UiT The Arctic University of Norway

UiT is a multi-campus research university in Norway and the northernmost university of the world. Our central location in the High North, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio, and our interdisciplinary qualities make us uniquely suited to meet the challenges of the future. At UiT you can explore global issues from a close-up perspective.

Credibility, academic freedom, closeness, creativity and commitment shall be hallmarks of the relationship between our employees, between our employees and our students and between UiT and our partners.

Faculty of Science and Technology / Department of Chemistry

The position

The Department of Chemistry seeks a motivated and enthusiastic postdoctoral fellow to contribute to our research directed towards new solutions for the antimicrobial resistance crisis. The work will focus on the design and synthesis of carbapenemase inhibitors and the development of a new generation of beta-lactam antibiotics. The fellow will be associated with the group of Assoc. Prof. Annette Bayer, and become an integrated part of the Laczyme project – a collaboration between structural and organic chemists at UiT and clinical microbiologists at the university hospital – and the Centre for new antibacterial strategies (CANS) – an interdisciplinary centre at UiT.The position is a fixed term position for a duration of 2,5 years, with preferred start in early 2021. The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position in Tromsø within a reasonable time.

Appointment to the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow is mainly intended to provide qualification for work in top academic positions. It is a prerequisite that the applicant is able to carry out the project over the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than one fixed-term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.

The position can additionally be assigned to teaching and related work for UiT in an amount up to 20% of a full-time employment.

Contact

For further information about the position and project, contact:

• Head of Department Assoc. Prof. Annette Bayer, phone: +47 95 88 42 03, email: annette.bayer@uit.no

Qualifications

The position requires a Norwegian doctoral degree in Organic or Synthetical Medicinal Chemistry, or similar, or a corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree.

Other requirements are:

• A solid and varied background in organic synthesis, preferably with experience from synthesis of bioactive compounds or synthetic medicinal chemistry
• A good working knowledge of standard analytical methods such as NMR, MS, HPLC or similar, and standard purification methods
• Prior experience with design and synthesis of carbapenemase inhibitors and -lactam antibiotics will be an advantage
• Excellence in previous work and a good track record
• Self-motivation and independence
• Excellent work ethic and commitment to the job
• A good command of English, both written and verbal. Interest in Norwegian language and culture is welcome

During the assessment emphasis will be put on the candidates potential for research, motivation and personal suitability for the position.

At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

UiT wishes to increase the proportion of females in academic positions. In cases where two or more applicants are found to be approximately equally qualified, female applicants will be given priority.

We offer

• an interesting project in the frontier of synthetic medicinal chemistry and drug design with immediate applications,
• scientific independence,
• good remuneration,
• a great work environment within the framework of the exotic city of Tromsø in Arctic Norway
• good welfare arrangements for employees, and good pension, insurance and loan opportunities in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

Application

The application must be submitted electronically via www.jobbnorge.no and shall include:

• Application and motivation letter
• CV (max. two pages)
• Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees)
• Contact information to 3 references, including the PhD supervisor
• A list of your academic production
• Short description of your past research projects, and their relevance to the current application (max. one page)
• Short description of your academic production (track record), and your own contribution to the work (max. two pages)
• Academic works, up to five. The doctoral thesis is regarded as one work.

Qualification with a PhD is required before commencement in the position. If you are in the process of completing your PhD, you must document that you have submitted your PhD thesis by the application deadline. You must have dissertated before the preferred start-up of the position, early 2021. You should also attach a statement from your supervisor.

The documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language. We only accept applications sent via www.jobbnorge.no.

General information

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants. The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.

The remuneration for Postdoctoral research fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. In addition, UiT pays 12 % directly to the pension fund on top of the salary.

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. UiT will emphasize making the necessary adaptations to the working conditions for employees with reduced functional ability

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: Welcome to UiT!

We look forward to receiving your application!

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