This project is a collaboration with Henkel, a German company active hair care products, detergents, fabric softeners and adhesives, sealants and functional coatings. The goal of the project is to make biodegradable polymers for stain removal.

The task of the post-doc is to synthesize monomers and polymers with stain removal activity. There will be a continuous feedback loop with the people from Henkel who will test the stain removal potential of the polymers, upon which the structure of the polymers will be further improved.

The post-doc will be appointed at the Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials of Maastricht University, which is part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. You will work in the Sustainable Polymer Synthesis group of Associate Professor Katrien Bernaerts, which focusses on the synthesis and design of polymer materials with tunable properties and recyclability exploiting the functionality of biobased building blocks. You will operate from the Brightlands-Chemelot Campus in Geleen (Nl), where the labs are located.

The post-doc

• holds a PhD degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or related fields;
• has skills in organic synthesis, purification and characterization;
• has skills in polymer synthesis and characterization. Experience with polycondensation is a pro;
• has a strong interest to investigate structure-property relationships of the synthesized polymers;
• is open to scale up polymers for application tests by industrial project partners;
• the candidate is expected to stay abreast of the recent literature (publications and patents) in the field, develop research ideas and valorize the research in the form of patents and research papers;
• likes to interact with an industrial partner;
• is result driven, inventive, creative, counts with potential impact, works ‘accountable’ and works with ownership;
• masters scientific English for speaking, reading, and writing. Knowledge of Dutch is not required.

As a Post-doc at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, you will be employed by the most international university of the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is in grated in scale 11 according to the UFO profile Researcher, function level 3 with corresponding salary ranging from € 4.332 to € 5.929 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus are applicable.
• The full-time position is offered for 1 year. The post-doc should start as soon as possible.
• As Family-friendly University, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, Click here

Maastricht University

Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.  

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.  

Click here for more information about UM.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

At the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), we focus on themes such as circularity and sustainability, the future of agriculture, digitalization, and (scientific) instrument development.  

FSE's leading projects, like the Einstein Telescope Pathfinder, undoubtedly capture everyone's attention.  

The faculty is a vibrant hub of education and research in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), as well as Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS).  

At FSE, over 450 staff members and 3150 students come together to work on exciting interdisciplinary research and educational programs. You are welcome to join our team and put your brilliant mind to work! 

FSE at the Brightlands Campuses 

Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen, and Venlo, home to four creative Brightlands campuses, are vibrant locations where 30,000 entrepreneurs, researchers, and students enthusiastically collaborate on solutions for global challenges. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is active on all four Brightlands campuses, and it is where we have the most impact. To give you an idea of what is happening at each campus: Sittard-Geleen hosts one of Europe's largest chemistry and materials sites, while Venlo is a major hub for agro-food innovation. Maastricht is the location of the Health Campus, and Heerlen is the place to be for smart services. 

AMIBM
The Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM) is a department of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) at Maastricht University, located on the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen. AMIBM is a European cross-border research institute established by Maastricht University and RWTH Aachen University (Germany), focusing on developing advanced biobased materials. The mission of AMIBM is “ground-breaking conversion of biomass to biobased materials and into product applications”. AMIBM promotes excellent multidisciplinary research in the field of biobased materials, by training Ph.D. students with the multiple skills needed to be future leaders in the field, and creating the research breakthroughs that will enable the utilization of sustainable and renewable materials for advanced materials applications. The multidisciplinary team draws together scientists with expertise in molecular and applied biotechnology, organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, polymer physics, polymer engineering, biomedical materials, and sustainability assessment.
AMIBM is embedded in a lively, entrepreneurial, and creative working environment at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen (the Netherlands), one of the largest chemical and materials communities in Europe.

More information: www.amibm.org.

Research group Sustainable Polymer Synthesis

Main research focus is on the design and synthesis of sustainable polymer materials with tuneable properties for the circular economy. Sustainability entails biobased building blocks (but no biorefinery) instead of fossil raw materials, green routes for polymer synthesis and processing, as well as chemical recycling/reprocessing methods (biodegradability, depolymerization, dynamic bonds) to make the end-of-life of polymers more sustainable. Structure-property relationships of the resulting polymers are evaluated in several fields of application e.g. stimuli-responsive polymers, coatings, fibres, engineering plastics and biomedical materials. Growing focus on the use of artificial intelligence techniques to support and accelerate the experimental work, e.g. data interpretation and prediction of structure-property relationships.