"Postdoctoral Researcher"

King’s College London is one of the top research universities in the UK, with a strong tradition of interdisciplinary biomedical research. This role sits within a leading research group focused on integrating synthetic biology, AI, and multi-omics technologies to decode and design gene expression regulation for human cell engineering.

This role is based in the Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics, home to a diverse array of structural and cellular biology research, which is part of the School of Basic & Biomedical Sciences. We sit in the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, which has a broad spectrum of research interests spanning fundamental biology, disease, and physiology. We are based at the Guy’s Campus of King’s College London situated in the heart of London. King’s is a founding member of the prestigious Russell Group of world-class, research-intensive universities.

We are looking for an ambitious and talented postdoctoral researcher to join the Zelezniak Lab at King’s College London. Our lab sits at the forefront of synthetic biology and AI, creating next-generation tools for DNA, protein, and genome engineering. We aim to unravel the logic of genome organisation and metabolic control—with the bold vision of building synthetic life.

In this role, you will develop and apply computational methods to analyse single-cell modalities, focusing on gene regulation and the engineering of microbial and human cells. You will work with cutting-edge AI approaches to design cellular phenotypes and optimise biochemical reactions.

We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, including computational chemistry, bioinformatics, systems biology, and machine learning. The project offers a unique opportunity to collaborate closely with experimental scientists and contribute to translational advances in synthetic biology.

This is a full time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 1st September 2028 starting no sooner than 1st September 2025. Following a training period, this post is available as a hybrid working post in agreement with the line manager.

Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. PhD in bioinformatics, computational biology, or a related discipline *
2. Extensive experience and expertise in analysing/ training models on biological or chemical datasets
3. Proficiency in Python for data science and machine learning
4. Possess sufficient breadth or depth of specialist knowledge with deep learning architectures including generative models, particularly for sequence or structural data (e.g. transformers, graph neural networks)
5. Proved experience in working independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
6. Evidence of strong communication and scientific writing skills
7. Evidence of publication track record
8. Extensive experience and expertise in version control (e.g., Git) and reproducible research practices

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

Desirable criteria

1. Experience working with generative models or large language models
2. Experience with GPU-based model training or cloud computing
3. Knowledge of synthetic biology or regulatory sequence design
4. Previous collaboration with experimental biologists or interdisciplinary teams

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

Grade and Salary: £45,031 - £52,514 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance

Job ID: 120145

Close Date: 08-Sep-2025

Contact Person: Aleksej Zelezniak

Contact Details: aleksej.zelezniak@kcl.ac.uk