"Postdoctoral Research Associate in Synthetic Chemistry"

Full time, 2-years fixed-term located at the School of Chemistry on the Camperdown Campus

Opportunity to contribute to multidisciplinary research on new mitochondrial targeting agents

Base Salary, Level A Step 6 $113,400 p.a. + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The School of Chemistry is one of Australia's main centres for chemical research and education. We have access to a comprehensive range of modern research and teaching facilities. The School attracts outstanding undergraduate students, including large numbers of talented students, from all over Australia and has a large cohort of postgraduate research students and offers a vibrant and world class research environment.

The School is currently seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Synthetic Chemistry with the primary responsibility of synthesis of new mitochondrial targeting agents based upon main group elements, particularly those involving boron and Group 15 elements. This project is funded by a grant from the Australian Research Council, and will involve collaboration with researchers across different disciplines.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• undertake research in synthetic organic and organometallic chemistry
• publish research papers
• demonstrate research excellence
• assist with grant writing and publishing original work
• support teaching activities and the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students
• manage a synthetic chemistry laboratory, including the oversight of lab instrumentation

The School of Chemistry at the University of Sydney is a leading Chemistry department in the country, with outstanding staff and students undertaking world-leading teaching and research. Our more than 30 academic staff, 100 research staff, and 100 research students conduct research across the full spectrum of pure an applied chemistry. With the support of 30+ professional, technical and administrative staff, the School of Chemistry administers and delivers undergraduate teaching for about 2500 students. We are committed to creating a diverse workplace by improving equity, access and opportunity, and we are continuously working to identify and remove biases and barriers in an effort to make our workplace open, supportive and safe for everyone.

Our research excellence is recognised by numerous prizes and awards to individual staff members and the award of over $7 million in research funding each year. Our staff are also recognised for their outstanding commitment to teaching excellence.

Click here to learn more about School of Chemistry.

This position is lab based and requires onsite work at the Camperdown campus.

About you

The University values courage and creativity; openness and engagement; inclusion and diversity; and respect and integrity. As such, we see the importance of recruiting talent aligned to these values and are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Synthetic Chemistry who has:

• a PhD in synthetic organic and/or organometallic chemistry, or equivalent combination of relevant training and experience
• demonstrated ability to synthesize, purify, and characterize organic and/or organometallic molecules containing main group elements, with a strong preference given to those candidates with experience in boron and/or Group 15 element chemistry
• proven ability to conduct research/scholarly activities under limited supervision, either independently or as a member of a team
• experience in student supervision at the undergraduate and graduate level
• proficient in the use of: multinuclear 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, MS and other spectroscopic method
• proficient in the use of small molecule purification methods, e.g. Isolera and HPLC.
• published research as sole author or in collaboration
• experience in research record keeping, preparation of research papers and presentation of seminars.

How to apply

Applications (including a cover letter, CV, and any additional supporting documentation) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page.

For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard. Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact Deepna Chand, Recruitment Operations by email to recruitment.sea@sydney.edu.au.

Click to view the Position Description for this role.

Applications Close Sunday 12 April 2026 11:59 PM