Research associate/visiting researcher in computational chemistry (post-doc)

2 Apr 2026
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Wroclaw University of Science and Technology

Department

Faculty of Chemistry

Research Field

Chemistry » Other

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Positions

Postdoc Positions

Application Deadline

19 Apr 2026 - 15:00 (Europe/Warsaw)

Country

Poland

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

40

Offer Starting Date

1 Jul 2026

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Reference Number

AD10/W3/04/2026

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Faculty/Unit/Organizational unit: Faculty of Chemistry/ Wroclaw University of Science and Technology

Project: SONATA BIS 12, NCN, “Deciphering RNA self-replication with quantum chemistry and machine learning”, UMO-2022/46/E/ST4/00377, Rafał Szabla

Position description: 

The Faculty of Chemistry of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology is looking for a candidate for the position of research assistant professor/visiting researcher in computational chemistry for the SONATA BIS 12 project entitled “Deciphering RNA self-replication with quantum chemistry and machine learning” led by Prof. Rafał Szabla. This project focuses on understanding the mechanistic aspects of nonenzymatic RNA self-replication using methods of molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry. In particular, the planned position will be focused on studying the molecular mechanisms of biological self-replication and alternative forms of nucleic acids using methods of quantum chemistry. The candidate will utilize molecular dynamics (MD), density functional theory (DFT), and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approaches. Planned research activities will also rely on the application and further development of machine learning potentials for the simulation of nucleic acids, developed by the group of Prof. Rafał Szabla. The funding eligibility criteria limit the maximum experience after obtaining the first PhD degree to 7 years (counted by considering the year of graduation and the year of employment in the project). This period can be extended by documented periods of long-term sickness leave or parental leave. In the case of female applicants this period can be extended by 18 months for every born or adopted child if this form of demonstrating career breaks is more beneficial.

Where to apply

E-mail

rafal.szabla@pwr.edu.pl

Requirements

Research Field

Chemistry » Other

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Responsibilities: 

• Quantum chemical calculations of biomolecular reaction mechanisms using static and dynamic approaches.
• Generation of training sets and performing accurate quantum chemical calculations for biomolecular fragments.
• Training and testing machine learning potentials for the simulation of nucleic acids.
• Writing research articles.
• Development of computational protocols

Specific Requirements

• PhD degree obtained in the year of employment in the project or within 7 years prior to January 1 of the year of employment, in chemical sciences, physical sciences, or a related discipline, with particular emphasis on computational chemistry, physical chemistry, or molecular physics. Expertise in using linux-based platforms (including bash) and computing servers with queuing systems.
• Good understanding of quantum chemical methods and expertise in using quantum chemical programs such as Gaussian 16 and Orca.
• Very good knowledge of spoken and written scientific English (B2 or higher).
• Experience in writing research articles for peer-reviewed journals.
• Knowledge of programming/scripting languages such as python will be considered as an additional asset.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Research Field

Chemistry » Other

Internal Application form(s) needed
SONATA-BIS-12-postdoc2-EN2-2026(3).pdf
English
(337.59 KB - PDF)
Download
Additional Information
Benefits

We offer: 

• stable employment at the prestigious University,
• possibilities of career development,
• work in a creative and vibrant research team.

• additional funding for a personal computer and research related travels including collaborations and conferences.

  Period of employment and remuneration: 12 months (possible extension to full 24 months of employment), Salary: approx. PLN 9,500 gross per month, plus a 13th salary and an Employee Capital Plan (total approx. PLN 12,500 gross–gross per month).

Eligibility criteria

Information clause regarding the processing of personal data

 

The controller of your data processed as part of the recruitment of an academic teacher for the project is Wrocław University of Science and Technology, located in Wrocław, at Wybrzeże Stanisława Wyspiańskiego 27 (postal code 50-370 Wrocław). You can contact the controller via the form on the website www.pwr.edu.pl/kontakt or by mail to the controller's registered office address (please indicate " recruitment – XXX*" (*enter the appropriate reference number)).

The controller has appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO), who can be contacted by email: IOD@pwr.edu.pl . You can contact the DPO regarding matters concerning the processing of personal data by Wrocław University of Science and Technology (the DPO does not provide information about recruitment processes nor accept documents).

