In a joint recruitment between the Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) in the Faculty of Natural Sciences II - Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics - and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB, ) the following position is to be filled ideally on October 1st, 2027:
Full Professor (Chair, W3) of Chemistry of Natural Products and Bioactives und Director at the IPB
The MLU is a modern university with a 500-year tradition of academic excellence and a broad spectrum of international partner institutions. It is the largest university in Saxony-Anhalt with around 20,000 students and more than 3,000 employees. The long-term strategy of the MLU is to strengthen the profile areas of “Knowledge Cultures and Education”, “Sustainability” and “Transformation”.
In the frame of this joint recruitment the IPB provides:
* an energetic and international working environment with a multidisciplinary approach to analyses of natural products and proteins, molecular interactions, plant microbe interactions, and gene functions.
* excellent infrastructure from the existing programs in Natural Products, Chemical Mediators, Interactions and Engineering,
* state of the art instrumentation for metabolomics, proteomics, biochemistry, analytical, synthetic and structural chemistry, informatics, as well as molecular and cell biology,
* a competitive salary incl. civil service benefits (pension etc.) and start-up funds, in addition to significant scientific and technical staff and a permanent budget allocated to the department.
The IPB has a long research tradition in phytohormones and small molecules and recently received funding approval from the German Federal State and the local State of Saxony-Anhalt for an ambitious Program Center on Metabolomics and Computational Biology (MetaCom), which will reinforce its capacity in this area and make it a unique location in Germany for Plant Metabolomics.
For this exceptional position we are seeking outstanding scientists developing innovative research addressing central issues in the profile areas of “Sustainability” and “Transformation”, within the global topic of Natural Products and Bioactives. Candidates should have a track record of research and interdisciplinary cooperation as evidenced by publications. The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate an outstanding scientific record, significant experience in managing interdisciplinary research teams and strong research programs actively integrating (bio)chemical approaches in one or more of the following areas: chemical or biocatalytic syntheses of bioactives, probes and chemical tools; natural product chemistry of plants and related/associated organisms; bioactives discovery and development; plant protection and phytoeffector chemistry; metabolomics and phytoanalytical methods; plant-based sustainable chemistry; and chemoinformatics.
The successful candidate will be expected to establish a competitive research department with international renown and visibility, contribute significantly to common technology platforms, attract extra-mural funds and teach Natural Products and Sustainable Chemistry. Active and integrative cooperation in common programs of the IPB, especially involving its analytical and synthetic chemical expertise in the recently established MetaCom center, with the Martin-Luther-University, for example within Collaborative Research Centers or Research Training Groups and within the Leibniz Association are expected. This professorship is bound to a teaching obligation of two semester hours per week. Active participation in the committees of the university is expected. Applicants must fulfil the appointment requirements in accordance with Section 35 of the Higher Education Act of Saxony-Anhalt. In particular, the prerequisites for appointment are a relevant habilitation or equivalent academic achievements and pedagogical aptitude. In addition, experience in responsible leadership and management is expected. The appointment is made in accordance with the legal framework and the specific circumstances of each individual case, based on either the Jülich model (leave of absence model) or the Thuringia model (appointment to a position subject to membership rights).
Leibniz institutes are mission-oriented, interdisciplinary and legally independent, offering extraordinary infrastructure and expert know-how. They are devoted to basic and application-oriented research of societal and national relevance and receive generous basic funding from federal and state resources ().
The MLU and the IPB are equal opportunity employers and especially aim at increasing the number of women in research and teaching and strongly encourage qualified women to apply. The MLU and the IPB are certified family-friendly institution and actively committed to promote work-life balance ().
Applications from candidates with disabilities are particularly welcome and will be given preference in the event of equivalent qualification.
Applications with curriculum vitae, certificates, description of academic career, list of publications, scope of previous third-party funding, proof of previous teaching activities, a summary of past research accomplishments and a two page research concept describing the applicant's research programme, underpinning it with the applicant's own most important contributions to the field and outlining future research plans that use and integrate the research environment at the MLU and the IPB are requested electronically by April 24, 2026via the appointment portal of the MLU:
For further information please contact the IPB managing director Prof. Dr. Alain Tissier (E-Mail: Alain.Tissier@ipb-halle.de ; phone: +49-345-5582-1501).
The IPB will reimburse travel and accommodation costs for candidates that are invited for interview.
Leibniz-Institut für Pflanzenbiochemie (IPB)
Weinberg 3 | 06120 Halle (Saale)