Early Career Researcher Position (PhD or Postdoctoral Level) in Paleoclimate Modelling at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany

The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) is offering an Early Career Researcher position at either the PhD or postdoctoral level within the working group “Past and Future Earth” (PATH) in the Research Department “Earth System Analysis.” This opportunity is focused on paleoclimate modelling, specifically investigating the climate during the Paleoproterozoic era and the Great Oxidation Event, approximately 2.4 billion years ago. The position is part of the major multi-national initiative “GOE-DEEP,” supported by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), and funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).

Key responsibilities include designing, running, and analysing equilibrium and transient simulations with a coupled Earth-system model of intermediate complexity, collaborating with the GOE-DEEP science team on biogeochemical modelling, linking model results to proxy data from scientific drilling cores, and presenting findings at international conferences and in scientific journals.

The position is open to candidates with a master’s degree or PhD in physics, meteorology, geosciences, or related fields relevant to Earth-system science. Experience in climate/Earth-system modelling, Linux/Unix, High Performance Computing, scientific programming, and scientific data analysis is recommended, or candidates should be willing to learn these skills. Strong scientific writing skills and proficiency in both German and English are required. The ideal candidate will demonstrate independence, initiative, creativity, reliability, motivation, and teamwork.

Funding is provided for up to 36 months for PhD candidates and 24 months for postdoctoral researchers, with remuneration according to the German public tariff scheme (TV-L Brandenburg), salary group E 13 (75% for PhD, 100% for postdoc). Additional benefits include a collective pay scheme, subsidized travel card or Deutschland-Ticket Job, flexi-time and mobile working options, access to a lively PhD student community, and facilities such as a company nursery and e-bike charging stations on the historic Telegrafenberg campus in Potsdam, near Berlin.

PIK values equality and diversity, encouraging applications from all backgrounds and explicitly supporting women and parents returning from parental leave. International applicants must submit a certificate evaluation from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) if successful. The application deadline is 21 May 2026, but the process remains open until the position is filled. For further information, applicants may contact Prof. Dr. Georg Feulner.

To apply, use the application form linked below the job advertisement on the PIK website. For more details on transcript evaluation, visit the ZAB website.