Postdoctoral Fellow in Carbohydrate Chemical Biology

Biomolecular Interaction Centre and School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, College of Science
University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
• Full-time at 37.5 hours per week (1.0 FTE)
• Fixed-term position (2 years)

What You Will Do
Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a 2-year (24 month) fixed term Postdoctoral Fellowship in Carbohydrate Chemical Biology to work under the leadership of Professor Antony Fairbanks. The project, funded by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE), concerns the production of glycoproteins, and will entail aspects of each of synthetic carbohydrate chemistry, biocatalysis, and chemical biology, including protein expression, purification and characterisation.

Who You Are
The successful candidate will hold a PhD in in any of Carbohydrate Chemistry / Chemical Biology / Biocatalysis, Glycoscience, or a relevant related subject in the fields of Organic Chemistry, or Chemical Biology, or Protein Chemistry, or will have submitted a thesis prior to taking up the appointment. Relevant experience in the production and characterisation of glycoproteins will be a distinct advantage.

Who You Will Work With
The Biomolecular Interaction Centre (BIC) is a multi-disciplinary research centre, founded in 2007 at the University of Canterbury. It includes researchers from UC's Colleges of Science and Engineering and partners with several New Zealand Crown Research Institutes (https://www.mbie.govt.nz/science-and-technology/science-and-innovation/agencies-policies-and-budget-initiatives/research-organisations/cri/) universities and Callaghan Innovation (https://www.callaghaninnovation.govt.nz/).

This Postdoctoral Fellow role is within Professor Fairbanks's research group. Professor Fairbanks is a Principle Investigator in BIC, based in the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences. Professor Fairbanks' group touch upon all aspects of carbohydrate chemistry, glycoscience, and chemical biology. This range includes mainstream synthetic organic chemistry of carbohydrates, including protecting group chemistry, oligosaccharide synthesis and glycosylation reactions, the isolation and purification of complex oligosaccharides from natural sources, to protein cloning expression and the use of site-directed mutagenesis to produce enzyme biocatalysis for the production of homogenous glycopeptides and glycoproteins.

Why UC
Tangata Tū, Tangata Ora - Engaged, Empowered, Making a Difference.

The University of Canterbury is committed to accessible higher education, service to community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

For information about the range of fantastic benefits that UC offers including flexible work practices, study opportunities and generous superannuation and leave provisions, please visit us: http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/joinus

The University of Canterbury is an Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO - https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/media/uc-policy-library/staff/Equal-Employment-Opportunity-Policy.pdf) employer and we encourage diversity in our staffing profile. The University of Canterbury actively seeks to meet its obligation under the Treaty of Waitangi - Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The closing date for this position is: Monday, 30 November 2020 (midnight, NZ time)

Applications will be considered continuously from the first review date and the University reserves the right to make an appointment prior to closing date.

How You Apply
Applications for this position must be submitted on our careers website (https://jobs.canterbury.ac.nz/search) and should include a cover letter and resume including a list of publications and a brief summary of past research experience. Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to [email protected]

Applications will be considered continuously from the first review date and the University reserves the right to make an appointment prior to the closing date.

For more information about this role please contact Professor Antony Fairbanks at [email protected]

In response to COVID-19 the New Zealand Government have imposed travel restrictions and are currently only allowing New Zealand Residents, Citizens and visa holders meeting a strict exception policy to enter the country, all of whom must currently enter Government-approved isolation/quarantine for two weeks upon arrival.

It is uncertain when these border restrictions will change, and this may impact the degree to which an off-shore candidate will be able to participate in the recruitment process, particularly an on-site interview. To see how this might affect your application and for more information and updates on the border restrictions visit the Immigration New Zealand website (https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/covid-19) or the New Zealand Government's official Covid-19 website (https://covid19.govt.nz/).