UM6P Postdoc in Machine Learning and Catalysis Job 2026: Requirements, Application and Deadline

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Benguerir, Morocco, is hiring a Postdoc in Computational Catalysis, Machine Learning and Reaction Kinetics. The UM6P postdoc in machine learning and catalysis sits in the Materials Science, Energy and Nano-engineering (MSN) department of the College of Chemical Sciences and Engineering. You would build microkinetic models of reactions such as ammonia synthesis and methane reforming, using machine-learned interatomic potentials trained on your own DFT calculations. The advert gives no salary. Applications close on 6 November 2026.

You apply on the THE Unijobs listing page with a single PDF that holds your cover letter, CV and two referees who are not UM6P faculty. The cover letter must describe one computational project you carried out yourself and your work fine-tuning machine-learned potentials. Below I go through the research, the requirements, what the advert leaves out, how to write the cover letter this panel asks for, and similar postdoc jobs open now.

UM6P postdoc in machine learning and catalysis: key facts

The research project

The aim is to explain why a catalyst works and to predict how it will behave when the material or operating conditions change. You would do this from first principles. DFT gives the energies of adsorbed species, reaction steps and transition states on catalyst surfaces. Those numbers feed a microkinetic model, which gives reaction rates, selectivity, surface coverages and the steps that control the overall rate. The model is then coupled to reactor simulations to predict conversion and selectivity at reactor scale.

Machine learning fits in where DFT gets too expensive. The postdoc will fine-tune pretrained machine-learned interatomic potentials on in-house DFT data, test them against DFT results held back from training, and then use them to explore reaction pathways and adsorbate configurations that direct DFT can’t reach in reasonable time. The named target reactions are ammonia synthesis, ammonia decomposition and methane reforming, all central to hydrogen and fertiliser chemistry.

Duties

• Calculate adsorption energies, reaction energies and activation barriers with plane-wave DFT.
• Build and solve microkinetic models for rates, selectivity, coverages and rate-controlling steps.
• Link the microkinetic models to reactor models.
• Assemble DFT training sets and fine-tune pretrained machine-learned potentials.
• Validate those potentials against withheld DFT data and judge how far they can be trusted.
• Use the validated potentials to explore pathways and configurations beyond direct DFT.
• Compare predicted kinetics and reactor performance with published experiments.
• Run reproducible calculation campaigns on high-performance computers using Python workflows.
• Publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at conferences and help supervise Master’s and PhD students.

Requirements

This is a demanding mix. Many computational chemists have DFT and some kinetics. Fewer have also fine-tuned machine-learned potentials themselves. The cover letter instructions show that this is the skill the panel will check hardest.

Salary, contract and what the advert leaves out

UM6P has not stated a salary, benefits, a contract length or a start date for this post. The listing labels the contract “permanent”, which is unusual for a postdoc, and postdoctoral contracts are normally fixed term. Treat the duration as unconfirmed and ask about it at interview, along with salary, housing support, relocation costs, health insurance and conference funding. Don’t accept an offer until you have these terms in writing.

Visa sponsorship

The advert says nothing about visas or work permits. Foreign nationals need permission to work and live in Morocco. Ask UM6P’s HR team who handles the work permit and residence card and how long the process usually takes, especially if you need to give notice in a current job.

About UM6P and Benguerir

UM6P is a Moroccan research university with its main campus in Benguerir, a town north of Marrakech. Its current job board on THE Unijobs shows around 20 openings, mostly faculty and postdoc posts, across units such as the College of Computing, the Sustainable Materials Research Center (SUSMAT-RC), the Geology and Sustainable Mining Institute, ACER COE and ARC AIR. The research areas in those adverts range from machine learning and cybersecurity to atmospheric chemistry and geomechanics, so there are plenty of potential collaborators on campus. UM6P is closely linked to Morocco’s OCP Group, the phosphate and fertiliser company, which helps explain the university’s focus on ammonia and energy chemistry.

Benguerir is a small town, and you should expect living costs to be lower than in Casablanca or Rabat. Ask whether the university offers campus housing, because that will shape your monthly budget.

