PhD researcher (f/m/d)

Job advertisement no. 076/2025

The department ‘Chemical Biology’, led by Prof. Brönstrup at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, is offering the position of a

PhD researcher (f/m/d)

in ‘Bioanalytical Chemistry / Metabolomics’

The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH (HZI) is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the largest scientific organization in Germany. At HZI, researchers focus on developing strategies to improve the fight against infectious diseases. Their aim is to create new methods for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious compounds by studying both bacterial and viral pathogens and their interactions with the immune system, while also investigating new compounds with potential therapeutic effects.

The strategic aim of the department ‘Chemical Biology’ is to discover and characterize novel anti-infectives through screening, mode of action studies and chemical synthesis.

Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will work on a project aiming at the analytical characterization of complex mixtures of secondary metabolites within an EU-funded consortium. The project aims at correlating metabolomic profiles from bacterial and fungal organisms of marine and terrestrial origin with bioactivity data and mechanistic signatures using computational methods. The metabolome data will be further connected to genomic information on the producer strains. The ability to work in a multidisciplinary and international team is mandatory.

Requirements:

• Master’s Degree / Diploma in Biology, Chemical Biology, Bioanalytical Chemistry or related fields
• Excellent English communication skills (written and spoken)
• Ability to work independently and as part of an international team
• Good organisational and coordination skills
• A profound understanding for chemical structures
• Experiences with (bio-)analytical methods and –omics technologies
• A strong interest in drug research and natural products
• Experience in analysing omics datasets—particularly metabolomics—is a strong plus

We offer:

• Modern laboratories, incl. BSL3
• State-of-the-art analytical instrumentation (UPLC coupled to high resolution mass spectrometers, trapped ion mobility time of flight mass spectrometry (timsTOF), single cell genomics pipelines)
• Biological profiling platforms ( in vitro and in vivo )
• A lively scientific community and a corporate culture of appreciation & promotion of equal opportunities
• Social security included
• DO IT- PhD initiative
• Welcome Office, Family Office, Child Holiday Care
• Buddy System for new doctoral researchers
• Extensive training and continuing education opportunities to develop professional knowledge and personal skills
• Interesting additional public service benefits
• Option of an additional employer subsidy for the job ticket
• Central location within Germany, various metropolitan areas (i.e. Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Hannover) and recreational areas (i.e. Harz, Lüneburg Heath, North Sea) can be reached very quickly and easily by Train – it is also close to the airport Hannover.

The successful candidate will be part of the HZI | HZI Graduate School which provides an innovative structured PhD programme within the field of Infection Research.

People with severe disabilities and equivalent professional qualifications who are suitable for the position are given preference. In order to protect your rights, we ask you to provide us with a clearly recognizable reference to the existence of a degree of severe disability in your cover letter or resume.

The contract of employment is with the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH (HZI) in Braunschweig. The place of work is Braunschweig.

The HZI is actively committed to equality, diversity and integration. For this reason, the HZI pursues the goal of professional equality between women and men. The position is suitable for part-time work.

Starting date: As soon as possible - Initial contract for 3 years

Salary: alike TVöD E13 (65%)

Probation period: 6 months

Place of work: Braunschweig

For more details regarding the position, please contact Prof. Mark Brönstrup, phone 0531 6181-3400, email: mark.broenstrup@helmholtz-hzi.de (mailto:mark.broenstrup@helmholtz-hzi.de) .

How to apply:

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Please include a cover letter, resume, (employment) references, certificates, and (if available) work samples or reference projects with your application materials. Please refrain from sending a photo.

Please send your complete application, quoting the reference number076/2025 , to the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH, Human Resources Department, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany or by e-mail (mailto:JobsHZI@helmholtz-hzi.de) . If you send your application in electronic form, please provide a summary in one single (1) pdf document .

We look forward to receiving your application!