Postdoctoral Researcher (f/m/d) in the field of "Advanced Drug Delivery Systems"
Date: 15 Jun 2026
Location: Saarbrücken
Company: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH
Job Offer No. 695
The department Drug Delivery Across Biological Barriers at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) in Saarbrücken, is seeking to fill the position of a
Postdoctoral Researcher (f/m/d) in the field of "Advanced Drug Delivery Systems"
The HIPS was founded in 2009 as a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with Saarland University and is the first publicly funded non-university research institution in Germany explicitly dedicated to pharmaceutical research. HIPS’ focus is on the discovery and development of novel active ingredients against infectious diseases.
The departments at HIPS collaborate closely with Saarland University and the local pharmaceutical industry as well as national and international research institutions and companies. Since 2009, HIPS has constantly grown to over 220 employees in 2023 and is currently undergoing further spatial and thematic expansion funded by the Saarland state and federal government. Core research areas of HIPS will be strengthened and complemented by adding state-of-the-art bioinformatics and microbiota research to the institute’s portfolio. To accommodate for the increasing number of researchers at HIPS, new lab and office spaces will be set up in the coming years.
The Department of Drug Delivery across Biological Barriers headed by Prof. Claus-Michael Lehr has >20 years of expertise in non-invasive drug delivery across the outer epithelial barriers of the lungs, GI-tract, and skin. Alongside (nano)technology approaches for drug delivery, it is developing complex human-based models for drug development purposes. Topics of interest in advanced drug carriers are
- overcoming bacterial barriers such as biofilms and the gram-negative cell envelope
- improving solubility of small molecules
- targeted delivery of (bio)macromolecules e.g. for vaccination.
HZI and DDEL has an excellent track record and facilities for the development of advanced drug carriers. This includes state-of-the-art equipment for complex cell and tissue-based epithelial barrier models (S1 and S2 facilities, access to human tissue, high-end fluorescence microscopy facilities) as well as facilities for production and characterization of polymers and nanoparticles, including high-standard analytical techniques.
Responsibilities:
- independent research
- supervision of graduate students
- project management
- collaborative research projects with international industry and academia partners
Requirements:
- Pharmacy, (Bio)Chemical Engineering, Nanotechnology, Chemistry, or a related Life Science as background
- PhD in e.g. Pharmaceutical Technology, (Bio-)Chemistry or Engineering, Nanotechnology
- Experience with delivery systems for small and large molecules, such as e.g., polymer or lipid nanoparticles, extracellular vesicles, etc.
- Familiar with timely methods for preparation, characterization and functionalization of such carriers, incl. modern computational tools
- Significant publications, most desirably in the field of drug delivery/ biomaterials
- English language skills and proficiency „business fluent"
- Basic knowledge of German is an advantage
- Ability to work in a team and willingness to cooperate
Advantageous for this position:
- Readiness to actively contribute to ongoing projects
- Interest in initiating new projects
- Motivation for independent research
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
We offer you:
- An attractive and varied job in a future-oriented research institute
- A state-of-the-art infrastructure and the latest technologies
- Flexible working hours, part-time models as well as home office
- A corporate culture of appreciation and promotion of equal opportunities
- Extensive training and continuing education opportunities to develop professional knowledge and personal skills
- A family office to support family and career as well as childcare offers
- Interesting additional public service benefits
- Possibility of an employer subsidy for the job ticket
People with severe disabilities and equivalent professional qualifications who are suitable for the position are given preference. In order to protect your rights, we ask you to provide us with a clearly recognizable reference to the existence of a degree of severe disability in your cover letter or resume.
The position is held at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH (HZI) in Braunschweig. The place of employment is Saarbrücken.
The HZI is actively committed to equality, diversity and integration. For this reason, the HZI pursues the goal of professional equality between women and men. The position is suitable for part-time work.
For further information please contact Brigitta Loretz, phone 0681-98806-1030, email: brigitta.loretz@helmholtz-hips.de.
Please apply via our career portal.
Please include a cover letter, resume, (employment) references, certificates, and (if available) work samples or reference projects with your application materials. Please refrain from sending a photo.
We look forward to receiving your application!