KSN 4/2026
Assistant (post-doc)
Application deadlineSeptember 25, 2026 15:00 GMT+1
Announcement overview
The Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow announces a competition for the position of Assistant (post-doc) in the group Theoretical and Experimental Biocatalysis for the implementation of the project OPUS LAP PHA-CURE M.Guzik (UMO-2024/55/I/ST8/02132).
The competition is open to persons who meet the conditions set out in the Act on the Polish Academy of Sciences of 30 April 2010 (Journal of Laws 2020, item 1796, as amended), Article 89, Section 4.
The competition is open to persons who meet the conditions set out in the Act on the Polish Academy of Sciences of 30 April 2010 (Journal of Laws 2020, item 1796, as amended), Article 89, Section 4.
Responsibilities
In particular the successful candidate will be responsible for:
• optimization of polyhydroxyalkanoate fermentation processes;
• production of biomaterials (single- and multi-component) and their characterization using advanced surface and structural analysis methods;
• collaboration with a PhD student on expression of recombinant proteins;
• collaboration with other project participants and supervision of interns and PhD students in the research group;
• participation in planning, conducting research, analyzing results, and preparing scientific publications;
• presentation of research results at national and international conferences.
• optimization of polyhydroxyalkanoate fermentation processes;
• production of biomaterials (single- and multi-component) and their characterization using advanced surface and structural analysis methods;
• collaboration with a PhD student on expression of recombinant proteins;
• collaboration with other project participants and supervision of interns and PhD students in the research group;
• participation in planning, conducting research, analyzing results, and preparing scientific publications;
• presentation of research results at national and international conferences.
Education level
The candidate should hold a Ph.D. in the biological sciences in the field of microbiology or biotechnology; in the chemical sciences in the field of chemistry or biotechnology; or in the technical sciences in the field of materials engineering or a related field.
Skills
• at least 4 years of research experience in the field of materials engineering and/or biotechnology, evidenced by scientific publications in JCR-listed journals in which the candidate played a significant role (first author and/or corresponding author in at least two papers), as well as presentations at national and international conferences;
• experience in carrying out national and international research projects as a researcher and/or project leader;
• at least 4 months of research experience gained at a foreign research institution as part of an internship;
• experience in laboratory work;
• practical knowledge of the following research techniques in the characterization of biomaterials and their surfaces, as well as the analysis and interpretation of the obtained results: SEM/TEM, QCM, DLS, FTIR, UV-Vis, NMR, and DSC; and fluorescence imaging methods;
• experience in working with biological objects;
• very good command of spoken and written English, confirmed by a C1 certificate;
• high motivation for scientific research and the ability to work in a team;
• the candidate must meet the requirements specified in the NCN regulations governing the
hiring of postdocs in the OPUS competition (28th edition)*.
* The postdoc contract is reserved for individuals who obtained their Ph.D. in the year of employment
on the project or within the 12-year period preceding January 1 of the year of employment on the project. This period may be extended by the duration of long-term (more than 90 days) documented sick leave or rehabilitation leave due to incapacity for work. Additionally, this period may be extended by the number of months spent on leave related to the care and upbringing of children, granted in accordance with the provisions of the Labor Code, and in the case of women—by 18 months for each child born or adopted child, if this method of identifying breaks in the research career is more advantageous.
The PhD degree of the candidate need to be awarded by another institution than the one planned to employ
them at this post or they have completed a continuous and evidenced post-doctoral fellowship of at least 10 months in another institution than the host institution for the project and in another country than the one in which they have been conferred a PhD degree.
Furthermore, during the period of receiving remuneration, a person employed in a post-doc position may not
receive any other remuneration from funds allocated as direct costs from research projects funded through NCN competitions, nor may they receive remuneration from another employer under an employment contract, including an employer based outside the territory of Poland.
When the remuneration is paid, they will be receiving no pension under the social security scheme.
• experience in carrying out national and international research projects as a researcher and/or project leader;
• at least 4 months of research experience gained at a foreign research institution as part of an internship;
• experience in laboratory work;
• practical knowledge of the following research techniques in the characterization of biomaterials and their surfaces, as well as the analysis and interpretation of the obtained results: SEM/TEM, QCM, DLS, FTIR, UV-Vis, NMR, and DSC; and fluorescence imaging methods;
• experience in working with biological objects;
• very good command of spoken and written English, confirmed by a C1 certificate;
• high motivation for scientific research and the ability to work in a team;
• the candidate must meet the requirements specified in the NCN regulations governing the
hiring of postdocs in the OPUS competition (28th edition)*.
