Postdoctoral Fellow in Synthetic Medicinal Chemistry

About the role

The Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacen) at North-West University is offering a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in synthetic medicinal chemistry. The fellow will work on the design and synthesis of small organic molecules targeting infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and other bacterial infections.

Key responsibilities

• Design and execute multi-step syntheses of novel ligands and lead compounds.
• Characterize intermediates and final products using standard analytical techniques.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to evaluate biological activity.
• Maintain detailed laboratory records and ensure compliance with safety protocols.
• Prepare manuscripts and present findings at scientific meetings.

Required profile

• Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry or medicinal chemistry obtained within the last five years.
• Proven experience in multi-step ligand synthesis.
• At least three first-author publications in peer-reviewed international journals.
• Strong command of written English and experience in manuscript preparation.

Required skills

• Multi-step organic synthesis.
• Ligand synthesis.
• NMR spectroscopy.
• Mass spectrometry.
• Scientific writing and manuscript preparation.

What we offer

• Three-year fixed-term fellowship, renewable annually.
• Access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities.
• Opportunities to publish and present research.
• Immediate start date.