How to apply for the UM6P postdoc

1. Open the THE Unijobs listing: the application form is on the listing page.
2. Write your cover letter: cover your research experience, computational expertise and motivation, plus the two required project descriptions (see below).
3. Update your CV: include your publication list and mark first-author computational papers.
4. Choose two referees: they must not be UM6P faculty. Include names and contact details.
5. Combine everything into one PDF: cover letter, CV and referees, in that order.
6. Check the file size: the upload form accepts .doc, .docx, .pdf or .rtf files of up to 1MB. Compress your PDF if needed, and remove large images.
7. Fill in the cover message box: it is required. A short note naming the post and summarising your fit works well.
8. Submit before 6 November 2026.

How to write the cover letter for this postdoc

The advert tells you exactly what to include, so build the letter around it.

• Opening: your PhD, your current post and the one sentence that shows you fit (DFT plus kinetics plus ML potentials).
• One project you did yourself: the system, the method, the DFT code, what you calculated and what you found. Make clear which parts you personally did.
• Your ML potential work: which pretrained model you fine-tuned, how you built the DFT reference data (size, configurations sampled), and your validation results (error on held-out energies and forces, any failure cases you found).
• Kinetics and reactor coupling: the tools you have used and an example result.
• Motivation: why this project, why ammonia or methane chemistry, and what you would add.

A sample opening, for illustration only: “My PhD combined VASP calculations on Ru(0001) step sites with a microkinetic model of ammonia synthesis, and in my current postdoc I fine-tuned a pretrained interatomic potential on 3,000 DFT configurations, reaching force errors below 0.05 eV/Å on a withheld set.” Use only your own systems and numbers.

What happens after you apply

UM6P doesn’t publish a timetable. For research posts like this, the usual sequence is a shortlist from the written applications, one or more video interviews (often including a short talk on your research), and reference checks. Because the referees must be outside UM6P, the panel will contact them directly, so warn them.

Common mistakes

• Sending several files: the advert asks for a single PDF.
• A file over 1MB: the form may reject it.
• Describing group work as your own: the advert asks for a project you carried out personally. Be honest about your part.
• No validation numbers: saying you “used machine learning potentials” without error metrics will not satisfy this panel.
• UM6P referees: they are not accepted.
• Accepting without terms: salary and duration are not in the advert, so get them in writing.

Who should apply and who shouldn’t

You should apply if you have a PhD in a computational chemistry or chemical engineering field, first-author DFT papers on catalytic surfaces and real experience fine-tuning machine-learned potentials. It suits researchers who want to work across scales, from atoms to reactors, and are comfortable in a fast-growing institution. Researchers from Africa and the Middle East who want an international-standard research post closer to home should look closely.

You probably shouldn’t apply if you have used machine learning only as a black box, have no microkinetic modelling experience, or are an experimentalist. If you are still finishing your degree, our guide to scholarships for African students lists funded Master’s and PhD routes.

Similar postdoc and research jobs open now

The ACER COE post is the closest match on energy materials, and Durham’s is the only one here with a published salary.

FAQs about the UM6P postdoc in machine learning and catalysis

What is the salary for a postdoc at UM6P?

UM6P has not published a salary for this post. Ask about pay, housing and benefits at interview and get them in writing before accepting.

When is the deadline for the UM6P computational catalysis postdoc?

The deadline is 6 November 2026.

What documents do I need for the UM6P postdoc application?

One PDF with a cover letter, your CV with publications and two referees who are not UM6P faculty. The letter must describe one computational project you did personally and your ML potential fine-tuning work.

Does UM6P sponsor work permits for foreign postdocs?

The advert doesn’t say. Ask UM6P’s HR team who handles the work permit and residence card before you accept an offer.

Sources and updates

I checked these details on 29 October 2026 against the THE Unijobs listing for job 416307 and UM6P’s employer page on THE Unijobs, which lists its other current openings and research units. The advert does not state a salary, contract length, start date or visa terms. I will update this page if UM6P publishes these details or changes the deadline.

Jude Chinecherem

I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.