Marine Natural Product - LC-MS Analytical Chemist (m/f/d)

Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft / Helmholtz Association; Lembang; On-site; EUR 50.000 - 70.000; Full time

Job summary

The Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft is seeking a skilled post-doctoral researcher as a Marine Natural Product - LC-MS Analytical Chemist for a three-year position at GEOMAR. The role focuses on the analysis of marine secondary metabolites, employing cutting-edge analytical techniques and offering a dynamic research environment along with excellent facilities. The candidate will play a crucial role in collaborative marine and climate research, contributing to drug discovery and ecological studies.

Benefits

Work-life balance and flexible working arrangements

Vacation courses for employees' children

Support services for personal life situations

30 vacation days + additional time off

Company pension plan and capital-forming benefits

Qualifications

• Expertise in LC-MS/MS metabolome mining of natural products.
• Fluency in English, oral and written communication skills.
• Strong track record in scientific publications.

Responsibilities

• Mine metabolome and metallome using advanced LC-MS/MS techniques.
• Develop methodologies for analysis of metal binding metabolites.
• Analyze data through statistical and machine learning tools.

Skills

Analytical techniques

Statistical analysis

Bioinformatics

Molecular networks

Education

PhD in LC-MS/MS-based analytical natural product chemistry

Tools

LC-MS/MS

DESI Imaging Mass Spectrometry

HPLC

Job description

Deadline: 15th August 2025

GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel is a foundation of public law jointly financed by the Federal Republic of Germany (90 %) and the state of Schleswig-Holstein (10 %) and is one of the internationally leading institutions in the field of marine sciences.

Through our research and our commitment to the transfer of knowledge and technology, we contribute significantly to the preservation of the function and protection of the ocean for future generations.

GEOMAR Research Unit Marine Natural Products Chemistry / GEOMAR Centre for Marine Biotechnology is seeking an experienced post-doctoral researcher as a 'Marine Natural Product - LC-MS Analytical Chemist (m/f/d)'

The position is for 3 years and available immediately.

Job Description

Analytical chemistry is the backbone of natural product research. We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled post-doctoral candidate with demonstrated expertise in hyphenated analytical techniques for investigation of small molecule secondary metabolites of marine holobionts, particularly metallophoric compounds, such as siderophores. The main tasks of the holder of this post will be i) to mine, mostly comparatively, the metabolome and metallome of marine macro- and microorganisms by cutting edge LC-MS/MS-based chemoinformatics/computational untargeted metabolomics (MS/MS fragment similarity based molecular networking on GNPS platform, SIRIUS, and others), ii) to develop methodology for analysis and identification metal binding metabolites, such as siderophores in marine microbes, iii) to analyse the data by advanced statistical/chemometrics and machine learning tools, iv) to couple metabolome data with other omics datasets (e.g., genomics, lipidomics, metallomics, and others). Main target areas are drug discovery and chemical ecology. We also envisage to perform complementary spatial metabolomics using the in-house Desorption Electrospray Ionization-Imaging Mass Spectrometer (DESI-IMS). The candidate will closely interact with other research groups from a broad range of scientific disciplines. He/she will be involved in maintenance of the LC-MS equipment, establishment of new analytical methods and training/supervision of undergraduate/postgraduate students and technical staff.

Qualifications

Required:

• A diploma and a PhD in LC-MS/MS-based analytical natural product chemistry or a related field
• Demonstrated competence and hands-on skills in LC-MS/MS metabolome mining of natural products (by molecular networks)
• Proficiency in use of public and commercial databases (for dereplication), statistical analysis/chemometrics and big data management
• Proficiency in bioinformatics for linking different -omics datasets
• Demonstrated experience in writing first author-publications, excellent publication track record in scientific journals and conference presentations
• Fluency in spoken and written English with oral and written communication skills
  
  

Desirable

• Previous work on metallomics and other omics (e.g., genomics, lipidomics), biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) analysis
• Previous exposure to Imaging Mass Spectrometry (IMS)
• Additional experience in GC-MS
• Purification (HPLC) and chemical characterization (NMR, HRMS) of diverse types of natural products
  
  

Candidates with strong track records on analytical chemistry, secondary metabolomics, and/or metallomics of terrestrial organisms and microorganisms are highly encouraged to apply, provided they have the required hands-on skills and experience.

At a workplace, directly on the Kiel Fjord with many leisure and recreational opportunities, we offer you:

• Good conditions for work-life balance: We offer, among other things, the possibility of mobile working and individual working time arrangements, vacation courses for the children of our employees, and good support in finding a place in a daycare center at the Kiel site
• Support services for professional and personal life situations
• An exciting work environment with the opportunity to provide important impetus for the development of sustainable solutions
• Exciting topics in an international environment
• Work in the field of marine and climate research, a forward-looking area with social significance
• 30 vacation days + additional time off at Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve
• Company pension plan and capital-forming benefits
  
  

The research unit Marine Natural Products Chemistry offers a dynamic, international and innovative research environment with excellent infrastructure and networks, a collaborative work culture and is therefore an ideal incubator for a successful career. Our labs are equipped with state-of-the-art chemical facilities including in-house UPLC-QTOF-MS coupled with DESI Imaging Mass Spectrometry, HPLC-DAD-MS, HPLC-HRMS, GC-MS, HPLCs, automated extraction systems such as Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) and Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE), FT-IR, polarimeter and related databases, as well as excellent microbiology/biotechnology facilities and over 75 running in vitro biological assays. Our in-house microbial culturing facilities span from small (1 L) to large-scale (300 L fermenter), as well as access to sequencing facilities. GEOMAR has full access to high-resolution (cryo-) NMR facilities at Kiel University. We lead or participate multiple collaborative EU or national research projects.

Working language in the group is English.

The position is available for a funding period of three years, starting at the earliest date possible. The salary depends on qualification and could be up to the class 13 TVöD-Bund of the German tariff for public employees. This is a full-time position and the position can be split. The fixed-term contract shall comply with Section 2 Paragraph 1 of The Act of Academic Fixed-Term Contract (German WissZeitVG).

GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel seeks to increase the proportion of female scientists and explicitly encourages qualified female academics to apply. GEOMAR is an equal opportunity employer and encourages scientists with disabilities to apply. Qualified disabled applicants will receive preference in the application process.

Please submit your application in English no later than 15th August 2025 by clicking Apply on website.

As soon as the selection procedure has finished, all application papers will be destroyed according to data protection regulation.

For further information regarding the position and research unit, please contact Prof. Dr. Deniz Tasdemir by e-mail (dtasdemir(at)geomar.de)

We will answer all your questions if you send us an e-mail to bewerbung(at)geomar.de. In doing so, please refer to the keyword “MNP-LC-MS”.

For further information on GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel or the Helmholtz Association, please visit www.geomar.de or www.helmholtz.de.

GEOMAR is committed to an objective and non-discriminatory personnel selection. Our job advertisements address all people. We expressly renounce the submission of application photos.