Purposes and legal basis of processing

Your personal data are necessary to comply with the controller's legal obligations (Article 6 paragraph 1 letter c of the GDPR) to the extent specified in Article 221 §1 and §2 in conjunction with Article 119 paragraph 1 of the Act of 20 July 2018 - Law on Higher Education and Science (including first and last names, date of birth, contact details, education and professional qualifications, and employment history) will be processed for the purpose of conducting recruitment procedures before hiring for a specific type of work or position. These data are necessary to define the candidate profile and assess candidates. Such profiling will be carried out solely for internal recruitment purposes.

Before establishing an employment relationship with a person selected through recruitment, the data controller will use their data necessary to verify the conditions arising from Article 21 of the Act of May 13, 2016 on counteracting the threat of sexual crimes and the protection of minors (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1802, as amended) in conjunction with § 14 of the Regulation of the Minister of Justice of July 31, 2017, regarding the procedure, method and scope of obtaining and sharing information from the Register with limited access and the method of creating a user account (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1516). This will be the PESEL number and if a PESEL has not been assigned: 1) first name, 2) last name, 3) maiden name, 4) father's name, 5) mother's name, 6) date of birth. The controller may also require such a candidate to:

− submit information from criminal records of countries other than the Republic of Poland and the country of his or her citizenship, or

− submit (under pain of criminal liability) an appropriate declaration regarding the candidate's clean criminal record for crimes listed in the Act of 13 May 2016 on counteracting the threat of sexual crimes and the protection of minors (if the countries referred to in the previous point do not envisage the processing of such information).

Any other data you provide to us voluntarily, on your own initiative, will be processed on the basis of voluntary consent (Article 6, paragraph 1, letter a and Article 7 of the GDPR) in conjunction with Article 221a and Article 221b of the Labor Code. If you intend to grant such consent to the processing of additional data in your documents, please also include an appropriate clause – such as:

I consent to the processing by Wrocław University of Science and Technology of additional personal ordinary* or special* (*delete as appropriate) data, which I include in my CV, cover letter and other attached documents - in order to include them in the recruitment procedure of academic teachers for the implementation of projects financed from external sources.

Data Recipients

Your personal data will be processed by individuals participating in the recruitment process. Unsuccessful candidates will be allowed to collect their documents for 6 months (with a receipt), after which the documents will be destroyed and the data will be deleted. The personal data on the receipt will also be processed for 6 months from the date of document collection. Data from accepted candidates will be included in the personnel files.

Recipients of your data may include entities contracted by the controller to perform services requiring access to data (IT, consulting, legal, courier, and those related to the destruction of documents or data media). External institutions in connection with project financing may also be data recipients.

Wrocław University of Science and Technology accepts the European Commission's 2005 recommendations (European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers) "Human Resources Excellence in Research". Recruitment documentation may therefore be subject to review and archiving obligations, which may result in disclosure of its content to authorized institutions. This is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller (Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR).

Data storage period

Data processed solely for the recruitment process will be processed during the recruitment process and then only for the next 6 months. In connection with the recruitment process, data processing will also be carried out using electronic communication tools that contain backup copies of messages and files sent with them. Employees of the data controller may use, for example, employee accounts in the Google Workspace system to store and transmit your data via the data controller's official email. The provider of this system has declared that it processes information for Wrocław University of Science and Technology within the European Economic Area (EEA) in accordance with the GDPR (the provider's declaration in a continuously updated version can be found at https://cloud.google.com/terms/data-processing-addendum/ (Appendix 3: Specific privacy provisions). Data will be deleted from backup copies of emails sent to the controller within the timeframes specified by the provider. For the controller, this provider is the data processor for the purposes of Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

 

Data Transfer Outside the EEA

Your personal data may be processed outside the EEA based on an adequacy decision or subject to appropriate safeguards (in accordance with Articles 45 and 46 of the GDPR, respectively). For example, from July 10, 2023, the transfer of personal data to organizations based in the US is possible because it is based on an adequacy decision. Companies and organizations in the US that declare that their data processing complies with the Data Privacy Framework requirements are disclosed in a publicly available list at: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/list .

