The University of Vienna is a community of over 10,000 individuals, including approximately 7,500 academic staff members, who passionately pursue answers to the profound questions that shape our future. They represent individuals driven by curiosity and a relentless pursuit of excellence. With us, they find the space to try things out and unfold their potential. Are you inspired by their passion and determination? We are currently seeking a/an

University assistant predoctoral 

50 Faculty of Life Sciences  

Job vacancy starting:  (MM-DD-YYYY) | Working hours:  30,00  | Classification CBA: §48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc) 

Limited contract until: 

Job ID: 3884

Explore and teach at the University of Vienna, where more than 7,500 academics thrive on curiosity in continuous exploration and help us better understand our world. Does this sound like you? Then join our accomplished team!

The Computational Drug Discovery and Design Group (COMP3D; https://comp3d.univie.ac.at/) at the Faculty of Life Sciences focuses on developing computer-based approaches, particularly chemoinformatics, molecular modeling and machine learning methods, to predict the biological, medical and toxicological properties of bioactive substances. These innovative technologies enable the development of effective and safe drugs more quickly, efficiently, and sustainably.

Your personal sphere of influence:

As a university assistant prae doc, you will work on the development of a novel method for the identification of active small organic molecules. The project investigates the use of machine learning and/or optimization methods to incorporate ligand and binding site information to enable efficient and robust virtual screening. A solid understanding of deep learning methods and optimization techniques - including gradient-based algorithms and Monte Carlo sampling - is required. The position is available for immediate filling and is advertised for 4 years, the employment contract is initially limited to 1.5 years.

Your future tasks:

We expect the successful candidate to complete the public presentation (FÖP) and the doctoral agreement within 12 months at the latest, and to actively participate in research, teaching, and administration, which means:

• You participate in research projects/studies.
• You present your research findings in peer-reviewed publications and at conferences.
• You work on your dissertation and it's completion.
• You participate in teaching and independent teaching of courses within the scope of the collective agreement.
• You participate in the co-supervision of bachelor's and master's students.
• You contribute to the department administration as well as to teaching and research administration.

This is part of your personality:

• Completed Master studies in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Chemoinformatics, Computer Science, Computational Science, or a related field, or you expect to complete them in the near future.
• Experience in the development and application of methods in chemoinformatics and computer-aided molecular design.
• Strong knowledge of chemistry, ideally pharmaceutical chemistry, proteins, structural biology, and protein-ligand interaction.
• Strong background in Python programming language.
• Demonstrated experience in the development and implementation of machine learning frameworks (Scikit Learn, Pytorch, or Keras).
• Solid understanding of optimization processes such as gradient-based optimization and Monte Carlo sampling techniques.
• Excellent written and spoken English skills, demonstrated by high-quality academic writing and communication.
• Capacity and motivation to supervise bachelor's and master's students. Tutoring experience is a plus.
• Strong social and communicative skills.

What we offer:

Work-life balance: You have flexible working hours and can also work remotely at times.  

Inspiring working environment: You are part of a dedicated team with diverse academic backgrounds, giving you plenty of room to develop you personal interests and take on responsible tasks.

Good public transport connections: Your workplace is easily accessible by public transport.

Internal further training & Coaching: Opportunity to deepen your skills on an ongoing basis. You can choose from a wide range of free courses.

Fair salary: The basic salary of EUR 3,714,80 (gross; based on a 40 hour contract) comes 14x/year and increases if we can credit professional experience.

Equal opportunities for all: We welcome every additional/new personality to the team!

It is that easy to apply:

• With your scientific curriculum vitae.
• With a cover letter, which includes the motivation for the position, and emphasizes your strenght's in regard to the requirements.
• Letter of Recommendation from two appropriate referees OR contact details of two references.
• Copy of your Master Degree  /  Diploma plus transcripts of records.
• Via our  job portal/ Apply now -  button.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Johannes Kirchmair  

johannes.kirchmair@univie.ac.at

We look forward to new personalities in our team! 
The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and attaches great importance to equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity. We lay special emphasis on increasing the number of women in senior and in academic positions among the academic and general university staff and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.

University of Vienna. Space for personalities. Since 1365.

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​Application deadline: 05/09/2025 (MM-DD-YYYY)