PhD researcher (f/m/d) in ‘Bioanalytical Chemistry / Metabolomics’
- Research group
- Chemical Biology
- Hiring date
- As soon as possible
- Time limit
- Initial contract for 3 years
- Trial period
- 6 months
- Payment
- alike E 13 TVöD Bund (65%)
- Application deadline
- 07/30/2025
The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH (HZI) is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the largest scientific organization in Germany. At HZI, researchers focus on developing strategies to improve the fight against infectious diseases. Their aim is to create new methods for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious compounds by studying both bacterial and viral pathogens and their interactions with the immune system, while also investigating new compounds with potential therapeutic effects.
The strategic aim of the department ‘Chemical Biology’ is to discover and characterize novel anti-infectives through screening, mode of action studies and chemical synthesis.
Tasks
The successful candidate will work on a project aiming at the analytical characterization of complex mixtures of secondary metabolites within an EU-funded consortium. The project aims at correlating metabolomic profiles from bacterial and fungal organisms of marine and terrestrial origin with bioactivity data and mechanistic signatures using computational methods. The metabolome data will be further connected to genomic information on the producer strains. The ability to work in a multidisciplinary and international team is mandatory.
Prerequisites
- Master’s Degree / Diploma in Biology, Chemical Biology, Bioanalytical Chemistry or related fields
- Excellent English communication skills (written and spoken)
- Ability to work independently and as part of an international team
- Good organisational and coordination skills
- A profound understanding for chemical structures
- Experiences with (bio-)analytical methods and –omics technologies
- A strong interest in drug research and natural products
- Experience in analysing omics datasets—particularly metabolomics—is a strong plus
Working hours
The position is suitable for part-time work.
We offer:
- Modern laboratories, incl. BSL3
- State-of-the-art analytical instrumentation (UPLC coupled to high resolution mass spectrometers, trapped ion mobility time of flight mass spectrometry (timsTOF), single cell genomics pipelines)
- Biological profiling platforms (in vitro and in vivo)
- A lively scientific community and a corporate culture of appreciation & promotion of equal opportunities
- Social security included
- DO IT- PhD initiative
- Welcome Office, Family Office, Child Holiday Care
- Buddy System for new doctoral researchers
- Extensive training and continuing education opportunities to develop professional knowledge and personal skills
- Interesting additional public service benefits
- Option of an additional employer subsidy for the job ticket
- Central location within Germany, various metropolitan areas (i.e. Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Hannover) and recreational areas (i.e. Harz, Lüneburg Heath, North Sea) can be reached very quickly and easily by Train – it is also close to the airport Hannover.
The successful candidate will be part of the HZI | HZI Graduate School which provides an innovative structured PhD programme within the field of Infection Research.
People with severe disabilities and equivalent professional qualifications who are suitable for the position are given preference. In order to protect your rights, we ask you to provide us with a clearly recognizable reference to the existence of a degree of severe disability in your cover letter or resume.
The contract of employment is with the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH (HZI) in Braunschweig. The place of work is Braunschweig.
The HZI is actively committed to equality, diversity and integration. For this reason, the HZI pursues the goal of professional equality between women and men. The position is suitable for part-time work.
How to apply:
When sending us your application documents, please confirm that you have read our privacy policy and that you agree to the processing of your personal data. Please use the text module in our privacy policy for this purpose. Without these declarations we cannot consider or process your application and will immediately delete any application documents already received after the application deadline.
Please include a cover letter, resume, (employment) references, certificates, and (if available) work samples or reference projects with your application materials. Please refrain from sending a photo.
Please send your complete application, quoting the reference number 076/2025, to the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH, Human Resources Department, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany or by e-mail. If you send your application in electronic form, please provide a summary in one single (1) pdf document.
We look forward to receiving your application!
