Postdoctoral Fellow – Protein Design Technology

BioSysteM Cluster of Excellence at TUM invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d) to lead and further develop the Protein Design Accelerator within the Technology Hub. The position is temporary until December 31, 2032.

To meet the advanced technology and instrumentation needs of the BioSysteM cluster of excellence, BioSysteM is establishing a Technology Hub staffed with dedicated personnel for technical support, ensuring proficient operation. BioSysteM at TUM invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d) to lead and further develop the Protein Design Accelerator within the Technology Hub. The position is temporary until December 31, 2032.

About the Position

The BioSysteM Cluster of Excellence is an international research network in which scientists from Munich’s two largest universities, the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, collaborate on an interdisciplinary basis. The cluster’s research vision is to design and control biological systems. The cluster, launched on January 1, 2026, is funded by the DFG as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments, with TUM serving as the managing university. We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to play a central role in establishing, operating, and advancing state-of-the-art protein design capabilities that enable researchers across the cluster to engineer proteins for a broad range of biological and biomedical applications. The position combines scientific leadership, technology development, and facility management.

Your Responsibilities

• Scientific and operational leadership of the Protein Design Accelerator in the Technology Hub
• Development and maintenance of computational pipelines and scripts for protein design workflows, including design generation, sequence analysis, and data management
• Rapid Evaluation of newly emerging computational tools relevant for protein design
• Implementation and optimization of experimental workflows for rapid protein expression and characterization, including high-throughput assays (eg 96-well based protein purification, binding assays)
• Development and management of lab automation and high-throughput liquid-handling systems to enable scalable experimental workflows
• Training and support of researchers across the cluster in protein design workflows, experimental assay development, and high-throughput data acquisition
• Establishment of quality control, method validation, and standardized protocols to ensure reproducible and scalable experimental pipelines
• Close collaboration with BioSysteM research groups and the Technology Hub, interacting with colleagues responsible for complementary technologies (eg microscopy, bioanalytics, and other platforms)
• Contribution to grant applications, publications, and strategic technology development

Your Profile

• PhD in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Physics, Chemistry, Molecular Biology, or related field
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: computational protein design and structural modeling, protein engineering and directed evolution, ML approaches of biomolecular design, high-throughput screening technologies, biochemical and biophysical characterization of proteins, structural biology methods
• Expertise with computational workflows, scripting, or data analysis
• Excellent organizational, communication, and project management skills, ability to work interdisciplinary and engage across various research teams
• Interest in developing and operating shared research infrastructure and enabling technologies
• Strong publication record in relevant peer-reviewed journals
• Proficiency in English (written and spoken) is required

We offer

• A dynamic and highly collaborative research environment within the BioSysteM cluster of excellence
• Access to cutting-edge research infrastructure
• Opportunity to shape and expand a central technology platform
• Competitive salary according to TV-L
• Support for career development and academic advancement

The position is limited (to Dec 2032, according to the funding period), starting at the earliest possible date.

Equal opportunities and diversity

TUM is committed to equal opportunities, diversity, and respectful coexistence. We welcome applications regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion or belief, disability, age, sexual orientation, and identity. TUM strives to increase the proportion of women in its workforce, and applications from women are therefore expressly welcome. The position is suitable for people with severe disabilities. Applicants with severe disabilities will be given preference if they are otherwise equally qualified, capable, and professionally competent.

Contact and application

If you have any questions about the advertised position, please contact the BioSysteM cluster spokesperson Prof. Dr. FC Simmel at simmel@tum.de or Prof. Dr. Thomas Schlichtthärle at thomas.schlichthaerle@tum.de Please send your application with the usual documents, stating your earliest possible starting date and the reference “BioSysteM Postdoc Technology Hub Protein Design Accelerator,” preferably by email in a single PDF file, to info@biosystem.design by 31.03.2026 at the latest.

The position is suitable for disabled persons. Disabled applicants will be given preference in case of generally equivalent suitability, aptitude and professional performance.

Data Protection Information:
When you apply for a position at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), you are submitting personal information. With regard to this personal information, please note the data protection information pursuant to Article 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) concerning the collection and processing of personal data in connection with your application. By submitting your application, you confirm that you have acknowledged the above data protection information of TUM.

Contact: info@biosystem.design