Group Leader: Sustainable Materials for Aerospace PFAS Substitution & Market Translation (m/f/d)

The Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC) is a newly founded national research hub in Germany with €1.25 billion in funding through 2038 dedicated to redefining the role of chemistry to tackle global challenges. It brings together researchers from chemistry, physics, engineering, data science, and the social sciences to develop sustainable materials, processes, and technologies that support a circular economy. The CTC is structured around
collaborative, mission-driven research groups and state-of-the-art facilities, fostering open science, innovation, and industry partnerships. Researchers benefit from access to advanced research infrastructure and close collaboration with the CTC colleagues doing transformative work in a wide range of chemical fields.

The Opportunity

We are looking for an exceptional Group Leader to join the Talent Factory with a clear and singular mission: develop a PFAS-free alternative for sealing and insulation materials used in the aerospace industry and translate that discovery into market ready products.
PFAS-based materials remain the industry standard in aerospace sealing materials and insulators because of their outstanding thermal, chemical, and mechanical performance. Their environmental persistence, however, places them at the center of upcoming regulatory restrictions worldwide. This position aims to close that gap: to design materials with no environmental concern that meet or exceed the performance parameters currently delivered by PFAS chemistry, and to bring that solution to market.
This research directly advances the CTC's mission of transforming the chemical industry from a linear to a circular model and contributes to the CTC's moonshot of a Completely Recyclable Car – using its principles into an adjacent, high-performance sector.
The position targets outstanding researchers who are eager to see their scientific discoveries create value beyond academia. The successful candidate will establish and lead a research group at the interface of cutting‑edge research, product development, and technology transfer. Beyond advancing fundamental and applied research, the Group Leader is expected to identify promising application opportunities and translate scientific discoveries into innovative products, technologies, and market‑ready solutions.
A strong focus will be placed on technology transfer and research valorization. To support these activities, CTC provides dedicated structures and expertise in intellectual property management, industry collaboration, product development, licensing, and venture creation.
A distinguishing feature of this position is a committed consulting and evaluation partner: as leading European aerospace OEM Airbus is going to advise on performance requirements throughout the project and is one of the potential customers for technologies in this area, next to other future markets such as in the automotive sector. Airbus will support defining material requirements for aircraft applications, provide data and samples of current PFAS-based materials, evaluate the performance of newly developed alternatives, and participate in project‑related committees. This gives the Group Leader direct access to industrial validation and a realistic, de‑risked path to bringing the resulting technology to market — whether through licensing or founding a spin‑off – a rare starting point for any deep‑tech venture.

Your Profile

• A doctorate in chemistry, materials science, or a closely related field; post‑doctoral experience is preferred
• A track record of scholarly excellence and experience developing functional materials
• A genuine ambition to leave the purely academic track and build a company - this position is designed to facilitate the transition to entrepreneurship. The insights gained through research are intended to help solve real‑world problems and step into the market
• Prior work demonstrating technology at proof‑of‑concept level is strongly preferred
• Comfort operating at the interface of fundamental research, applied development, and industrial requirements
• Ability and willingness to mentor junior scientists and technicians
• Experience with regulatory and performance qualification processes (e.g., aerospace materials standards) is preferred

What We Offer

• Research support for up to seven years (four years guaranteed with three additional years following a positive evaluation)
• Funding for yourself and up to 3 PhD students (equivalent of 2.3 FTE)
• Direct, structured consultation with a leading European aerospace OEM acting as technical advisor and prospective customer
• Complete responsibility for building and directing your team
• Access to CTC's research infrastructure and close collaboration with the CTC Science Team and Service Hub
• Close contact with and support by CTC’s Technology Transfer Office
• Dedicated training on leadership and basics of entrepreneurship in your first year, plus ongoing support in validating the transfer of your research into a market‑ready product and company
• A collaborative, interdisciplinary ecosystem alongside other Talent Factory group leaders working on the CTC's core themes: Automation and Standardization, Data‑driven Chemistry, Renewable Feedstocks, Recycling, and Societal, Environmental, and Economic Metrics

About the Talent Factory

The Talent Factory is the CTC's platform for outstanding independent researchers, offering the infrastructure, funding, and mentorship needed to pursue ambitious, transformative ideas and to carry them all the way to the market. Group Leaders retain full responsibility for their team and research direction, supported by the CTC Service Hub.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit:

• Cover letter (1 page)
• Curriculum vitae, including full publication list and all other research outputs (e.g., patents, prototypes, datasets, code)
• Research & Founding Plan (5–8 pages total), covering:
  • The technical approach to substituting PFAS-based sealing material/insulators while meeting aerospace performance and regulatory parameters
  • A commercialization roadmap: business model outlook, IP/licensing strategy, and anticipated path to founding, including how the aerospace OEM's input and potential customer role factor into that path
  • Milestones aligned with the Phase I / Phase II structure -what success looks like at the 4-year midpoint evaluation and at project completion
• Motivation statement (1 page) addressing specifically why the candidate is an outstanding match for the CTC’s entrepreneurship focus
• Evidence of proof‑of‑concept work such as data, prototype descriptions, existing IP/patents, or other evidence of taking technology beyond the conceptual stage

Benefits

• The opportunity to support groundbreaking research and contribute to the CTC's growth on its path toward becoming one of the largest research centers for chemistry in Europe
• Successful applicants will be offered an initial fixed‑term contract of four years (subject to the availability of funding) with a six‑month probation period. The position is offered in accordance with § 2 (1) of the German Act on Temporary Scientific Contracts (WissZeitVG). A further extension, for up to a maximum total duration of seven years, may be granted following a favorable review after three years of employment
• Salary: up to E 14 TVöD (Bund), depending on the candidate's qualifications
• The chance to work in a dynamic, collaborative, and international environment embedded in a highly motivated team
• A high degree of personal responsibility and the freedom to pursue independent research ideas
• Opportunities for personnel responsibility and leadership development
• Individual support services fostering professional and personal growth
• Access to strong scientific and economic networks at regional, national, and international levels
• Conditions and social benefits of public service, including 30 days of vacation (based on a 5-day work week), annual special payments, and additional pension benefits (VBL)
• Subsidy for a public transport job ticket

Selection Process

Suitable applicants will be invited to an online screening followed by in-person interviews at CTC for shortlisted candidates, including a presentation of previous work and future research and commercialization plans, as well as discussions with selected CTC members. Scientific achievement will be assessed alongside demonstrated inventiveness and prior contributions to technology development (e.g., patents, prototypes, or other innovation output). The recommended candidate will be submitted to the Research Committee for endorsement, and an official offer letter will follow in writing.

The CTC strives for gender equality and diversity. We welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourage applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, the CTC seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.

Learn more about the CTC and our mission at:

Join us in shaping the future of chemistry and making a lasting impact!