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Job Description - Postdoctoral Research Associate in Organic Chemistry and Nickel Catalysis (26000113)
Job Number: 26000113
Department of Chemistry
Grade 7: £38,784 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: 8 Months
Working Arrangements: 8 months – 5 in Durham Chemistry and 3 seconded at Chiesi Farmaceutici, Parma Italy
Closing Date
05-Mar-2026, 11:59:00 PM
Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable.
As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career. The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.
You will be working as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) in the Franchino group, within the Department of Chemistry at Durham University. The post is available for 8 months, with the first 5 months based in the Franchino Lab in Durham Chemistry and the following 3 months seconded at Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., a multinational company headquartered in Parma, Italy. The ideal starting date is Monday 1 June 2026. The salary is grade 7, spine point 30 (£38,784 per annum before taxes).
The Department of Chemistry is well equipped, with state-of-the-art instrumentation and facilities, and is located in the Science Campus, a short walk away from Durham old town.
The Franchino laboratory has recently been refurbished to the highest standards, so you will work in an efficient and modern environment. The group has access to new gloveboxes, HPLC instruments, microwave synthesizer and high‑throughput experimentation setups, as well as departmental NMR, MS, XRD, EA and spectroscopic support units, mechanical, electrical and glassblowing workshops, and the University supercomputer Hamilton.
The Franchino group is an enthusiastic and inclusive team, which as of January 2026 comprises two PDRAs, three PhD students and two MChem students, with three different nationalities. We work on ligand design and synthesis, transition‑metal catalysis (including its combination with H‑bond donor catalysis) and mechanistic studies of metal‑catalysed reactions.
The University provides a working and teaching environment that is inclusive and welcoming, where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
The Role
You will be working as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) in the Franchino group, funded by the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account. The project will be conducted at Durham Chemistry and Chiesi Farmaceutici in Parma. You will prepare and test new phosphine ligands that could enable nickel, a cheap and abundant metal, to replace toxic, expensive and scarce palladium catalysts in cross‑coupling reactions and in related C–C and C–heteroatom bond‑forming transformations.
During the initial five months in the Franchino Lab (Durham, UK), you will make and characterise new phosphines and their nickel complexes, using Schlenk techniques, the glovebox, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, single‑crystal X‑ray diffraction and other suitable techniques. You will then test the new ligands in Ni‑catalysed C–C and C–X bond‑forming reactions, employing a variety of coupling partners and taking advantage of our high‑throughput experimentation facility (96‑well reaction plates, tumble stirrer/heat block, multichannel pipettes and centrifuge hosted in a glovebox).
During the next 3 months in Chiesi (Parma, Italy), you will test our new ligands, as well as ligand libraries available at Chiesi and/or commercial ones, in Ni‑catalysed reactions of interest to the company to prepare medicinal chemistry libraries and drug candidates.
Key responsibilities
* To conduct a research project under the direction of the Principal Investigator (PI, Dr Allegra Franchino) and her collaborator (Dr Paolo Ronchi, Chiesi), working productively both on your own and in collaboration with others, as appropriate.
* To plan and manage your research activity effectively and safely, with minimal input from the PI, share research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the ideation and planning of research projects.
* To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the PI and offering creative or innovative solutions.
* To work with the PI and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and ideas, and extend the research portfolio.
* To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature through written presentations and oral discussions.
* To prepare and deliver presentations on research activities to both academic and non‑academic audiences.
* To prepare high‑quality outputs, including weekly and termly research reports for the PI, and drafts of papers for submission to peer‑reviewed journals as appropriate.
* To actively participate in problem sessions, group meetings, training, induction events, workshops and other meetings as required, both at Durham and at Chiesi.
* To liaise with departmental and university support units as appropriate for the progression of the project, follow all rules and guidelines in place in the group, the Department, the University and the company, including the NDA and collaboration agreement related to this project, making all necessary internal and external contacts to develop this project successfully.
* To engage in continuing professional development attending relevant training and development courses.
* To contribute to fostering a collegial, supportive and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
This post is fixed term for 8 months, as funding from the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account covers this period only.
You will ideally be in post by Monday 1 June 2026. For the first 5 months (01/06/2026 to 31/10/2026), you will be based in the Franchino Lab in Durham Chemistry. For the last 3 months (01/11/2026 to 31/01/2027) you will be seconded at the R&D Laboratories of Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., in Parma, Italy. During your secondment you will be supervised remotely by Dr Franchino and in person by Dr Paolo Ronchi, the Head of the Translational Chemistry and Innovation Technology Unit, within the Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design Technologies group of Chiesi.
Your salary will be grade 7, spine point 30 (£38,784 per annum before taxes). You will receive a monthly salary from Durham University for each of the eight months of the project. Your travel expenses from Durham to Parma to start your secondment will also be covered.
You will be employed to work on a research project led by the Principal Investigator (PI), Dr Franchino. While you will not be carrying out independent research in your own right, the expectation is that you contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of your own ideas, the adaptation, development and creation of research protocols.
Working at Durham
A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University. Below are some of the benefits.
Benefits
* 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year, calculated pro rata in this case.
* A generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
* No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost‑effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand‑new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance.
* We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
* We provide wide‑ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state‑of‑the‑art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24‑7 Employee Assistance Programme.
* Our on‑site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5‑16.
* Our family‑friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
* We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
* You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.
* Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
* If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs. We have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. We cover most visa costs and offer an interest‑free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.
Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here .
Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key component of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.
We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under‑represented in our workforce, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups.
Contact Information
Department contact for academic‑related enquiries
Dr Allegra Franchino, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry
Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application
If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk
Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).
University contact for general queries about the recruitment process
e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk
How to Apply
To progress to the assessment stage, you must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria.
What to Submit
* A CV of maximum four A4 pages. In the CV, please indicate all dates with month and year, and explain all career gaps.
* A cover letter of maximum two A4 pages. In the cover letter, please detail your experience, skills and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out below, as well as what motivates you to apply for this position.
* Contact details of three referees, one of which must be your PhD supervisor.
* Additional unrequested application documents should NOT be included (research summaries, theses, papers), and they may result in your application being disregarded.
Next Steps
Short‑listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in‑person. The assessment for the post will include a 20‑minute research presentation to the interview panel, followed by technical questions and an interview. We anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over one or two days in March 2026.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* A good first degree in Chemistry or a closely related subject.
* A PhD (or be close to submission) in Chemistry.
Experience
* Experience in conducting high quality academic research in organic or organometallic chemistry.
* Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly‑ranked journals, as evidenced by at least 2 co‑authored publications in peer‑reviewed journals.
* Demonstrable ability to present research papers at national and/or international conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community, as evidenced by at least 2 poster or oral communications at scientific conferences.
* Experience in homogeneous catalysis and/or organometallic chemistry and/or complex organic synthesis, as evidenced by at least 2 publications on these topics.
Skills
* Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team.
* Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines.
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and adaptability to different research environments.
* Passion for the topic, creativity, strong drive and motivation to carry out this research project to its successful completion.
Experience
* Good publication record of high‑quality research in peer‑reviewed journals, commensurate with your stage of career and relevant to this project.
* Good track record of presenting at conferences and symposia, including securing prizes and awards, commensurate with your stage of career.
* Experience of overseeing students with respect to the development of their research skills, e.g. acting as a demonstrator or lab supervisor.
Skills
* Demonstrable ability to develop research ideas and proposals of good quality, including securing fellowships and awards, commensurate with stage of career.
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