Deuteration Chemist

The European Spallation Source ERIC is one of the largest and most ambitious "big science" projects under construction today. Constructing and operating what will be the world’s most powerful neutron source is no small task! We are seeking to grow our team with ambitious, talented people from a wide range of fields who are excited about playing a part in the future of science in Europe. ESS is based in the university city Lund, Sweden and is a partnership of 13 European countries.

Whilst others have built telescopes that allow us to look into the furthest regions of space, now we will build a device so powerful it will allow us to the study the smallest objects in the finest detail.

Come and build the future of Science with us!

About the role:

The ESS is at an exciting turning point. It is in transition from being a construction site, to being an operating facility. To help us realise our goal of being the most powerful neutron source in the world, we are now seeking to appoint a Deuteration Chemist to our Scientific Activities Division.

This is an exciting opportunity to form a part of the team who will establish and operate our support laboratories. Our next Deuteration Chemist will join our DEMAX team to work on the synthesis, purification and characterization of deuterated organic molecules and their pre-cursors using a range of chemical, biochemical and analytical methods.

At ESS, no two work days are ever the same. One day, you could be taking part in day-to day housekeeping activities such as chemical tracking/bar-coding, dishwashing, waste collection, purchasing/procurement of lab supplies, etc., whilst the next day could see you participating in and contributing to conferences, ESS events, journal and conference publications.

About you:

To thrive with us in the Scientific Activities division you need to be driven, responsive and good at spotting both problems and opportunities. You need to be a highly motivated person who isn’t afraid to get your hands dirty!

First and foremost, we need someone who is suitably qualified and experienced. Ideally, you'll have the relevant education, experience, and technical qualifications in organic synthesis methods. Prior experience synthesizing and characterizing deuterated materials is highly desirable.

The ideal candidate will bring significant work experience of liquid and gas chromatography techniques, will be able to use a Parr reactor, as well as be independent when it comes to NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric characterization of small organic molecules. Experience of enzymatic and chiral synthesis and/or purification of small molecules from complex biological mixtures (e.g. cell cultures) would be preferred. You should have track record of scientific publications and participation in national and international scientific conferences. You should be able to work independently but also in a collaborative way with internal and external stakeholders.

We are building ESS from the ground up, so we need someone who is comfortable not only following procedures, but also creating them. We attach great importance to personality and attitude, so we're looking for a real team player: Someone who is sociable, has excellent communication skills, who likes to collaborate with different people and who is committed to helping this amazing project to realise its full potential. We need a hands-on self-starter who is able to work in a structured, orderly, responsible and – most importantly – safe way.

The working language of ESS is English, so don't worry if you don't speak any Swedish. For this role, we need someone who can start as soon as possible.

What can we offer?

Aside from the chance to work at a truly unique "big science" project, you can also expect:


• An opportunity to contribute to the future discoveries within neutron science.
• A stunning, brand new workplace filled with innovative minds and brilliant people from across the globe.
• A challenging, exciting and fast-paced work environment.
• Market competitive compensation that is individual and differentiated according to role, responsibilities, individual skills, abilities and achievements.
• 30 days of annual leave, as well as more than 10 days of public holiday and company days off or days with limited working hours.
• Monthly pension contributions on top of your salary.
• Flexible working arrangements and a real work-life balance.

The position is permanent with six-month initial probation period. Your work place will be situated in Lund, Sweden.

Interested? We certainly hope so:

If you see yourself in what we’re looking for, please provide your CV and motivation letter in English by clicking on “apply” and following the instructions. Please be aware that we can only accept direct applications made via the ESS website.

Certain roles at ESS require health and safety checks, which may be required in the final stages of the recruitment process.

We review applications continuously, so don’t miss out! Submit your application as soon as soon as you can and quote the job reference number ESD-21368 in your application. We will close this recruitment as soon as the right candidates have been secured - so apply sooner rather than later!

For more information regarding the ESS recruitment process, please follow this link https://europeanspallationsource.se/ess-recruitment-process.

For further information regarding the position, please contact the Recruiting Manager, Zoë Fisher via zoe.fisher@ess.eu. For further information regarding the recruitment process, please contact Talent Acquisition Specialist Daniel Nordin Baker on daniel.nordin@ess.eu

For trade union information please contact Unionen / Conny Wendt at conny.wendt@ess.eu or SACO / Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers / Yngve Levinsen at Yngve.Levinsen@ess.eu

We look forward to receiving your application!