Rights of Data Subjects

The controller provides you (after contacting the entity conducting the recruitment process and confirming your identity) with the right to request:

− information about the range of information about you processed by the controller;

− access to your data and receiving a copy of the data (this does not apply to copies of the documents themselves);

− rectification (correction, addition) of your data;

− restriction of processing;

− data portability, as referred to in Article 20 of the GDPR;

− deletion of personal data (unless the legal basis for processing your personal data is, for example, a legal obligation to which the controller is subject).

As a rule, the controller does not provide you with the right to:

− delete data processed on a basis other than consent;

− object to the processing of personal data (pursuant to Article 21 of the GDPR) when the processing is based on the controller's legal obligation or if there are grounds for processing that override your rights (for the purposes referred to in Article 6 paragraph 1 letters e and f of the GDPR).

Furthermore, any data subject who believes that the controller is violating the GDPR has the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (in Poland, the President of the Personal Data Protection Office, address: ul. Moniuszki 1A, 00-014 Warsaw). 

Information about the obligation to provide data

Providing your personal data, within the scope defined by law applicable to the controller, is not voluntary, as processing such data is necessary to fulfill legal obligations during the recruitment process. However, participation in the recruitment process and the provision of such data that you provide voluntarily, beyond the scope specified by law, are voluntary.

 

Selection process

Required documents: 

Application for participation in the recruitment addressed to the Rector

Short biography (CV)

A copy of the document confirming possession of a professional title, academic degree/title

Self-report containing information on research, teaching and organizational activities

List of publications

List and description of scientific internships

Statement on having read the information regarding the processing of personal data

Statement on meeting the requirements set out in Art. 113 of the Act of July 20, 2018. Law on higher education and science

Declaration of the candidate that in the case of winning the recruitment, Wrocław University of Science and Technology will be the primary place of employment *,**

* In the case of full-time employment

** If a person who is employed under an employment relationship with another employer conducting research, research and teaching, research and development, or implementation activities (excluding cases specified in art. 125 sec. 3 of the Act) wins the recruitment process, and this employment does not expire on the date of employment at Wrocław University of Science and Technology as the primary place of work, this person, in accordance with art. 125 sec. 1 of the Act, taking into account art. 125 sec. 2 of the Act, is obliged to obtain the Rector's consent to additional employment under an employment relationship with another employer after being employed at Wrocław University of Science and Technology. If a person who conducts business activity wins the recruitment process, the requirement of art. 125 sec. 7 of the Act must be met.

Additional comments

Public documents:

The consolidated text of the Regulations for conducting open competitions for the position of an academic teacher and other necessary documents can be found here: 

LINK PL, EN: https://wch.pwr.edu.pl/pracownicy/konkursy-oferty-pracy/details,3.html

 

Please send your application documents in Polish or English:

• by e-mail to the following e-mail address rafal.szabla@pwr.edu.pl by 19.04.2026, until 3.00 pm 

In the title of the message, please indicate the reference number: AD10/W3/04/2026

Applications submitted without a specific reference number or after the deadline for submission will not be considered. 

A post-doc position is awarded in accordance with the Regulations on the allocation of funds for the implementation of tasks financed by the National Science Centre (NCN) within the scope of research projects, as specified in the appendix to Resolution of the NCN Council No. 60/2022 of 9 June 2022.

A post-doc position is a full-time employment position planned by the project leader for a person who obtained a doctoral degree in the year of employment in the project or within the period of 7 years prior to 1 January of the year of employment in the project. This period may be extended by the time spent during this period on long-term (over 90 days) documented sick leave or rehabilitation benefits due to incapacity for work. In addition, this period may be extended by the number of months spent on childcare-related leave granted under the principles set out in the Labour Code, and in the case of women – by 18 months for each child born or adopted, if this method of indicating career breaks is more favourable.

