We're recruiting a Postdoctoral Researcher to join an interdisciplinary EPSRC UK Catalysis Hub-funded project at the University of Liverpool to develop kinetics-driven digital platforms for the design of sustainable organocatalysts.
The project will be supervised by Dr John Ward and Prof. Donna Blackmond FRS at the University of Liverpool, and Dr Alexander Ganose at Imperial College London. The project integrates synthetic organic chemistry, kinetic analysis, automation, and machine learning to establish next-generation mechanistic workflows for asymmetric organocatalysis.
The post is based at the Materials Innovation Factory, School of Physical Sciences, University of Liverpool within a highly collaborative research environment, and includes dedicated research placements at Imperial College London to support the integration of kinetic descriptors into machine-learning pipelines.
The project is supported by major industrial partners AstraZeneca and GSK, offering excellent opportunities for industry engagement, collaborative knowledge exchange, and exposure to real-world challenges in sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing and catalytic process development.
About you
You will have a PhD (or equivalent) in Chemistry or field related to this project (e.g., Chemical Engineering). You will have a strong background in synthetic organic chemistry, with experience in multi-step synthesis, purification, and characterisation using techniques such as NMR, MS, FTIR, and X-ray crystallography. You will have experience in reaction monitoring and kinetic analysis using analytical methods including NMR, HPLC, LC-MS, and FTIR. Desirable experience includes the use of automated or robotic platforms for chemical synthesis and reaction screening, applying machine-learning or data-driven approaches to reaction optimisation and prediction, and expertise in the synthesis and characterisation of covalent organic frameworks (COFs).
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to enhancing a workforce as diverse as our city, and particularly encourage applicants who are of minoritised genders and ethnic backgrounds, living with a disability, and/or are members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
For informal enquiries please contact Dr John Ward: john.ward@liverpool.ac.uk
Application deadline: 27 February 2026
Interviews: w/c 9th March
Start date: From 1st April (flexible)
For more information and to apply visit https://my.corehr.com/pls/ulivrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form?p_company=1&p_internal_external=E&p_display_in_irish=N&p_process_type=&p_applicant_no=&p_form_profile_detail=&p_display_apply_ind=Y&p_refresh_search=Y&p_recruitment_id=104873
