Your Job:

This position is nested in the European Long-Term Ecosystem Research (eLTER PLUS) Horizon 2020 project, aiming at improved transdisciplinary understanding of the multifaceted environmental system in order to develop appropriate mitigation measures to these critical Grand Challenges. Further informatoin on the project can be found here: https://www.lter-europe.net/elter

The work involves the set-up of a coupled continental scale surface-subsurface hydrologic model with a global dynamic vegetation model for the pan-European domain and decadal time periods. In addition to available time series from the eLTER network, we will use remotely sensed time series of vegetation, land surface, and subsurface states like from the SMOS, SMAP, MODIS, Sentinel and GRACE satellite missions.

Your main tasks include:

  • Development of a European terrestrial ecohydrological model and assess the impact of climate extremes on water-related ecosystem services.
  • Simulation of hydrological processes, mass and energy fluxes resulting from in-situ data and other measurement data.
  • International collaboration and project meetings, publications in international journals and conferences.

Your Profile:

  • Masters degree or equivalent in environmental sciences or engineering
  • Focus on hydrology, earth sciences and climate sciences is an advantage
  • Experience in programming, data analysis, Linux-based operation systems and high performance computing is also advantageous.
  • Ability to work both independently and together in an international, interdisciplinary team across institutes.
  • Very good communication and organizational skills
  • Fluent in English

Our Offer:

  • Vibrant international and interdisciplinary work environment on an attractive research campus, ideally situated between the cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf and Aachen
  • Outstanding scientific and technical infrastructures including access to Europe`s leading supercomputing center of Jülich.
  • The PhD student will be encouraged to attend international conferences and can be selected and funded for a three-month research stay abroad.
  • Continuous formation through summer schools, specialized courses, and seminars held by renowned experts.
  • Continuous and professional support by your scientific supervisors.
  • Usually a contract for the duration of 3 years
  • Starting date is 01.02.2020
  • Pay in line with 75% of pay group 13 of the Collective Agreement for the Public Service (TVöD-Bund) pay higher than the basic pay may be possible