PhD | Doctoral Candidate (W-0037 | all genders) Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Germany

We are now opening a 3-year position for

PhD | Doctoral Candidate (W-0037 | all genders)

The successful candidate will be part of the International Max Planck Research School on Earth System Modelling ( IMPRS ), as well as the group "Complex Modelling and Extreme Computing" working under the supervision of Nils Brüggemann. The group focuses on advancing the ocean component of the ICON climate model, enhancing its realism for more accurate ocean and Earth system simulations.

Your task

Current climate models do not fully capture the influence of surface waves on ocean mixing, upper-ocean tracer transport, and air-sea exchanges. To address this, a surface wave model is being integrated into the ICON modeling framework in a novel, energetically consistent way.

The PhD project will explore how this innovative surface wave coupling affects oceanic and atmospheric circulation in both coarse- and high-resolution simulations. The successful candidate will conduct climate simulations using the newly coupled system at different spatial resolutions, evaluate various ocean mixing schemes, and test alternative coupling approaches for surface waves. The research will focus on analyzing the impact of surface waves on ocean mixing, air-sea exchanges, and ocean-atmosphere feedback mechanisms.

This PhD position is part of subproject L4 of the Collaborative Research Center TRR181 , providing the opportunity to collaborate with leading experts in ocean turbulence and air-sea interactions while building a strong research network.

Your profile

• A strong interest in oceanography, surface waves and air-sea coupling
• A good background in mathematics, physics and visualization of scientific data
• High skills in writing scientific publications
• Solid skills in UNIX/Linux, Python, shell scripting, processing, and visualization of simulation data
• Ability to work both in a team and autonomously
• Very good spoken and written English language for communication within the group and project partners and for the presentation of scientific results in international conferences are required
• Candidates should be holding a M.Sc. degree (or equivalent; with written thesis) and have a strong academic background in meteorology, physics, geosciences or related areas

Our offer

• Participation in a challenging part of science in an international, intellectually stimulating environment
• Access to complex workflows on the bleeding edge of what is technologically possible, as well as working for and with an open-source community
• Very good opportunities for self-realization, freedom in and influence upon the decisions what to do, and how to do it
• A network of very experienced and innovative colleagues within the institute, and at project partner institutions with a long-proven tradition of sharing knowledge and information
• Attractive subsidy for Deutschland-Ticket (HVV-JobTicket)

EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

The position is to be filled immediately

• Candidates will be evaluated based on their qualifications and ability to fulfill the responsibilities as outlined for this project. Payment will be in accordance with German public service positions depending on qualification (E13 TVöD, 65 %), including extensive social security plans. The position is in principle full time.
• The conditions of employment, including upgrades and duration, follow the rules of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science and those of the German civil service
• The Max Planck Society strives for gender and diversity equality. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds
• The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals

INTERESTED?

We look forward to receiving your online application by April 20, 2025 .

About us

The Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) is a multidisciplinary center for climate and Earth system research located in Hamburg, Germany. It is one of the premier climate science research institutes in the world. Located in the heart of one of Europe’s most livable and vibrant cities, it provides a highly international and interdisciplinary environment to conduct scientific research as well as access to state-of-the-art scientific facilities. You can also take a virtual tour of our campus .

Contact

For further information, please contact [email protected] .

Please do not forward your application to this email address. The application documents (PDF only) need to be submitted through this online application system.

Deadline: April 20, 2025

Max Planck Institute for Meteorology

Bundesstraße 53

20146 Hamburg

Germany

mpimet.mpg.de

Mastodon: @ [email protected]