Postdoctoral Fellow in Medicinal Chemistry

Dunedin - New Zealand

Monthly Salary: Not Disclosed

Posted on: 30+ days ago

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

The job posting is outdated and position may be filled

Job Summary

SCHOOL OF PHARMACY HE RAU KAWAKAWA
DIVISION OF HEALTH SCIENCES - TE WĀHANGA MATUA MĀTAU HAUORA

About our team/Mō te tīma

The School of Pharmacy is a leading centre for pharmacy education and research in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our academic staff are internationally recognised for research excellence across pharmaceutical sciences clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice. We provide a dynamic and supportive research environment with strong connections across the University of Otago and with national and international collaborators.

The role/Te mahi

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow in Medicinal Chemistry to join our research team on a Health Research Council (HRC) funded project: Direct-to-stomach delivery of drugs for the chemoprevention of inherited stomach cancer.

This exciting role provides the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge drug conjugation chemistry and targeted drug delivery strategies. The Postdoctoral Fellow will:
Undertake independent and collaborative research including the synthesis purification and formulation of the drug delivery system.
Assist with patent application writing GMP documentation and product scale-up.
Provide expert supervision and support to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Contribute to the smooth running of the laboratory maintaining the highest standards of health and safety.

You will work closely with Dr Jessica Fairhall and Associate Professor Allan Gamble alongside an interdisciplinary team of collaborators from the School of Pharmacy and the Department of Biochemistry.

Your skills and experience/Kā pūkeka me kā wheako

The successful candidate will have:
A PhD in medicinal chemistry or a related discipline (e.g. chemical biology drug delivery).
Strong experience in synthetic organic chemistry and purification techniques is essential.
Demonstrated expertise with analytical chemistry techniques such as HPLC and LCMS is essential.
Experience with conjugation and/or polymer chemistry is desirable.
Strong organisational skills accuracy and attention to detail.
Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to relate to a wide range of people in a research environment.
Commitment to working in a culturally safe and respectful manner and demonstrated understanding and appreciation of Te Ao Māori Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and Pasifika values.
An ability to work collegially and independently.

Further details/Pūroko

This is a full-time (1.0 FTE) fixed-term position available for 12 months from January 2026 located in Ōtepoti Dunedin.

The appointment level for this role is $92350 per annum.

The University of Otago is a workplace that values and utilises diverse and inclusive thinking people and behaviours. This means that we honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and that the contributions of staff with diverse backgrounds experiences skills and perspectives are valued and respected.

For further information or to discuss the roles in confidence - please contact Dr Jessica Fairhall via the contact details below.

Application/Tono

To submit your application (including CV and cover letter) please click the apply button. Applications quoting reference numberwill close on Sunday 2 November 2025.

Additional Information

Contact: Dr Jessica Fairhall

Position details: Information Statement

Guidelines for Academic Positions: Guidelines

Further Information: Department Website

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Location: About Dunedin

SCHOOL OF PHARMACY HE RAU KAWAKAWADIVISION OF HEALTH SCIENCES - TE WĀHANGA MATUA MĀTAU HAUORAAbout our team/Mō te tīmaThe School of Pharmacy is a leading centre for pharmacy education and research in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our academic staff are internationally recognised for research excellence acr...