Modified oligonucleotides (ONs) are emerging as a powerful new class of therapeutics for personalised medicine. Through ON-TRACT, we are developing innovative platform technologies that combine the design and synthesis of modified ONs with advanced targeting strategies and applications in lung cancer, B-cell malignancies, and chronic inflammatory diseases.

You will design and synthesise novel DNA constructs and chemical modifiers that selectively target cancer cells and form bioactive secondary structures. You will collaborate closely with partners across the network to develop conjugation strategies, evaluate biological activity, and deliver high-quality materials for studies performed in laboratories throughout Europe. Working within a collaborative and multidisciplinary team, you will help guarantee that research materials are produced to the required quality, quantity, and timelines.

The role also includes supporting the administration and coordination of the ON-TRACT network, including helping to organise meetings, contribute to reporting activities, facilitate communication between partners, and support the successful delivery of project objectives. The position offers opportunities to travel to partner universities, research institutes, and consortium meetings across Europe, providing excellent networking and professional development opportunities.

You will have a PhD (or equivalent experience) in Organic Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Medicinal Chemistry, or a related discipline, with strong practical expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and ideally DNA or oligonucleotide chemistry. Excellent organisational, project management, and communication skills are essential, as is the ability to thrive in a collaborative international research environment while maintaining the highest standards of laboratory practice and safety.

This is a full time, fixed term role ending no later than 31/12/2029 due to funding restrictions.

Chemistry at Southampton is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive research culture and welcomes applications from all backgrounds. We support flexible working, career breaks, and family-friendly policies, and hold an Athena SWAN Silver Award in recognition of our commitment to equality and diversity.

As a member of one of the UK's leading research-intensive universities, you will join an institution that is committed to sustainability, global responsibility, and delivering world-class research with positive societal impact.

For informal enquiries contact Dr Eugen Stulz (est@soton.ac.uk).

Closing Date: 10 Aug 2026

Section: Education, Research & Enterprise

Salary: £36,636 to £41,064 per annum
Full Time Fixed Term until 31/12/2029

The Physical Science Data Infrastructure (PSDI) initiative is an EPSRC funded large scale infrastructure project between the University of Southampton and the Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC). PSDI aims to enable researchers in physical sciences to discover, capture, manage and share research data more easily by connecting and enhancing the different data infrastructures they use.  

About the role

We are looking for someone with a background in the physical sciences, excellent communication skills and a passion for data and metadata to join our team to help to develop PSDI’s content in line with community best practices.

You will partner with academic researchers in the physical sciences to guide them when they plan, collect and share their data outputs, and capture corresponding descriptive metadata. You will undertake these tasks when onboarding resources to PSDI, providing consultancy, training or delivering presentations. You will proactively progress these projects toward end goals, reviewing previous actions, addressing blockers and identifying next steps. 

There is a vibrant wider community who are developing best practices in this area and implementing them in various ways – you will show a keen interest in working with them and keeping up to date with these developments.

You must have a master’s degree, equivalent professional qualifications or experience in a physical sciences subject. You must have experience in handling, organising and managing physical sciences research data – either your own or that of others – and will have given careful consideration to how to maximise its usefulness for others. You must also have excellent technical presentation and communication skills, and experience of disseminating knowledge via presentations, training or teaching.

Experience of technical consultancy or training, knowledge of physical sciences data and metadata standards and experience of physical sciences research practices and programmatic data manipulation and semantic technologies are all desirable skills.

You will make a valuable contribution to PSDI’s goals, making contributions from research to user engagement and have the potential to grow your own areas of expertise. There will be opportunities to develop skills to advance your career in the flourishing area of research data management. 

What we can offer you 

The position is offered as a full-time post with a permanent contract, contingent upon ongoing funding of PSDI (which is currently guaranteed until 31st March 2027). The post is based at the University of Southampton in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. 

Equality, diversity and Inclusion is central to the ethos in Chemistry, having held an Athena SWAN Silver award since 2014. We particularly encourage women, Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME), LGBT and disabled applicants to apply for this position. Chemistry considers applicants that wish to work flexibly, and due consideration is given to applicants who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy and onsite childcare facilities.  For further information please visit https://www.southampton.ac.uk/chemistry/about/Equality/index.page

Closing Date: 23 Jul 2026

Section: Education, Research & Enterprise

Salary: £36,636 to £44,746 Per annum
Full Time Permanent