Location Brighton, UK
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).
Salary
Grade 7 starting at £38,784 to £46,049 per annum, pro rata if part time.
Contract Type
Fixed Term Contract
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
In the School of Life Sciences we strive to understand the mechanisms that drive biological and chemical processes and to develop innovative and diverse approaches to enhance human health, technology and the environment. We undertake multidisciplinary research, teaching and engagement across a wide range of subjects, from Chemistry through Cellular and Molecular Biosciences to Conservation Biology.
The School comprises five Departments: Biochemistry & Biomedicine, Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Neuroscience, Ecology & Evolution and Chemistry. We also house the Sussex Drug Discovery Centre which works to deliver the bench-to-bedside translation of our discoveries. The breadth and depth of our cutting-edge research and innovative teaching practice is delivered by a diverse community who work across boundaries to deliver excellence, engage with real world problems and produce impact.
We pride ourselves on our world-leading research and have a strong research economy, with approximately 50% of our income stemming from research and an active grant portfolio of over £50 million. We host or form part of three University Centres of Excellence: the Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Sussex Neuroscience and Sussex Sustainability Research Programme. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, 90.6 % of our Biological Sciences outputs and 84.8% of our Chemistry outputs were rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. We are proud that in both areas, 100% of our Impact cases were rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.
The School is committed to the University’s core values of kindness, integrity, inclusion, collaboration and courage. We believe that equality, diversity and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility and aim to provide a friendly and supportive environment for all who work, study and visit the School of Life Sciences.
The School of Life Sciences is proud to hold a Silver Athena Swan Award.
Why work here
Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.
Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.
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.
November 5, 2025 5:59 PM
Expected Interview Date
16/11/2025, remote via Microsoft Teams
Expected Start Date
January 2026
Fixed Term Contract Duration
Fixed term until 30/09/2026