Postdoc in Process Chemistry and Digital Synthesis

5d5 days ago

Syngenta Group

CH · Full-time · CHF 65,000 – CHF 85,000

About this role

Syngenta Group is a leading science-based agtech company dedicated to bringing plant potential to life. This 12-month Postdoctoral Fellowship (extendable to 24 months) sits at the interface of chemistry and digital innovation, focused on designing and evaluating human-in-the-loop methodologies that combine generative chemistry AI with expert synthetic knowledge.

You will design and execute structured evaluations of generative chemistry AI tools combined with expert chemical judgment, and develop reusable benchmarks based on internal route catalogs and external literature datasets. Your day-to-day work involves investigating multiple methodological approaches for AI-assisted synthesis route improvement and integrating digital synthesis tools into live route scouting activities.

You will collaborate across teams in Process Technology, Medicinal Chemistry, CAST, and Digital/AI, benchmarking digital synthesis tools and identifying the most promising directions for adoption across Syngenta's synthesis programs. This role offers the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of chemistry, data science, and AI in a stimulating, interdisciplinary environment.

You will capture and communicate findings through internal reports, presentations, and potential scientific publications, while developing new skills at the forefront of digital chemistry. This fellowship provides scientific and technical excellence at the intersection of chemistry and AI, contributing to valuable and impactful work in agriculture.

Requirements

PhD in digital chemistry, organic chemistry, cheminformatics, or a closely related field
Sound knowledge of synthetic organic chemistry and retrosynthetic analysis
Working knowledge of cheminformatics concepts: molecular representation (SMILES, InChI), reaction databases, retrosynthesis logic
Familiarity with generative chemistry or AI-assisted synthesis planning tools (e.g., AiZynthFinder, ASKCOS, IBM RXN, or similar) is a plus
Python proficiency covering cheminformatics (RDKit), data analysis (pandas), version control (Git) and unit testing
Ability to critically evaluate and benchmark AI-generated synthesis routes against expert knowledge
Comfortable working across chemical development and digital/data science teams
Fluent English with strong written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

Design and execute structured evaluations of generative chemistry AI tools combined with expert chemical judgment
Develop and document reusable benchmarks based on internal route catalogs and external literature datasets
Investigate multiple methodological approaches for AI-assisted synthesis route improvement
Integrate digital synthesis tools into live route scouting activities
Conduct literature reviews to identify and prioritize promising directions in generative chemistry
Capture and communicate findings through internal reports, presentations and potential scientific publications

Benefits

Scientific and technical excellence at the intersection of chemistry and AI
Contribution to valuable and impactful work in a stimulating environment
Work in interdisciplinary teams spanning Process Technology, Medicinal Chemistry, CAST and Digital/AI