Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Scientist - KAUST

EURAXESS Ireland; Saudi Arabia; On-site; SAR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) invites a postdoctoral researcher to advance projects on doped conjugated polymers and organic electronic materials. The role emphasizes connecting processing, microstructure, and electrical performance with hands-on thin-film and spectroscopy work.

The ideal candidate has a PhD in a related field and strong experimental skills, with the ability to work independently in a collaborative lab setting.

Qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Hands-on experience in organic semiconductors, polymer thin films, or related functional materials.
• Strong experimental background with lab independence and data interpretation.
• Ability to communicate clearly with students and collaborators.

Responsibilities

• Doping of conjugated polymers and organic semiconductor thin films.
• Thin-film fabrication, processing optimization, and troubleshooting.
• Materials characterization using GIWAXS, Raman, FTIR, UV–vis, and electrical transport.
• Understand structure–property relationships in functional polymers.
• Collaborate on projects in organic electronics and energy-harvesting materials.

Skills

Thin-film processing

Molecular doping

Advanced materials characterization

Python data analysis

Education

PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering, or related field

Tools

GIWAXS

Raman

FTIR

UV-Vis

Python

Job description

Physical Science and Engineering Division

Organisation/Company KAUST Department Physical Science and Engineering Division Research Field Chemistry » Physical chemistry Engineering » Materials engineering Physics » Applied physics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 1 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Asia/Riyadh) Country Saudi Arabia Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 9 Sep 2026 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

Are you passionate about organic electronic materials and doped conjugated polymers, and how they connect processing, microstructure, and electrical performance?

Prof. Derya Baran’s research group OmegaLab at KAUST is looking for a researcher to help drive projects on doped conjugated polymers and organic electronic materials. The main need is a strong materials-science or applied physics profile with hands‑on experience in thin‑film processing, molecular doping, and advanced characterization. We are looking for someone who can connect processing, microstructure, spectroscopy, and electrical performance, and who is comfortable working in a collaborative experimental environment.

We are especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the following:

• Doping of conjugated polymers and other organic semiconductor thin films


• Thin-film fabrication, processing optimization, and experimental troubleshooting


• Materials characterization using techniques such as GIWAXS, Raman, FTIR, UV-vis, and electrical transport measurements


• Understanding structure-property relationships in functional polymer materials


• Contributing to collaborative projects in organic electronics, energy-harvesting materials, and related device platforms

We are especially interested in candidates with a PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, and with a solid experimental background in organic semiconductors, polymer thin films, or closely related functional materials. The right person should be able to work independently in the lab, interpret complex datasets critically, and communicate clearly with students and collaborators.

Strong candidates may bring experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Molecular doping of organic semiconductors


• Thermoelectrics, OFETs, OPVs, or related organic electronic devices


• Correlative characterization across structural, spectroscopic, and transport techniques


• Stability studies, stress testing, and degradation analysis in thin films


• Mentoring students and contributing to shared experimental workflows

Specific Requirements

Experience in Python or similar tools for data analysis, visualization, and automation would be an advantage, especially for handling large experimental datasets and improving reproducibility.

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Country Saudi Arabia Geofield