Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d) in Bioinformatics or Computational Biology

The Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry in Halle (Saale), a research institute of the Leibniz Association, is offering a position in the frame of a BMBF-funded project for a

in Bioinformatics or Computational Biology

(Salary group E13 TVL, full-time 100 %, initially limited until 31.03.2027)

at the Department of Bioorganic Chemistry within the research group “Computational Chemistry”.

Who we are:  

The Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) is a non-university research institution of the Leibniz Association on the Weinberg Campus of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. As a foundation under public law, the IPB is under direct supervision of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.  

The IPB is an internationally recognized research institution and consists of four scientific Departments and additional independent research groups (approx. 200 employees, including around 40 doctoral students).  

Research at the IPB aims to understand the (bio)chemical basis of plant resilience and performance in challenging environments related to climate change. The IPB offers excellent research facilities and state-of-the-art infrastructure to study the chemical diversity, biochemical interactions and biological functions of small natural product molecules in plants and fungi (https://www.ipb-halle.de/en/ ). 

Research topic: 

We are looking for a creative, curious, team-minded and enthusiastic candidate to join our team to contribute to a project which will focus on the development of machine learning (ML) architectures for predicting and designing enzymatic reactions. To create the ML framework, state-of-the-art machine learning methods will be combined with methods from computational biochemistry. The work will be performed in close collaboration with a software developer and an experimental Postdoc candidate. The selected candidate will have the opportunity to work closely with PhD students.

Your profile: 

The successful candidate must hold a PhD degree in computational science including biology, bioinformatics, cheminformatics, computational (bio)chemistry or biophysics and is supposed to have a solid command of English communications skills. Applicants should have a strong background in the following fields: programming language (Python, C/C++), machine learning and deep learning methods (PyTorch, TensorFlow), knowledge management and databases, computational biochemistry or biophysics. Candidates should have a strong interest in pursuing innovative research at the intersection of computational and experimental enzymology.   

Our benefits: 

• Excellent working conditions in an international environment 
• Flexible and family-friendly working hours and possibility of home-office 
• Offer of professional training courses and measures for skill improvement 
• Compensation according to TV-L (including annual special payment) 
• Contribution to your company pension plan (VBL) 
• On-site opportunities for health promotion 

How to apply and information: 

Please, contact Dr. Mehdi D. Davari (mehdi.davari(at)ipb-halle.de ; Phone: 0049 (0) 345 5582 1360) for additional information. 

Applications must include a single pdf document via email attachment comprising a cover letter describing research accomplishments and interests, a CV plus publication list, academic transcripts (PhD, master and bachelor), and contact details of two referees (or two recommendation letters) Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications a single pdf document via email attachment , including a (i) detailed curriculum vitae, (iii) academic certificates /transcripts (PhD, master and bachelor) (iii) lists of publications and talks including one or two reprints representative of previous research, (iv) a brief one-to-two-page statement of research interests, and (v) and contact details of two referees (or two recommendation letters). Please send your complete application documents including the reference number 11/2024 exclusively by email to bewerbungen(at)ipb-halle.de .

Review of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled. 

Foreign qualifications must comply with German standards (TV-L-EntgeltO Protokollerklärung Nr. 1 Absatz 4) and be certified (equivalence test in Germany, subject to a fee) and presented to IPB Human Resources at the time of hiring: https://www.kmk.org/zab/central-office-for - foreign-education

Diversity, family and equal opportunities: 

The IPB aspires to the goal of equal opportunity, diversity, and the promotion of work-life balance as it was awarded the certificate "Total E-Quality". In addition, the IPB is a member of the nationwide company network "Success Factor Family" and of the “Diversity Charter” (Charta der Vielfalt). 

Further information can be found at: https://www.ipb-halle.de/en/institute/  

Data protection: 

Please note, the data protection information for applicants (m/f/d) according to Article 13 and 14 GDPR on data protection processing during the application process:  https://www.ipb-halle.de/en/career/data-protection-information-for-applicants/