* The postdoc contract is reserved for individuals who obtained their Ph.D. in the year of employment
on the project or within the 12-year period preceding January 1 of the year of employment on the project. This period may be extended by the duration of long-term (more than 90 days) documented sick leave or rehabilitation leave due to incapacity for work. Additionally, this period may be extended by the number of months spent on leave related to the care and upbringing of children, granted in accordance with the provisions of the Labor Code, and in the case of women—by 18 months for each child born or adopted child, if this method of identifying breaks in the research career is more advantageous.
The PhD degree of the candidate need to be awarded by another institution than the one planned to employ
them at this post or they have completed a continuous and evidenced post-doctoral fellowship of at least 10 months in another institution than the host institution for the project and in another country than the one in which they have been conferred a PhD degree.
Furthermore, during the period of receiving remuneration, a person employed in a post-doc position may not
receive any other remuneration from funds allocated as direct costs from research projects funded through NCN competitions, nor may they receive remuneration from another employer under an employment contract, including an employer based outside the territory of Poland.
When the remuneration is paid, they will be receiving no pension under the social security scheme.
Keywords
biomaterials, microbiology, proteins, materials engineering, biopolymers, physicochemical characterization of biomaterials
Required languages
- English (C1)
Research scope
- Biology (microbiology, molecular biology)
- Chemistry (analytical chemistry, applied chemistry, biochemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, homogeneous catalysis, inorganic chemistry, instrumental analysis, instrumental techniques, molecular chemistry, organic chemistry, other, physical chemistry, reaction mechanisms and kinetics, structural chemistry)
- Engineering (Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering)
Qualification criteria
| Criterion | Points from | Points to | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| high evaluation of the doctoral dissertation, as confirmed by peer reviews | 0.00 | 10.00 | 8.00 |
| at least 4 years of research experience in the field of materials engineering and/or biotechnology, supported by a scientific publications record in JCR-listed journals in which the candidate played a significant role (first author and/or corresponding author on at least two papers), as well as presentations at national and international conferences | 0.00 | 10.00 | 3.00 |
| experience in carrying out national and international research projects as a researcher and/or project manager | 0.00 | 5.00 | 1.00 |
| at least 4 months of research experience gained at a foreign research institution as part of an internship | 0.00 | 5.00 | 1.00 |
| experience in laboratory work | 0.00 | 5.00 | 3.00 |
| practical knowledge of the following research techniques related to the characterization of biomaterials and their surfaces, as well as the analysis and interpretation of the results obtained: SEM/TEM, QCM, DLS, FTIR, UV-Vis, NMR, and DSC; and fluorescence imaging methods | 0.00 | 5.00 | 3.00 |
| experience working with biological objects | 0.00 | 5.00 | 1.00 |
| very good command of spoken and written English, as evidenced by a C1 certificate | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Required documents
- employment application
- copy of the diploma conferring the doctoral degree
- full curriculum vitae
- at least one opinion about the candidate from the previous supervisor
- list of scientific achievements
- self-report - maximum 1 A4 page
Additional information
The Institute is adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. The Institute does not provide accommodation.
The Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, honored by the European Commission with the HR Excellence in Research Award in recognition of its ongoing commitment to implementing the principles of the European Charter for Researchers (ECR) and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (CCER), fully supports and applies a policy of open, transparent, and merit-based recruitment (OTM-R). The Institute fully supports and applies the principles of the OTM-R policy as one of the pillars of ECR ​ ​and CCER and one of the key elements of the HR Strategy (HRS4R).
The Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, honored by the European Commission with the HR Excellence in Research Award in recognition of its ongoing commitment to implementing the principles of the European Charter for Researchers (ECR) and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (CCER), fully supports and applies a policy of open, transparent, and merit-based recruitment (OTM-R). The Institute fully supports and applies the principles of the OTM-R policy as one of the pillars of ECR ​ ​and CCER and one of the key elements of the HR Strategy (HRS4R).