All Current Job Postings

Multiple PhD and Post-Doc positions

At a research group at the University of Jena (Germany) led by Kevin Maik Jablonka.

We are looking for highly motivated Ph.D. students and postdocs for projects at the intersection of machine learning and material science. In particular, we aim to increase our understanding of the performance of frontier models and agents on impactful tasks in a project supported by OpenPhilanthropy.

We strongly encourage candidates of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. Each new hire is an opportunity for us to bring in a different perspective, and we are always eager to diversify our team further.

Background:

Frontier models offer an unprecedented possibility to solve tasks in the chemical sciences that no other modeling approach would be able to solve.

Recently, we have systematically measured the performance of such models and have shown that they perform “superhuman”External link and also built the first eval framework for multimodal vision-language models in chemistry and materials science.External link
We currently spend much of our effort on building similar frameworks for consequential real-world tasks, including agentic frameworks and lab automation.

At the same time, we are building the modeling frameworks to “solve” those benchmarks.
We do this with both industrial and academic collaborators across the globe.

For more background on Kevin’s thinking see his websiteExternal link and publications.External link

Your Profile:

• A Master's degree or a four- or five-year Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or related fields. For the PostDoc positions, a Ph.D. is required for employment).
• Motivation for working on challenging projects, passion for scientific research, and thrive for excellence.
• Strong teamwork and communication skills.
• Growth mindset and inclusive team culture.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Ideally, programming and machine learning experience (e.g., in Python, Julia).

We Offer:

• Become part of an international and interdisciplinary research group within a scientific network that offers research and infrastructure at the highest level. We collaborate with world-leading experimental groups in Jena as well as the Helmholtz Center in Berlin that have access to unique high-throughput experimentation as well as characterization setups.
• Participate in international and national conferences, summer schools, and workshops (we have allocated a significant amount of resources for travel).
• Excellent in-house computational infrastructure (you will have multiple A100 and H100 cards waiting for you)
• Become part of a research group that cares about your personal development: We will create tailored personal development plans, that we review every year.
• A family-friendly working environment with a variety of offers for families: University Family Office (JUniFamilie) and flexible childcare (JUniKinder).
• University health promotion and a wide range of university sports activities.
• Attractive fringe benefits, e.g., capital formation benefits (VL), Job Ticket (benefits for public transport), and an occupational pension (VBL)
• 30 days of recreational leave in the calendar year plus one day off for Dec. 24 and Dec. 31 that should be taken without any guilt.

Application Process:

1. Fill this formExternal link. If you would first like to learn more, reach out to Kevin (mail@kjablonka.com). 
2. Selected candidates will be invited first to a non-technical discussion and then in a second round of a technical interview (including a ~25 minutes presentation and a Python/Machine Learning assignment).

Candidates with disabilities will be given preference in the case of equal qualifications and suitability.

We will provide support for visa applications and any other potential relocation issues.
We will also support fellowship applications if you would prefer joining the lab on your own funding. Contact Kevin for more details on suitable fellowships.

Diversity and Equity:

At the Friedrich Schiller University (FSU) people from a wide range of (cultural and academic) backgrounds study and work together. At FSU, and in particular in our group, we see diversity as a strength and key for our success. We rely on different ways of thinking to create the most impactful research.
Our group will be a place in which everyone—-irrespective of the background feels safe and will be successful.

Doing a Ph.D. at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena:

The Friedrich Schiller University is a traditional university with a strong research profile rooted in Jena, at the heart of Germany. Since its foundation, it has been one of Germany's most famous places to study, where outstanding academics like Goethe and Schiller left their marks. As a university covering all disciplines, it offers a wide range of subjects. Its research is focused on the areas Light—Life—Liberty. It is closely networked with non-research institutions, research companies (links going back to Carl Zeiss, Otto Schott, and Ernst Abbe) and renowned cultural institutions. With around 18,000 students and more than 8,600 employees, the university plays a major role in shaping Jena’s character as a cosmopolitan and future-oriented city (of around ~100 000 inhabitants).

Germany is a beautiful and safe country with great work-life balance and life satisfaction.

You will receive a very competitive salary with which you will live comfortably and save money for leisure activities.

Students need approximately 700 EUR monthly for rent, food, health insurance, books.

Your Workplace:

Our lab (CZSExternal link Research group"Polymers for energy applications” ) is located in the newly constructed Center of Energy and Environmental Chemistry Jena II at the Landgrafencampus (close to one of the best viewpoints of the city), where four new buildings with ca. 7500 m² lab space have been built over the last 10 years. Frequently, start-companies involving Ph.D. students and Postdocs are created, and a new incubator for chemistry related start-ups is currently built next to the campus.

We are excited to announce student assistant (HiWi up to 40 h/month) opportunity in our research group on sustainable high‑performance thermosets. You will join our team to work on life cycle assessment (LCA) of phthalonitrile resins and their precursors, which are used in demanding applications such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, construction, and renewable energy technologies.

Research topic is based on phthalonitrile thermoset, which are known for their excellent thermal stability (T₅_% above 500 °C) and long‑term operation at elevated temperatures. Their current production routes and limited recyclability raise important environmental questions. Our group develops partially bio‑based phthalonitrile systems and aims to quantify and reduce their environmental footprint through rigorous LCA.

We are looking for candidates with:

• Solid prior experience in life cycle assessment, including independent use of LCA software (preferably openLCA or similar) and working with LCA databases.
• Basic chemistry knowledge, including ability to derive and document foreground data from reaction schemes (stoichiometry, yields, solvent use, energy assumptions) and combine them with background datasets.
• Excellent communication and scientific writing skills in English

 The position is primarily remote, offering a high degree of flexibility, with occasional on-site presence for meetings, presentations, and key project activities. Please note that applicants must be enrolled at a German university to be eligible for this HiWi position.

Contact

If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Dr. Boris Bulgakov directly via email boris.bulgakov@uni-jena.de. For application add your CV and short motivation letter (1 page max). Deadline for the applications is July 1^st.