Assistant Professorship (all genders) - Tenure Track

About this position

"Protein Engineering (CoE CircBioeng)“ - Assistant Professorship (all genders) - Tenure Track

TU Wien is Austria's largest institution of research and higher education in the fields of technology and natural sciences. With over 26,000 students and more than 4000 scientists, research, teaching, and learning dedicated to the advancement of science and technology have been conducted here for more than 200 years, guided by the motto "Technology for People". As a driver of innovation, TU Wien fosters close collaboration with business and industry and contributes to the prosperity of society.

At the

Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry

, in the

Research Group for Bioorganic Synthetic Chemistry

TU Wien is offering the following tenure track position limited for 6 years for 40 hours/week. Expected start: immediately.

The candidate and TU Wien can agree upon a tenure evaluation, which when positive, opens the possibility to change the position to Associate Professor with an unlimited contract.

This position at the Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, Research Division of Organic and Biological Chemistry, Research Group of Bioorganic Synthetic Chemistry (163-03-4) at TU Wien, and the Institute of Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Technical Biosciences, Research Division Biochemical Technology, Research Group Synthetic Biology and Molecular Biotechnology (166-05-1), is to be filled as a dual affiliation.

The career position in Protein Engineering is intended to strengthen the primary research areas of “Sustainability, Energy, Environment” and “Bioscience Technologies” at TU Wien in line with the Faculty of Engineering Chemistry’s development plan, with a focus here on protein engineering technologies for application in synthesis and biosynthesis. Furthermore, through collaboration with existing research activities at TU Wien, as well as with other universities and research institutions, the aim is to create and strengthen an interdisciplinary scientific environment with a special focus on the Cluster of Excellence – Circular Bioengineering.

Tasks:

Research:

The successful candidate is expected to establish an innovative research profile at the interface of chemistry and biology. Core responsibilities include:

New-to-Nature" Reactivities: Establishing a research program focused on the systematic construction of abiological functions within protein scaffolds (e.g., carbene transfer, unnatural cross-couplings, photoreactions, or non-canonical C-H functionalizations)

Computational De Novo Protein Design: Integrating cutting-edge AI architectures (such as AlphaFold 3, RFdiffusion, ProteinMPNN) alongside physics-based methods and mechanistic QM/MM simulations to conceptualize novel biocatalysts

Ultra-High-Throughput Screening: Setting up microfluidic systems—specifically Fluorescence-Activated Droplet Sorting (FADS)—for the efficient phenotypic characterization and validation of massive enzyme libraries (>10^7 variants)

Data-Driven Workflows: Closing the "Design-Build-Test-Learn" cycle by feeding experimental screening data back into computational models via active learning approaches to continuously optimize predictive power

Teaching:

In addition to research, the duties of an Assistant Professorship at TU Wien include teaching (in German and English) in Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD programs, as well as involvement in the management of the institute and the faculty. The main task is to impart the necessary knowledge and methods in the field of protein engineering and related bioinformatics methods. Courses in the Bachelor’s program in Technical Chemistry and the Master’s program in Technical Chemistry are to be expanded or newly established accordingly.

Your profile:

A completed doctoral or PhD degree relevant to the position from a domestic or equivalent foreign university or research institution, or the completion of an equivalent scientific qualification

International post-doctoral experience at a university or other research institution (ideally spanning several years)

Experience in protein engineering, with a focus on the design of ‘new-to-nature’ reactivity, and the modification and improvement of proteins and biocatalysts as well as ‘in silico’ methods for the optimisation and deeper understanding of proteins (e.g. AlphaFold3, machine learning and docking tools)

Experience in biocatalysis and protein chemistry (e.g. cultivation of microorganisms, protein expression, purification) and in the genetic manipulation of microorganisms (e.g. Escherichia coli, yeasts, fungi and phototrophic bacteria)

Ideally, experience in high-throughput techniques for screening large protein libraries and in the characterisation and optimisation of (bio)chemical reactions and their catalysts (e.g. reaction kinetics, stability, enzyme assays, protein engineering, high-throughput methods)

Proven experience in collaborating with national and/or international scientific and industrial partners as well as in leading publicly funded research projects

Scientific reputation, demonstrated by publications in internationally renowned scientific journals, patents, scientific presentations, peer review activities, organisation of scientific events, awards, etc.

Ability to build networks, demonstrated, for example, through collaboration with foreign universities or research institutions

Willingness to lead a research group and to take on management responsibilities within the organisational structure

Experience in acquiring, managing and leading research projects

Pedagogical and didactic aptitude for academic teaching in the specified subject area in both English and German

Experience in supervising students’ research projects

Ability and willingness to contribute to the management of the Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, the Institute of Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Technical Biosciences, the Bioprocess Engineering Research Group and the Faculty