Research Associate in Synthetic Organic Chemistry

We seek to recruit an enthusiastic, highly motivated experimental scientist with proven intellectual and technical abilities to work on a synthetic organic chemistry project. The project, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, aims to develop a new paradigm in organic synthesis based on frustrated radical pairs (FRPs), combining the concepts of frustrated Lewis pairs with controlled open-shell reactivity to access novel bond-forming transformations. The project will integrate flow chemistry to precisely manage the generation of these reactive species and to allow scalability. These methodologies will be applied to the synthesis of pharmaceutical-like compounds, with an emphasis on constructing complex, heteroatom-rich scaffolds and enabling late-stage functionalisation, ultimately establishing a versatile and sustainable platform for next-generation synthetic chemistry. The role will concentrate on catalyst synthesis, exploration of reaction conditions and scope, and advanced characterisation techniques, to understand the reaction mechanisms.

Applicants must hold a postgraduate degree at PhD level (or nearing completion / submission) in a relevant area of synthetic organic chemistry.

Further information is available at the following group webpages:

Prof. Rebecca Melen Professor Rebecca Melen - People - Cardiff University

For informal enquiries about the role and the Cardiff School of Chemistry, please contact Prof. Rebecca Melen (e-mail melenR@cardiff.ac.uk ) or Prof. Thomas Wirth (wirth@cardiff.ac.uk ).

For further details about working at Cardiff University, please contact: Ms Caroline Pasmore
(Chemy-HR@cardiff.ac.uk )

This position is full-time (35 hours per week) and is available from 1 July 2026 for 1 year.

To work for an employer that values and promotes equality of opportunity, please click on the 'Apply' button above.

Salary: £41,064 - £46,049 per annum (Grade 6). It is not anticipated that an appointment be made above £41,064 per annum (Grade 6.32).

Important note: It is the University’s policy to use the person specification as a key tool for short-listing. Candidates should evidence that they meet ALL of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable. As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement. Please ensure that the evidence you are providing corresponds with the numbered criteria outlined below. Your application will be considered based on the information you provide under each element.

When attaching the supporting statement to your application profile, please ensure that you name it with the vacancy reference number, e.g. Supporting Statement for 21585BR.

Closing date: Friday, 15 May 2026

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.