PostDoc position in Geosciences (w/m/d)

The Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung headquartered in Frankfurt am Main invites applications for a BMBF and NWO funded project at its site Senckenberg am Meer, Meeresforschung section Actuopalaeontology, in Wilhelmshaven starting in September 2024

PostDoc position in Geosciences

(full time / part-time options available)

The trilateral collaborative project WADWAD (WAD was? WAD can we do?) is funded by the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) and the NWO (Dutch Research Council) to the sum of € 2.3 million, and is conducted in collaboration with partner institutions in Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. Over a four-year period, a transdisciplinary approach will be employed to develop solutions for a trilateral action plan to identify innovative, climate-resilient and ecosystem-based land-sea transition zones. The development of this trilateral action plan will be informed by the insights of various scientific disciplines, the expertise of decision-makers from political, administrative and managerial backgrounds, and the perspectives of local coastal communities. The focus will be on the generation of knowledge about the regional implications of the intricate interactions between sediment dynamics, climate change and ecosystem losses. This will enable the development of ecosystem-based adaptation scenarios, which will provide specific, local solutions to the challenges posed by sea-level rise and climate change.

Senckenberg am Meer is focusing its efforts within the WADWAD network on the decoupling of sedimentary processes through the construction of dikes and other coastal protection measures, as well as the loss of the immediate land-sea transition zone, which is known as the "Wadden Sea squeeze".

Your tasks

• Evaluation of the current data set of Holocene coastal sequences
• Extensive GIS and borehole database analysis in close collaboration with the geoinformatics staff of our local partner institute, NIhK (Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research)
• Development of data-specific GIS concepts (e.g. heat maps)
• Participation at stakeholder workshops to present and disseminate geoscientific knowledge
• Writing scientific publications in international, peer-reviewed journals
• Participation in project and network coordination tasks (e.g. for online meetings, site inspections, writing workshops)
• Preparing interim and final reports
• Supervising bachelor and master candidates

Essential skills and qualifications

• A completed PhD in geosciences, with a particular focus on coastal geology, sedimentology, and morphodynamics
• Extensive knowledge of coastal geological processes
• Extensive experience with GIS software and geodata bases
• Experience in knowledge transfer, communication with stakeholders, and willingness to engage in transdisciplinary collaboration
• Proficiency in English (in speech and writing)

Desirable skills

• (German) driving licence (class B)
• German language skills (in speech and writing)
• Willingness to travel occasionally (two-days / three-days journeys) to our partners in the Netherlands and Denmark

We offer

• an attractive and interesting job in a globally recognized research institution
• independent work in an international, motivated and professional environment
• flexible working hours – support with childcare or caring for family members (certified by the "audit berufundfamilie") – a company badge  - a collectively agreed special annual payment - collectively agreed vacation entitlement - company pension plan

Place of employment: Wilhelmshaven, working hours: Full time / part time options are available (minimum 75%), type of contract: Start is ideally in September 2024. You will receive a fixed-term contract until 31 May 2028, salary: According to the collective agreement of the State of Hesse (pay grade E 13, TV-H)

Senckenberg is committed to diversity. We benefit from the different expertise, perspectives and personalities of our staff and welcome every application from qualified candidates, irrespective of age, gender, ethnic or cultural origin, religion and ideology, sexual orientation and identity or disability. Applicants with disabilities (“Schwerbehinderung”) will be given preferential consideration in case of equal suitability. Senckenberg actively supports the compatibility of work and family and places great emphasis on an equal and inclusive work culture.

You would like to apply?

Then please send your complete and informative application documents (as a single PDF-file):

• a cover letter detailing research interests and experience (max. one page)
• a detailed CV
• copy of your transcripts / academic certification
• contact details of two potential academic referees
• copies of up to two representative publications 

by July 21, 2024 to recruiting(at)senckenberg.de, quoting the reference number  #02-24002, or please apply directly on our homepage using the online application form:

Apply Online | Senckenberg Society for Nature Research

Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung

Senckenberganlage 25

60325 Frankfurt am Main

E-Mail: recruiting(at)senckenberg.de

Für specific questions regarding this role please contact Dr. Achim Wehrmann (section lead), achim.wehrmann(at)senckenberg.de.

For more information about the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung please go to: www.senckenberg.de.

The Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung (SGN) was founded in 1817 and is one of the most important research institutions around biological diversity. At the eleven locations throughout Germany, scientists from over 40 nations conduct cutting-edge research on an international scale. Senckenberg am Meer in the port city of Wilhelmshaven is the northernmost institute. It cooperates with important research institutions in German marine research as well as colleges and universities. Located directly on the North Sea, the Wilhelmshaven site also offers local recreation in unspoiled nature as well as a wide range of cultural activities.