Postdoctoral Fellow - Chemistry

__________

DIVISION OF SCIENCES | TE ROHE A AHIKĀROA
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY | TE TARI MĀTAURANGA MATŪ

Mō te tīma | About our team

The University of Otago, established in 1869, has a long and distinguished tradition of teaching and research. The Department of Chemistry at the University of Otago is the oldest chemistry department in New Zealand. It has grown to be one of the largest Departments in the Division of Sciences and contributes to various courses and programmes in Sciences and Health Sciences.

Responsibility for the Department's dual mandate of teaching and research is shared among full-time academic staff and a number of teaching and research fellows, assisted by a similar number of technical, secretarial and general staff. As such, the Department is one of the largest and most active in New Zealand, with working conditions and facilities that rival those of many overseas departments.

The role | Te mahi

The Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund has awarded the Ennis group a research grant to investigate the formation and structure of mixed clathrate hydrate minerals relevant to Titan’s surface; including the study of possible astrochemical pathways toward higher-order organic molecules. This postdoctoral fellow position is to support and advance all objectives of this laboratory astrochemistry research project, including the coordination of overseas experiments with expert collaborators at ANSTO Melbourne and Sydney, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory California USA and the University of Western Australia.

Key tasks of the role include:

•    Contributing to the design and development of new laboratory capabilities including gas delivery manifolds, thin film deposition and thickness verification, vacuum hardware, photolysis setups.
•    Carrying out the optimisation and maintenance of sample synthesis equipment, high vacuum equipment, gas handling systems and cryocooler hardware.
•    Synthesis, purification and handling hazardous gaseous samples including astronomical nitriles.
•    Performing data analysis including vibrational spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, X-ray and neutron diffraction crystallography. Perform supporting computations such as DFT calculations.
•    Contributing toward novel experiment design.
•    Liaising with international team to coordinate remote experiments and write beamline proposals.
•    Assisting with the writing of scientific papers and journal articles.

Kā pūkeka me kā wheako | Your skills and experience

Successful candidates will have:
•    A PhD in a relevant field (such as chemistry, physics, planetary science, or materials science).
•    Previous experience with synthesis and purification of gas samples, including knowledge of safe handling and disposal procedures.
•    Previous experience with laboratory high vacuum and cryogenic systems as applied to astrochemistry or surface science studies.
•    Previous experience with powder x-ray and/or neutron diffraction and associated data analysis routines not essential, but advantageous.

Pūroko | Further details 

This is a full-time (1.0 FTE), fixed-term position (for 2 years), available from 1 March 2027, based in Ōtepoti, Dunedin.

The salary for this position is $92,350 per annum.

Applications from candidates with Māori and Pacific backgrounds or strong competencies in these areas are warmly encouraged.

The Dunedin campus is consistently ranked among the most beautiful in the world. The city offers affordable living, a safe environment, and everything within walking distance. Spectacular outdoor activities await right at the doorstep.

For further information, please contact Dr Courtney Ennis, via the contact details below.  

Tono | Application 

Candidates are requested to submit:
•    Cover letter
•    Curriculum Vitae, including a list of publications
•    Names and contact details of three referees

To submit your application, please click the apply button. Applications quoting reference number 2601192 will close at 11\:59 PM (NZST) on Sunday, 20 September 2026.

Additional Information

Contact: Dr Courtney Ennis

Position details: Information Statement

Guidelines for Academic Positions: Guidelines

Further Information: Department Website

Create an email with a link to this vacancy: Create email

Location: About Dunedin