GFZ is Germany’s national centre for solid Earth research. We advance the understanding of dynamic processes to address global challenges, from mitigating the impacts of natural hazards and sustaining our habitat amid global change to responsibly managing georesources. We are part of the Helmholtz Association, the largest German scientific organisation. With around 1,200 employees as well as ca. 500 guest researchers, we contribute to the Helmholtz Research Field Earth and Environment, aligning cutting-edge research with societal relevance and international collaboration. Our work integrates multidisciplinary studies across Earth’s system components, leveraging advanced technologies and infrastructure to research solutions and to transfer our knowledge to society. We are doing this according to our vision: “Taking the pulse of our Earth to safeguard a habitable planet”.
For section 1.4 Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics (department “Geodesy”), we are looking for a:
Postdoc position (fmx) in micrometeorology

REFERENCE NUMBER 10173

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral candidate for the newly established Collaborative Research Centre “WETSCAPES2.0” funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). WETSCAPES2.0 combines the expertise from the University of Greifswald, the University of Rostock, the IGB Berlin, the GFZ Potsdam, the Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, the MPI for Biogeochemistry Jena and the Humboldt-University Berlin. WETSCAPES2.0 focuses on the functional understanding of rewetted fens, including coastal peatlands, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (northeastern Germany). The rewetting of previously drained and often agriculturally used fens is leading to the development of novel ecosystems that differ from natural peatlands and are largely unexplored. The monitoring, experimental and modelling research in our new Centre will focus on biogeochemical, hydrological and biological processes, with emphasize on water and matter fluxes within and beyond the peat body and their associated microbiological and biological drivers. In addition to site-level studies, the role of rewetted fens in the broader landscape will be investigated.
For more details about the overarching research questions, specific topics, training program and contact persons please visit http://www.uni-greifswald.de/wetscapes2.
At the GFZ, we are looking for a postdoctoral researcher in micrometeorology to investigate the spatial patterns of ecosystem-atmosphere energy and carbon fluxes within and beyond peatlands using airborne eddy covariance deployed in a unique setup based on a Wingcopter 198 UAS. A summary of this project (B2) can be found here: https://botanik.uni-greifswald.de/experimentelle-pflanzenoekologie/wetscapes2/our-science/b2

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master`s degree (or equivalent), a Doctoral degree in atmospheric/environmental science, meteorology, physics, geoecology, or related field
• In-depth knowledge of micrometeorological processes and measurements
• Excellent coding and quantitative analytical skills, preferably in R, Matlab, or Python
• Creative & critical thinking and ability to publish shown by a track record of original and innovative research
• Strong motivation and excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work both independently and in an integrated team environment
• Fluency in English (written and spoken), German is beneficial but not required
  Start date: 01.04.2025
  Fixed-term: 45 months
  Salary: Die Stelle ist nach TVöD Bund (Tarifgebiet Ost) mit der Entgeltgruppe 13 bewertet. Die Eingruppierung erfolgt nach den tariflichen Bestimmungen und den entsprechenden persönlichen Voraussetzungen.
  Working hours: Vollzeit (derzeit 39 h/Woche); Die Stelle ist grundsätzlich teilzeitgeeignet.
  Place of work: Potsdam

• Lead (design, plan, and execute) UAS-based airborne eddy covariance surveys of energy and carbon fluxes at the Wetscapes2.0 Core Sites in close collaboration with the UAS system engineer and pilot
• Post-process and qa/qc all UAS EC data following Fluxnet/community standards
• Develop original / novel research questions and hypotheses, quantitative analyses, and peer-reviewed publications
• Lead and advance the topic through interdisciplinary collaboration within and beyond the cluster including joint supervision of doctoral researchers