University of Nottingham

Research Associate/Fellow in Synthetic Organic Chemistry (Fixed-term)

Nottingham

£31.3k – £46.5k/yr

Posted 13 days ago

Early applicant

On-site

Full-time

Mid Level

Area

Chemistry

Location

University Park

Salary

£31,387 to £46,485 per annum, depending on skills and experience (minimum £35608 with relevant PhD).

Closing Date

Friday 15 May 2026

Reference

SCI405726

We are recruiting a Research Associate/Fellow to the School of Chemistry at the University of Nottingham, to work under the direction of Professor Chris Hayes. The project will develop novel natural product-derived antiviral molecules to treat viral diseases such as SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) and influenza A (Seasonal flu). This timely and exciting project is a collaboration between researchers based in the Schools of Chemistry, Veterinary Medicine & Science and Pharmacy at University of Nottingham.

Candidates should have experience of multi-step synthetic organic chemistry and its application to the synthesis of natural products.

The successful candidate will carry out the following duties:

Undertake the design and synthesis of a range of analogues of a natural product target as directed by Professor Chris Hayes. Synthesise sufficient quantity of materials to provide samples for evaluation of their anti-viral properties by collaborators in the Schools of Veterinary Medicine & Science and Pharmacy. Prepare high quality supporting data for publications resulting from the project. Liaise with academic collaborators, contribute to the supervision of student projects and to the maintenance and smooth running of the research laboratory.

Successful candidates will:

Have an undergraduate degree in Chemistry (or closely related discipline) Hold an existing PhD in Medicinal chemistry or synthetic organic chemistry (or be in process of submission) Be available to take up the post from the 1st April 2026. Have a track record in natural product chemistry. Have excellent organisational, communication and team working skills

This post is full time (36.25 hours weekly) and is fixed term for 9 months.

The School of Chemistry values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity. The School holds a Silver Athena SWAN Award in recognition of our commitment to advancing women's careers in science. You can read more about this at www.athenaswan.org.uk and on our website www.nottingham.ac.uk/chemistry/about/athena-swan

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor Chris Hayes, email: chris.hayes@nottingham.ac.uk Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted. Information about the School of Chemistry may be found at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/chemistry.

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Job Description/Role Profile

Our university is a supportive, inclusive, caring and positive community. We welcome those of different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs – indeed this very diversity is vital to our success, it is fundamental to our values and enriches life on campus. Visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion website.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) employer . Increasing the diversity of our community is extremely important to us and we are committed to the aims of Disability Confident Scheme.

We are the first university to have achieved Athena Swan Gold Award .

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Discover our benefits, visit Your Benefits website.

We welcome applications from UK, Europe and worldwide and aim to make your move to the UK as smooth as possible. Visit the Moving to Nottingham page for details.

Your application will be considered on an equal basis, subject to the relevant permission to work in the UK as set out by UK Visas & Immigration .

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Skills

Synthetic Organic Chemistry

Natural Product Chemistry

Analogue Design

Synthesis

Data Preparation

Collaboration

Supervision

Organizational Skills

Communication Skills

Team Working