Job Offers

The Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences is looking for a Project Manager who will be responsible for the administrative management of the project “Center for Quantum Digital Organic Memristors” (CKCOM), implemented under the International Research Agendas competition.  The CKCOM project focuses on developing a new generation of molecular memory and logic elements utilizing quantum proton tunneling. The goal is to develop energy-efficient memcomputing technologies that integrate information processing and storage in single molecular systems, with potential applications in nanoelectronics and AI systems.

The person employed in this Project Manager position will be responsible for the comprehensive administrative management of the project in accordance with the provisions of the grant agreement, the application, the competition documentation, and applicable regulations. Their duties will include, in particular, supervising the formal correctness of project implementation, communicating with the Intermediate Body (Foundation for Polish Science), and reporting through the CST2021 portal.  The scope of duties also includes cooperation with the Financial Department and the Procurement and Equipment Department to ensure a proper procurement process within the project. Furthermore, the responsibilities of the employed person will include participating in and coordinating the recruitment processes of the project staff, in accordance with the regulations and procedures in force at the Institute.

We offer work in a unit with international connections in the research community, providing access to modern research infrastructure, advanced scientific equipment, and a global network of academic and industrial partners.

CKCOM is a prestigious project carried out under the leadership of Prof. Daniel T. Gryko, co-funded by the European Union under the European Funds for a Modern Economy 2021–2027 (FENG) program. The project constitutes one of the key centers of excellence shaping the future of advanced computing technologies and nanoelectronics in Poland.

Key Responsibilities:  

• Administrative coordination of the International Research Agendas project (IRAP-FENG / MAB-FENG).
• Maintaining contact with the Foundation for Polish Science, the International Scientific Committee, the Project Leader, and Research Groups.
• Monitoring project implementation in accordance with the schedule and budget.
• Ensuring compliance of project activities with the provisions of the grant agreement, the application, and applicable laws.
• Administrative management of the project in the CST2021 system.
• Preparing payment claims, requests for changes, and project progress reports.
• Cooperation with controllers and auditors, as well as participation in project meetings.
• Preparing and distributing official correspondence, meeting minutes, and project updates.
• Participation, support, planning, and execution of project meetings.

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Employment conditions:
Employment based on a full-time employment contract. Gross base salary of PLN 6,200, plus a statutory bonus and a seniority allowance ranging.

The first employment contract will be concluded for a three-month probationary period, the next for a fixed term of one year, followed by a fixed-term or an indefinite-term contract.

Salary level for a comparable position:
The basic salary for an analogous position ranges from PLN 6,200 to PLN 6,300 gross, plus a seniority bonus (allowance for long service) and other regulatory bonuses.

Benefits: Private medical care package, co-financing for sports activities, holiday subsidies (co-financing for rest), and opportunities to participate in training courses to upgrade qualifications.

Professional development opportunities: work in a unit with international connections in the research community, providing access to modern research infrastructure, advanced scientific equipment, and a global network of academic and industrial partners.

Contact person: Artur Oziębło
E-mail: artur.ozieblo@icho.edu.pl

We are an open and inclusive employer – we encourage applications from all individuals, regardless of gender, origin, nationality, or minority background.

“Targeting MMP-9 in Cancer Treatment: Computational Design and Experimental Validation of Potent, Safe Antitumor Agents”

The aim of this project is to accelerate the discovery of safe and effective matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP 9) inhibitors through advanced AI assisted drug design. We anticipate that the use of state of the art medicinal chemistry software, incorporating both retrosynthetic and forward synthetic algorithms, will enable the generation of novel yet synthetically accessible chemical entities. The workflow will begin with computational modeling to generate hundreds to thousands of candidate molecules, followed by rapid prediction of their binding affinity to the MMP 9 enzyme, as well as evaluation of key pharmacokinetic properties. The most promising compounds will be further assessed using molecular docking to evaluate binding modes and selectivity, and molecular dynamics simulations to estimate the stability of ligand protein interactions. This approach will allow us to prioritize compounds with the highest likelihood of success, namely those combining strong inhibitory activity against MMP 9, selectivity over other MMP isoforms, and favorable drug like and safety profiles. The top candidates will be synthesized in the laboratory and evaluated in cell based assays to confirm their anticancer potential.

The main tasks will involve:

• Computer aided design of active, safe, and selective compounds with potential anticancer activity
• Molecular docking of designed compounds to the active site of selected biological targets (enzymes or proteins)
• Performing molecular dynamics simulations
• Organic synthesis of the most promising compounds, as well as their purification and analysis (e.g., NMR, MS, HPLC)
• In vitro studies of biological activity, in particular inhibitory activity against selected enzymes or cell lines

R2

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Terms of employment: full-time employment for 12 months with the possibility of extension to 24 months, with salary funded by the NCN grant, 11666,66 PLN (gross gross) ~9700 PLN gross;

The salary level is in line with the compensation guidelines for comparable postdoctoral positions in projects funded by the National Science Centre.

Benefits:

• private medical care package,
• co-financing of sports cards

Career development opportunities: work in a dynamically developing team, access to research infrastructure, professional development in the field of organic synthesis, computational drug design, work with outstanding specialists in the field of organic and computational chemistry, the possibility of cooperation with foreign research centers (e.g. UNIST South Korea), the possibility of further professional development at the IOC PAS, participation in national and international conferences.

Project manager: Dr Anna Żądło-Dobrowolska

Head of Research Group: Prof. Bartosz Grzybowski

e-mail: anna.zadlo@icho.edu.pl

We are an open and inclusive employer – we encourage applications from all individuals, regardless of gender, origin, nationality, or minority background.