• Independently designing, performing and analysing proteomics and biochemical experiments
• Building hypothesis-based theories and testing them using a range of different cell biology and biochemical techniques
• Handling and manipulating yeast whole-genome collections
• Preparation of figures and data for presenting at meetings and conferences; writing reports, manuscripts and applications
• Mentoring and teaching students

• A PhD in Cell/Molecular Biology, Biochemistry or similar
• Strong background in cell- and organelle-based experimentation
• Advanced experience with protein biochemical techniques, including: pull-downs, Western blotting, and mass spectrometry sample preparation. The project will be carried out in baker’s yeast and will develop high-content methods, therefore, experience with working in yeast and/or in high-throughput will be considered an advantage. Applicants with skills in handling and processing large datasets will also be favoured
• Proficiency in English

• Strong mentorship to promote scientific independence
• An excellent and international biology research environment
• A supportive, collaborative and friendly atmosphere
• Participation in further training programs
• A TV-L salary, including social benefits, available for 2 years, starting from April 2026, with the possibility to extend.

The Fenech lab is a recently established DFG-funded Emmy-Noether research group at the Center for Biochemistry, University of Cologne.
We are located on one of Europe‘s top research campuses with state-of-the-art facilities. We aim to understand why, in the eukaryotic secretory pathway, so many similar proteins function alongside each other. These similar machineries – called homologs – can ‘back each other up’ with shared functions. However, all of them also have important unique functions and features, and for most, we still don’t know what underlying molecular mechanisms define this specificity. To uncover these, we use a combination of high-throughput protein interactor profiling, cell biology and biochemical tools in baker’s yeast and mammalian cells to find unique regulators and/or clients of homologous machineries.
We are looking for an enthusiastic postdoc who shares our fascination of how the largest organelle in the cell – the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) – works.
Does this sound interesting to you and you want to join our dynamic team?
Please submit your application as a single PDF containing a self-written cover/motivation letter (no more than 1 page), a 2-page CV (containing publications/pre-prints and the contact details of two referees) and relevant copies of degree certificates.