Research Associate in Homogeneous Catalysis

Role: Research Associate in Homogeneous Catalysis

Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum

FTE and working pattern: 1

FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday – Friday

Contract: Fixed Term, 12 Months

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

The Institute of Chemical Sciences is seeking an ambitious and highly motivated Post‑Doctoral Research Associate to join the research group of Dr Liam Donnelly. This project aims to transform how homogeneous catalysts are discovered and optimised by combining state‑of‑the‑art computational featurisation with experimental reaction‑kinetics data to build a machine‑learning platform capable of predicting catalyst performance.

This is an exciting, highly collaborative project involving Heriot‑Watt University, the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC), the Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure (PSDI), and the University of Oxford, funded through the UK Catalysis Hub. The successful candidate will lead the experimental and synthetic chemistry efforts over the 12‑month project (with potential for extension). Key responsibilities include preparing and evaluating diverse (pre) catalysts, generating high‑quality kinetic datasets using in situ reaction‑monitoring techniques, and experimentally validating machine‑learning‑guided catalyst predictions.

The role offers an exceptional interdisciplinary training environment and will involve close interaction with partners across all institutions. A research secondment to the University of Oxford will provide hands‑on experience in specialist catalyst synthesis and broaden the candidate’s collaborative network.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact Dr Liam Donnelly, Lecturer in Green and Sustainable Chemistry.

• Conduct experimental and synthetic chemistry to develop and evaluate new homogeneous catalyst systems.
• Generate high‑quality reaction‑kinetics data using advanced analytical techniques (e.g., operando NMR) to support data‑driven catalyst optimisation.
• Prepare, purify, and characterise catalyst candidates, including time spent in a partner laboratory to undertake specialist synthesis work.
• Collaborate closely with computational researchers to support catalyst featurisation and contribute experimental data for machine‑learning‑guided prediction tools.
• Apply optimised catalysts to molecular and polymer‑transformations and assist in analysing resulting materials.
• Work with project partners to support the extraction, curation, and structuring of computational and experimental data for integration into shared digital research infrastructures.
• Maintain accurate laboratory records and ensure high standards of research data management and reproducibility.
• Engage actively with project partners across institutions and participate in regular meetings to report progress.
• Contribute to research outputs, including publications, presentations, and dissemination at national and international conferences.
• Contribute to bids for research grants.
• Assist in the supervision of undergraduate/postgraduate research students and research assistants as required.
• Contribute to the smooth running of the Group’s laboratories and facilities with other scientists, technicians, and students within the laboratories.
• Comply with EPS and ICS safety practices and to attend courses on safety when appropriate.
• Promote the reputation of the Donnelly Group, ICS, and Heriot‑Watt University.
• Any other duties as may be deemed reasonable by the Group Leader and the Global Head of the Institute of Chemical Sciences.

Essential