Applications are invited for a research position within the Molecular Science Group at the University of Oxford’s newly-opened multidisciplinary research centre in China: the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR: oscar.web.ox.ac.uk). This is an exciting opportunity to establish and develop research activities in brand new laboratories fully-equipped and resourced for synthetic biology, organic synthesis, and materials chemistry. Researchers in the Molecular Science Group (PIs: Moloney, Robertson, Wong) have dedicated brand new office and laboratory space, with adjacent analytical and spectroscopic equipment, including 400 MHz NMR, IR, UV, GC, analytical and preparative SFC-MS, GPC, and surface analytical and processing instrumentation. The work will be done in collaboration with research groups in Oxford and there will be the opportunity to undertake 1–2-month research visits there.
The current vacancy is for a Research Scientist at the post-doctoral level (£31,604 - £38,833 p.a.), the position being tenable from 1 February 2020, or as soon as possible thereafter, for 36 months in the first instance, with the possibility of extension.
The successful candidate will produce small-molecule substrates for enzymatic C-H hydroxylation for a variety of applications in the synthesis of natural products, their analogues, and new chemical entities for drug discovery and screening. Applicants should have significant expertise in organic synthesis with a demonstrated ability to design and execute multistep routes to structurally-diverse and stereochemically defined organic molecules; extensive expertise in compound isolation, purification, and spectroscopic analysis (especially NMR) will be essential. Training will be provided on the application of enzymatic hydroxylation at screening and preparative scales, and there will be opportunities for the appointees to be trained, should they wish, in enzyme engineering and evolution to optimise selective C-H oxidation of diverse organic compounds. Further details are available for download [
https://oscar.web.ox.ac.uk/research-scientists-chemical-synthesis] and informal enquiries may be made to Professor Robertson via email:
[email protected].
How to apply: Applicants should have a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry, or should have submitted a PhD thesis in this area prior to taking up the appointment. Please submit a covering letter and CV in English as a PDF attachment by email to
[email protected] before the closing date of 12:00 midday on 25th October 2019. The email subject should specify the title of the post for which you are applying (“RS in Organic Synthesis”) and you must include your full name and telephone number.