Postdoctoral Researcher Bioconjugation for Oncology Nanocarriers

Leiden University; Netherlands; On-site; EUR 41,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance 8%

End-of-year bonus 8.3%

Training and career development

Dual career program

Tax break for international hires

Job summary

Leiden University invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher in bioconjugation for oncology nanocarriers. You will develop new conjugation strategies for cytotoxic agents on polymers and nanocarriers, focusing on robust, scalable chemistry and preparative synthesis with gram-scale potential.

Based in the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, this full-time position is initially one year with possible extension.

Qualifications

• PhD in synthetic organic chemistry or closely related field.
• Strong experience in bioconjugation chemistry, ideally with cytotoxic or bioactive molecules.
• Hands-on preparative synthesis experience and scaling up to gram-scale.
• Enjoys working in a multidisciplinary team spanning chemistry, biology, and materials science.
• Motivated by research combining fundamental science with translational impact.

Responsibilities

• Develop new conjugation strategies for cytotoxic anticancer agents and other bioactive molecules on polymers and nanocarriers.
• Focus on chemistry that is robust, reproducible, and scalable.
• Scale up conjugation reactions to multigram-scale.
• Collaborate with chemists, cell biologists, microbiologists, and materials scientists across the project.

Skills

Bioconjugation chemistry

Preparative synthesis

Gram-scale scaling

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Translational research mindset

Education

PhD in synthetic organic chemistry

Job description

Organisation/Company Leiden University Research Field Chemistry » Biochemistry Chemistry » Inorganic chemistry Engineering » Biomedical engineering Engineering » Chemical engineering Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 15 Oct 2026 - 21:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 38.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The Faculty of Science and the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR) are looking for a:

Postdoctoral Researcher Bioconjugation for Oncology Nanocarriers

We are looking for an enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher with a strong background in synthetic organic chemistry and bioconjugation, to help develop the next generation of oncology nanocarriers. You develop new conjugation strategies for cytotoxic anticancer agents and other bioactive molecules on polymers and nanocarriers, with a strong emphasis on chemistry that is robust, reproducible, and scalable. We are specifically looking for someone with experience in preparative synthesis and scaling up conjugation reactions to gram scale.

What you will do

• Develop new conjugation strategies for cytotoxic anticancer agents and other bioactive molecules on polymers and nanocarriers
• Focus on chemistry that is robust, reproducible, and scalable
• Scale up conjugation reactions to multigram-scale
• Collaborate closely with chemists, cell biologists, microbiologists, and materials scientists across the project

What you bring

• You hold a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry, or a closely related field
• You have strong experience in bioconjugation chemistry, ideally with cytotoxic or other bioactive molecules
• You have hands-on experience with preparative synthesis, and with scaling up conjugation reactions to gram-scale
• You enjoy working in a multidisciplinary team spanning chemistry, biology, and materials science
• You are motivated by research that combines fundamental science with real world, translational impact

Where you will work

The Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR) is a leading institute dedicated to world-class research and education in drug discovery and development. LACDR comprises a diverse and international team of approximately 150 researchers and is ideally located at the Leiden Bio Science Park, the largest life science cluster in The Netherlands. The research carried out at the Faculty of Science is very diverse, ranging from mathematics, information science, astronomy, physics, chemistry and bio-pharmaceutical sciences to biology and environmental sciences.

What we offer

We offer a full-time position for initially one year. After positive evaluation of the progress of the research, personal capabilities and compatibility the appointment can be extended further for one or three years. The salary ranges, depending on qualifications and experience, from € 3.706,- to € 5.760,- gross per month (pay scale 10 in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3 %), training and career development. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. For international spouses we have set up a dual career program. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. For more information, see the website: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions .

What we value

Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. We strive to be an open community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to fully develop themselves. We consider an inclusive academic environment, where students and staff can share their experiences and viewpoints, to be essential for the development of talent.

Want to apply or find out more?

If you would like more information, please contact Prof. Dr. Matthias Barz ( [e-mail] )

Only applications before 15 October 2026 can be considered.