebecca Melen - People - Cardiff University

For informal enquiries about the role and the Cardiff School of Chemistry, please contact Prof. Rebecca Melen (e-mail melenR@cardiff.ac.uk)

For further details about working at Cardiff University, please contact: Ms Caroline Pasmore (ChemyHR@cardiff.ac.uk)

This position is full-time (35 hours per week) and is available from 1 October 2026 for 18 months.

Salary: £41,064 - £46,049 per annum (Grade 6). It is not anticipated that an appointment be made above £41,064 per annum (Grade 6.32).

Important note: It is the University’s policy to use the person specification as a key tool for short-listing. Candidates should evidence that they meet ALL of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable. As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement. Please ensure that the evidence you are providing corresponds with the numbered criteria outlined below. Your application will be considered based on the information you provide under each element.

When attaching the supporting statement to your application profile, please ensure that you name it with the vacancy reference number, e.g. Supporting Statement for 21691BR.

Closing date: Friday, 29 May 2026

This post has previously been advertised to employees of Cardiff University only. We now invite external applications.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University