Job offer for the PhD position at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology

The offered position is available with a starting date in 01.01.2026 for a maximum duration of 3 years. The fellowship is funded as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) project “B3PO – Better BioBased Polymer” under the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme.
 

The B3PO consortium comprises 9 academic laboratories with core expertise in biotechnology, organic polymer synthesis, and materials science, together with world-class industrial players in enzyme and polymer production, as well as four high-tech SMEs.
 

The transition to a sustainable, circular economy is a major global challenge, and chemists are essential in leading this transformation. Lignocellulosic feedstocks (LCF), sourced from locally available biomass, present a viable alternative to fossil resources and are a key focus of the European Green Deal. However, their effective use is complex and demands the combined expertise of chemistry, industrial biotechnology, polymer science, and materials engineering.
 

The B3PO initiative addresses this challenge through three main objectives:

1. Dis-assembly – developing integrative “lignin-first” strategies for extraction, fractionation, and enzymatic functionalization of lignin.
2. Bio-assembly – synthesizing new biobased polyesters from lignocellulosic feedstocks.
3. Re-assembly – polymerizing the resulting biobased monomers into fully biobased polyesters.

Job description:

The PhD research will focus on the intensification and upscaling of cascade enzymatic reactions by using the kinetic modeling approach. The project also includes interdisciplinary work in chemical engineering, biocatalysis, chemistry and enzyme engineering. Protein expression and purification will be performed. Kinetics of enzyme catalyzed reactions will be investigated. Model-based approach will be used to set up the optimum reaction conditions and upscale the reaction. Techno-economic analysis of the process is included in the research, as well as the basic analysis of process sustainability.
 

The main part of your work will be carried out at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology (Croatia, with Prof. Findrik Blažević), and a secondment placement (9 months) will take place at TU Graz (Austria, with Prof. Kourist).
 

Additionally, a secondment placement at a company is foreseen (3 months).
 

The PhD candidate will also be required to participate in the training and workshop organized by the B3PO MSCA-DN. As a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fellow, it is also expected to contribute your time in the dissemination of your project’s result through public engagement and other scientific platforms.
 

Requirements for the applicant:

• The applicant should have completed a Master’s degree or equivalent (before the start of Recruitment around March 2026) from a recognized university in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or related fields and should be eligible as graduate student at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology.

• The applicant should show interest in conducting a research project independently and should enjoy the work in an international, interdisciplinary environment.

• The applicant should have an excellent command of the English language at a proficient level (spoken and written) and the willingness to learn the local language of the recruiting country.

Additional requirements: Experience in biocatalysis, enzyme activity assays and enzyme purification and/or the use of analytical methods (HPLC, GC, spectrophotometer) is desirable.
 

MSCA eligibility (must-have): At the time of recruitment, the applicant must be in the first four years of their research career, must not hold a doctoral degree, and must not have resided in Croatia or carried out their main activity (work or study) there for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately prior to the recruitment date.
We emphasize equal opportunities in the chemical engineering sector. We support the applications of female candidates in areas where they are underrepresented and encourage female candidates to apply for this program. Also, applications from handicapped candidates are very welcome.
 

Working conditions
We offer an international research environment with access to modern laboratories, state-of-the-art technologies, and interdisciplinary collaboration within a European Doctoral Network. The PhD student will benefit from structured training, international secondments, and transferable skills courses.
 

Salary
We offer a salary of € 3,922 gross per month and a participation in a pension scheme for employees. The contract is signed for a three-year period, and the candidate will enroll in the doctoral school Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry.
 

Application Procedure
To apply for the position, kindly provide: (i) a letter of motivation including a 1-page statement of your research interests, relevant skills and experience; (ii) a CV including publication list (if available); (iii) copies of university degrees and courses; and (iv) names and e-mail addresses of two scientists who can serve as references. All materials should be attached as a single PDF file (max. size 5MB).
 

For interested applicants, please submit your application to natjecaj@fkit.unizg.hr.
 

Incomplete applications will not be considered.
 

For more information concerning the research project please contact
Prof. Zvjezdana Findrik Blažević at zfindrik@fkit.unizg.hr.
 

Deadline:
The closing date for all applications is 15 February 2026.