Postdoctoral Research Associate

Role: Postdoctoral Research Associate

Salary: Grade 7 (£37,694 - £47,389) 

Contract: Full-Time (35 hours per week), Fixed Term for 3 years.   

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff. Use our total rewards

The Post 

The Institute of Chemical Sciences is seeking an ambitious and highly motivated Post‑Doctoral Research Associate to join the research group of Dr Dominic Willcox. This 3-year project, funded by the EPSRC New Investigator Award, will be carried out at Heriot-Watt University in close collaboration with our project partners at Enamine Ltd. You will develop new synthetic methodologies to access complex silicon-containing building blocks relevant to drug discovery guided by computational chemistry.  

The successful candidate will devise and optimise synthetic pathways to novel silicon-containing building blocks with the opportunity to carry out high-throughput experimentation. Candidates should have or expect to obtain a PhD or equivalent qualification in synthetic chemistry or a closely related field. They should have experience with synthesis and characterisation of organic compounds with experience of inert-atmosphere techniques (e.g. Schlenk line and glovebox). Experience of silicon chemistry, catalysis, computational chemistry, and cheminformatics are all highly desirable. Training in computational chemistry/cheminformatics can be provided if required. You will be expected to take a leading role in the research group including laboratory management, participating in group meetings, and presenting findings at national and international conferences. 

Detailed Description

• Conduct experimental and synthetic chemistry for the synthesis of relevant starting materials and catalysts. 
• Develop novel synthetic methodologies to access silicon-containing building blocks. 
• Isolate and fully characterise any novel compounds resulting from this project. 
• Undertake mechanistic investigations of the new synthetic methodologies supported by reaction kinetics, NMR, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. 
• Perform computational chemistry to assess the properties of novel compounds and support ongoing reaction development. 
• Use cheminformatics to guide target compound selection. 
• Maintain accurate laboratory records and ensure high standards of research data management and reproducibility. 
• Engage actively with project partners and participate in regular meetings to report progress. 
• Contribute to research outputs, including publications, presentations, and dissemination at national and international conferences. 
• Contribute to bids for research grants. 
• Assist in the supervision of undergraduate/postgraduate research students and research assistants as required. 
• Contribute to the smooth running of the Group’s laboratories and facilities with other scientists, technicians, and students within the laboratories. 
• Comply with EPS and ICS safety practices and to attend courses on safety when appropriate. 
• Promote the reputation of the Willcox Group, ICS, and Heriot-Watt University. 

• Any other duties as may be deemed reasonable by the Group Leader as well as the Global Head of the Institute of Chemical Sciences. 

   

Essential Criteria 

Qualifications 

• A PhD (or about to obtain) in chemistry. 

Knowledge, Skills & Experience 

• Knowledge and experience of synthesis and catalysis, including the ability to work effectively with air- and moisture-sensitive compounds.  
• Knowledge and experience of a range of spectroscopic and analytical methods of relevance to the project area. 
• A track record of publishing research results in peer-reviewed journals or for IP protection and an ability to lead the writing up of results for publication in a timely manner. 
• Evidence of self-motivation and the ability to work independently. 
• Willingness to undertake training in computational chemistry. 
• Willingness to work proactively with industry collaborators. 
• Have a strong ability to plan and manage their own time to consistently meet deadlines, whilst maintaining excellent research quality. 

Desirable Criteria 

Knowledge, Skills & Experience 

• Experience of pursuing external funding. 
• Experience of computational chemistry techniques. 
• Experience in cheminformatics, machine learning and/or algorithm development for chemical synthesis. 
• Experience with UNIX and HPC clusters. 
• Experience working with industrial/academic partners. 
• Experience supervising undergraduate or PhD students. 

How to Apply

Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment page.

Applications can be submitted up to 11:55pm (UK time) on Tuesday 19th May 2026. Please be aware that we may close this advert early if enough applications are received.

Interviews are expected to take place during the week of the 1st June 2026.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact Dr Dominic Willcox, Assistant Professor of Automation - d.willcox@hw.ac.uk

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. 

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ . 

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.