Research Associate / PhD student (m/f/x)

The Junior Research Group Single Molecule Machines (SMM) (Dr. Francesca Moresco) is an independent research group at the Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed) at TUD Dresden University of Technology. The Junior Research Group focuses on the physical properties of organic molecules, which are investigated using scanning probe microscopy. The group has extensive experience in molecular manipulation and on-surface synthesis for studying model systems for electronics and energy storage at the nanoscale. For more information, please see . For TUD diversity is an essential feature and a quality criterion of an excellent university. Accordingly, we welcome all applicants who would like to commit themselves, their achievements and productivity to the success of the whole institution.

At the Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed) , the Junior Research Group "Single Molecule Machines (SMM)" offers a position as

Research Associate / PhD student (m/f/x)(subject to personal qualification, employees are remunerated according to salary group E 13 TV-L)

starting as soon as possible. The position is limited 36 months and comprises 75% of the fulltime weekly hours. The period of employment is governed by the Fixed Term Research Contracts Act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz - WissZeitVG). The position offers the chance to obtain further academic qualification (usually PhD).

Topic of the position: On-Surface polymerization of N-heterocyclic carbene: From 1D to 2D and vertically switchable architectures.

Tasks:

• experimental work by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and non-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM) at low and variable temperatures
• surface preparation and molecular deposition in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions
• on-surface synthesis and molecular manipulation
• contribution to scientific publications and scientific proposal writing

Requirements:

• excellent university degree in physics, chemistry, materials science, or closely related areas
• experience in scanning probe microscopy, experimental surface science, or ultra-high vacuum (UHV) is desirable
• excellent communication and writing skills in English
• ability to work in interdisciplinary teams composed of theory and simulation, molecular design and synthesis, scanning probe microscopy and manipulation

We offer:

• an enthusiastic and ambitious junior research group, working in an international and multidisciplinary research landscape
• a responsible and varied role in an open and international working environment
• flexible working hours
• 30 days of vacation per year (based on a 5-day workweek)
• extensive opportunities for professional development and continuing education
• health care and sports programs offered by TUD
• a discounted job ticket (also available as a Deutschlandticket)
• participation in the supplementary pension scheme for employees in the public sector via VBL (Federal and State Government Employees Retirement Fund)

TUD strives to employ more women in academia and research. We therefore expressly encourage women to apply. The university is a family-friendly university. We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities. If multiple candidates prove to be equally qualified, those with disabilities or with equivalent status pursuant to the German Social Code IX (SGB IX) will receive priority for employment.

Application: Please submit your detailed application by July 20, 2026 (stamped arrival date of the university central mail service or the time stamp on the email server of TUD applies), preferably via the TUD SecureMail Portal by sending it as a single pdf file to [email protected] or to:

TU Dresden, cfaed/SMM, Dr. Francesca Moresco, Helmholtzstr. 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany.

Your application (in English) must include: a motivation letter, your CV with publication list, copy of degree certificate, transcript of grades ( i. e. the official list of coursework including your grades) and two reference letters.

Please submit copies only, as your application will not be returned to you. Expenses incurred in attending interviews cannot be reimbursed.

Reference to data protection: Your data protection rights, the purpose for which your data will be processed, as well as further information about data protection is available to you on the website: .

Company

TU Dresden

Excellence – A matter close to our hearts

Excellence? Elitism? Opportunity or risk? The Excellence Programme, initially launched in 2005 by the German government has aroused passionate debate right from the start and still has the potential to polarise opinion.

TU Dresden (TUD) looks at it this way: excellence is all about performance and having the right attitude. For everyone here at TU Dresden – one of eleven Universities of Excellence in Germany since 2012 – it is also a matter very close to our hearts. Firstly because of the extra motivation and impetus generated, and secondly, because of the way we handle this role.

Our vision for the future can be summed up as follows: “Let us become one of the leading centres for research and teaching, with our own individual character and a special talent for networking, able to attract the best minds in Germany and from further afield.” After all, it is a well-known fact that excellence in research and teaching presupposes excellent conditions. Or, to put it figuratively, for excellent crop yields, you need the right soil and weather.

TU Dresden is a comprehensive university with 18 faculties and works in close collaboration with its top performers: three Clusters of Excellence, including the “Centre for Tactile Internet” (CeTI) , the Cluster “Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter” (ct.qmat) and the Cluster “Physics of Life” (PoL) . The guiding principle here is that strong individual elements become even stronger when they work together.

The vision for the future takes this principle beyond the confines of the university: with the research network DRESDEN-concept ( D resden R esearch and E ducation S ynergies for the D evelopment of E xcellence and N ovelty), TU Dresden has been creating an alliance of research and cultural facilities in the city, an “excellent playground for excellent people”. This bond is unique in Germany and has evolved over many years. It is not necessary to create anything new here, as it is simply a matter of building further storeys on top of an already solid structure. The measures envisaged as part of the DRESDEN-concept contribute to the overall development of TU Dresden and form an integral part of the university strategy.

Excellence is understood and practised in Dresden as an opportunity for the entire university, and in this spirit, TU Dresden takes those measures that lead to excellence – by the university, for the university – in cooperation with colleagues here and all over the world. But at the same time neither elitist nor exclusive. TUD’s excellence comes from the heart – from and for our about 32,400 students, 600 professors and about 8,400 members of staff. In this way, excellence becomes the basis, the objective, the approach and the driving force. And that’s why being a top performer can also be so rewarding and enjoyable.

Campus Image © Nils Eisfeld

Company info

Location

Dresden
01069 Dresden
Germany