Postdoc - Oligonucleotide Biochemistry and Biophysics (m/f/d)

Graduate  |  Temporary  |  Full-time  |  On-Site​

If you’re passionate about changing lives for the better, this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. In Research & Development, we’re continuously exploring innovative new treatment options to make a stronger, more positive impact on the lives of the patients we serve. You’ll work with talented colleagues in a state-of-the-art Research & Development environment, developing innovative medicines that change the life of patients for the better and help us make progress towards our vision of a world free of pain. Join us today and discover the difference you can make.

Our uniquely integrated approach brings together leading capabilities in small molecule and oligonucleotide chemistry, enabling powerful cross-talk between modalities and unlocking novel therapeutic opportunities. Within our Chemistry, Discovery Biology, and Genetic Medicine groups, we are pioneering RNA-based therapeutics and next-generation delivery technologies, with a strong focus on overcoming key challenges in siRNA and ASO delivery.

As part of our 24-month Postdoctoral Programme, with potential extension to 36 months, we are looking for you – A proactive and innovative thinker, a team player and creative problem-solver, eager to challenge conventions and make a real impact. You will work on cutting-edge projects, build a strong scientific network, and benefit from dedicated mentoring, leadership coaching, and tailored development opportunities to accelerate your personal and professional growth.

What the job looks like

In this role, you will operate at the interface of chemistry and biology, partnering closely with a biochemistry and biophysics-focused postdoctoral scientist to build a center of excellence in oligonucleotide delivery. You will be embedded across Grünenthal’s Chemistry, Discovery Biology, and Genetic Medicine groups, working in a uniquely integrated environment that enables rapid translation from chemical innovation to biological impact.

Leveraging cutting-edge internal synthesis capabilities, you will explore and advance a broad range of design strategies, including backbone, sugar, nucleotide, linker, and conjugate modifications. In addition, you will engage with external partners across small molecule, peptide, and antibody technologies to expand delivery modalities and unlock new therapeutic opportunities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Biochemistry and Biophysics: Develop and apply biochemical and biophysical assays to understand the molecular and cellular determinants of oligonucleotide performance.
• Property–Performance Relationships: Investigate how oligonucleotide structure, physicochemical properties, and delivery modality influence biological activity, and translate these insights into improved design principles.
• Collaborative Innovation: Work closely with the chemistry-focused postdoctoral scientist to test and refine new oligonucleotide chemistries in relevant in vitro and ex vivo models.
• External Collaboration: Partner with CROs and external collaborators to extend in vitro findings into in vivo studies and accelerate translational learning.
• Scientific Communication: Communicate results through presentations, publications, and active collaboration across Discovery Biology, Translational Disease Understanding, and Genetic Medicine.

What you'll bring to the table

To thrive in this role, you should have:

• Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Chemical Biology, Molecular Pharmacology, or a related discipline, with hands-on experience in developing and applying biochemical and/or biophysical assays to investigate biomolecular interactions, cellular processes, or drug mechanism of action.
• Experience with oligonucleotide therapeutics, delivery mechanisms, or structure–function / property–performance relationships of siRNA, ASO, or related modalities is highly desirable.
• Experience in neuroscience, neurobiology, sensory neuron models, or translational disease-relevant cellular systems would be a strong advantage.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Ability to work closely with chemistry-focused scientists to connect synthetic innovations with biological performance, delivery mechanisms, and mechanistic understanding.
• Scientific Curiosity and Growth Mindset: You are proactive, open-minded, and enthusiastic about learning new techniques and exploring innovative scientific questions in a highly collaborative environment.
• Communication and Teamwork: You are a self-motivated team player with strong communication skills and the ability to communicate complex scientific concepts clearly to colleagues from different disciplines.
• Language Skills: You have fluent business English skills, both written and spoken.
• International Mindset: Broad international and/or intercultural experience is considered a plus.

Come on board & look forward to

• Attractive compensation and extensive social benefits
• 30 vacation days + bridging days
• Wide range of company benefits e.g. health initiatives & sports activities