Postdoctoral Researcher in Peptide-Based Drug Discovery

Postdoctoral Researcher in Peptide-Based Drug Discovery
100%, Zurich, fixed-term

The research group for Peptide-Based Drug Discovery (Prof. Nathalie M. Grob) is recruiting an exceptional and highly motivated postdoctoral researcher for a collaboration with the research group for Drug Formulation & Delivery (Prof. Jean-Christophe Leroux). The project is fully funded by Innosuisse for 18 months and will investigate targeted drug delivery. The work will involve affinity-based peptide discovery, peptide chemistry, bioactivity profiling using advanced cellular experiments, proteomics, and microscopy.

Job description

The successful candidate will:

• Collaborate with experts in protein engineering and drug delivery on an innovative research challenge.
• Apply their expertise in designing structure-based peptide ligands and peptide conjugates.
• Develop affinity-based screens with combinatorial peptide libraries.
• Synthesize, purify, and characterize peptides and peptide conjugates.
• Evaluate the use of de novo approaches for hit discovery.
• Study the bioactivity of synthesized compounds in biophysical and cell-based assays.
• Contribute to the teaching and supervision of junior researchers in the group.

Profile

We are looking for a candidate with an intrinsic interest in peptide therapeutics, a passion for drug discovery and development, and the ability to integrate effectively into a multidisciplinary team through collaborative exchange and discussions.

Requirements:

• PhD in Chemical Biology, Peptide Chemistry, or Pharmaceutical Sciences.
• Profound expertise in the (solid-phase) synthesis of peptides and peptide conjugates, purification, and analytical characterization.
• Previous experience in proteomics or peptide sequencing by mass spectrometry.
• Hands-on skills in bioactivity profiling via biophysical methods (fluorescence polarization, surface plasmon resonance, biolayer interferometry, isothermal titration calorimetry, or similar) and cellular assays.
• Expertise in bioinformatics and programming is advantageous.
• Experience in structure-based design or generative models is a plus.
• First-author publication(s) in peer-reviewed journals relevant to the profile (published or submitted).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to collaborate within a multidisciplinary team, independently develop a research project, and meet defined milestones.

The candidate must be able to start the project by

Workplace
Workplace
We offer

• Collaborative project: Experience a close collaboration between two academic groups (Drug Formulation & Delivery and Peptide-Based Drug Discovery).
• Your career with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society.
• Your job with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society
• You can expect numerous benefits, such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ, childcare and attractive pension benefits

We value diversity and sustainability

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish. Sustainability is a core value for us – we are consistently working towards a climate-neutral future.

Curious? So are we.

We look forward to receiving your application via the ETH job portal by December 12, 2026, with the following documents:

• Motivation letter
• CV and publication list
• University degree, transcripts, and certificates
• Names and contact details of two referees

Further information about the research group can be found on our website. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Prof. Dr. Nathalie M. Grob, or (no applications).

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email, postal services, or social networks will not be considered.

We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.

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