Institut Pasteur and the CNRS are launching a joint call for a mid-career group leader position in Medicinal Chemistry and Chemistry for Health. We are looking for an experienced researcher (typically with > 8 years of research experience post PhD) with a strong background in synthetic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and with leadership in Chemistry applied to Life sciences and application in Health. The successful candidate will lead a research group at the Institut Pasteur and will hold a National Center for Scientic Research (CNRS) position as Research Director (teaching being not mandatory).
Background
Institut Pasteur is a non-profit private foundation dedicated to fundamental, interdisciplinary research and the translation of knowledge for applications in medicine and public health. The institute is committed to nurturing risk-taking and diversity as fundamental principles of transformative discoveries and scientific impact. Current priorities include infectious disease threats, environmental transition and health, origins of disease, and health and disease at the extremes of life. Chemistry at the interface of biology has an important role to play at Institut Pasteur, as it enables transdisciplinary, innovative collaborations with biologists and the development of cutting-edge innovations to understand biology and discover new treatments for human diseases.
The CNRS is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious public research institutions, dedicated to advancing knowledge across all scientific disciplines. With over 33,000 staff members and more than 1,100 laboratories in France, the CNRS is internationally recognized for promoting pioneering research and interdisciplinary. It plays a key role in global scientific innovation through partnerships with leading institutions worldwide. CNRS Chemistry comprises more than 148 laboratories, mainly attached to six disciplinary sections of the National Committee for Scientific Research.
This joint call is associated with CNRS Section 18 (Chemistry & Life) and aims to reinforce Chemistry for Health at Institut Pasteur. The goal is to develop new chemical entities to explore biological processes in vitro and in living organisms, and to propose new treatments and prevention strategies, including drugs, therapies, vaccines, and diagnostic tools.
Local Context
The selected candidate will become part of the interdisciplinary environment provided by the Department Structural Biology and Chemistry and the CNRS-Institut Pasteur Laboratory UMR3523 Chem4Life and its future group will integrate both structures. The 11 research units and 9 associated technological platforms of the Department Structural Biology and Chemistry focus their research on the three-dimensional organization, properties, functions and dynamics of macromolecular complexes and machineries, as well as the synthesis of small molecules and biomolecules of biological interest, relevant for human diseases. This interdisciplinary research aims at revealing vital information for the development of new therapeutic, diagnostic and vaccine strategies. Chem4Life is a joint mixed unit of the Institut Pasteur and CNRS Chemistry. It regroups three research units, BioChemistry of Nucleic Acids, Chemistry of Biomolecules, and Epigenetic Chemical Biology, dedicated to the synthesis of chemical entities and biomolecules for biological applications (probes, treatments and vaccines) together with the development of biological assays, in concert with the Chemogenomic and Biological Screening core facility.
Institut Pasteur is equipped for synthetic chemistry lab work in addition to biological research activities and boasts advanced technological infrastructures. Chem4Life is well integrated in the French medicinal chemistry and chemical biology ecosystem.
Position
We are seeking strong candidates with an outstanding track record in Chemistry developing new chemical entities to explore biological processes in vitro, in cells and in living organisms and to propose new treatment and prevention strategies or detection methods. The candidate will have the mission to lead projects at the interface of Chemistry and Biology in close collaboration with the biologists and physicians of the Institut Pasteur.
Applicants should have a minimum of 8 years of experience in research after a PhD. Candidates will have to demonstrate excellence in the following areas:
The laureate will have a position as Research Director class 2 (DR2) at the CNRS and benefit of a settling package of the Institut Pasteur, including institutional salaries for a research technician and for postdoctoral fellows, as well as administrative support. Furthermore, substantial contributions towards running costs and equipment will be provided, along with access to state-of-the-art technology core facilities on campus.
The application template is available here. Applicants must submit their applications as a single PDF le to: chem27@pasteur.fr. Two recommendation letters must also be sent directly to chem27@pasteur.fr. The deadline for submitting applications is January 15, 2027. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the end of February for online interviews at the Institut Pasteur later in March. The nal interview by Institut Pasteur’s Scientific Council will take place on June 1-2, 2027.
Pre-selected applicants already holding a CNRS position will follow an internal mobility process at CNRS. Non-CNRS applicants will have to apply for a CNRS position at the Research Director DR2 level when the call for applications opens (early December-early January). Information about the open positions will be available at https://carrieres.cnrs.fr/concours-externes-des-chercheurs-h-f/.
Candidates must contact Paola B. Arimondo (paola.arimondo@pasteur.fr), Director of the Department Structural Biology and Chemistry and of the UMR3523 Chem4Life, before submitting their project.
Commitment to diversity and inclusion
The Institut Pasteur and the CNRS are committed to building an inclusive research environment that fosters excellence through diversity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and identities, including those historically underrepresented in science. Career breaks (e.g., parental leave, caregiving, or health-related interruptions) will be fully taken into consideration during the evaluation process.