A person intended to be employed in an NCN post-doc position must jointly meet the following conditions:
a) will be selected through an open competition conducted by a recruitment committee appointed by the head of the entity implementing the research project, composed of the project leader as the chairperson and at least two persons designated by them who have appropriate scientific or professional qualifications. The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria presented in the competition announcement, and the results of the competition are made publicly available by being posted on the website of the entity in which the research project will be implemented;
b) the project leader was not the supervisor or auxiliary supervisor of the candidate’s doctoral dissertation;
c) the candidate obtained a doctoral degree at an entity other than the one where employment in this position is planned, or completed at least a 10-month, continuous and documented postdoctoral fellowship at an entity other than the project-implementing entity and in a country other than the country in which the doctoral degree was obtained;
d) will be employed for a period of not less than 6 months;
e) during the period of receiving this remuneration, will not receive any other remuneration from funds allocated within direct costs from research projects financed under NCN calls;
f) during the period of receiving this remuneration, will not receive remuneration from another employer under an employment contract, including an employer based outside the territory of Poland;
g) during the period of receiving this remuneration, will not receive retirement benefits from the social security system.

 

The date of receipt of documents is decisive. The deadline for receipt of application documents is considered to be 15:00 on the day indicated in the Recruitment Information. Receipt of documents from the candidate will be confirmed by a designated administrative employee via email to the address provided in the application. 

Candidates' applications will be evaluated by the Recruitment Committee appointed by Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry, WUST. After the recruitment process closes, applications submitted by post from unsuccessful candidates will be returned. Applicants may collect their applications from a designated administrative employee within six months of the recruitment process closing, with acknowledgment of receipt.

Information on the recruitment procedure can be found in the Guide for Applicants

LINK PL: https://pwr.edu.pl/uczelnia/europejska-strategia-dla-naukowcow/otm-r

LINK EN: https://pwr.edu.pl/en/university/european-human-resources-strategy-for-researchers/otm-r

The University reserves that the recruitment may remain unresolved.

The recruitment conducted by the Wrocław University of Science and Technology is open, implemented in accordance with clear and transparent principles based on clear and unambiguous criteria for substantive evaluation, taking into account diverse career paths. Wrocław University of Science and Technology conducts recruitment procedures in accordance with the guidelines of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers and the Open, Transparent and Merit-Based Recruitment of Researchers (OTM-R) Policy at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

LINK PL: https://pwr.edu.pl/uczelnia/europejska-strategia-dla-naukowcow/otm-r

LINK EN: https://pwr.edu.pl/en/university/european-human-resources-strategy-for-researchers/otm-r

Recruitment processes conducted by Wrocław University of Science and Technology are conducted in accordance with the equal opportunities policy: "Equality, Diversity and Well-being Policy of Wrocław University of Science and Technology for 2025-2028".

LINK PL : https://rowna.pwr.edu.pl/fcp/BGBUTODtYP0c5WRc5HApeDRZIBzo5CBA/191/public/docs/polityka_rownosci_roznorodnosci_i_dobrostanu_2025-2028.pdf  

LINK EN: https://rowna.pwr.edu.pl/en/

As a friendly employer, Wrocław University of Science and Technology supports the employment of people with disabilities. Information on the accessibility of selected Wrocław University of Science and Technology buildings: https://przewodnik.pwr.edu.pl/pl . Information on support for employees with disabilities and special needs: https://dzd.pwr.edu.pl/en .

Before establishing an employment relationship with the successful candidate, Wrocław University of Science and Technology will conduct a background check in accordance with the Act of 13 May 2016 on Counteracting Sexual Crime Threats and Protecting Minors. The data required for this verification (PESEL number or, in the absence thereof, maiden name, father's name, mother's name, date of birth) will be obtained solely from the successful candidate and should not be provided at the application stage. 

Wrocław University of Science and Technology has a Regulation on reporting cases of irregularities and protection of persons making reports (whistleblowers). It can be found at the link below:

https://pwr.edu.pl/uczelnia/informacje-ogolne/wladze/pelnomocnicy-rektora/pelnomocnik-ds-przeciwdzialania-korupcji

Website for additional job details

https://ofertypracy.pwr.edu.pl/offer/ac994374-4fc0-4382-a33b-8f8d4aa0a242/view/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Faculty of Chemistry/ Wroclaw University of Science and Technology

Country

Poland

Geofield

Contact

City

Wroclaw

Website

http://wch.pwr.edu.pl/

Street

Wyspianskiego 27

Postal Code

50-370

STATUS: EXPIRED

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