Postdoctoral Researcher in Microbial Ecology and Bioinformatics Leibniz Institute for Horticultural Sciences in Germany

The Leibniz Institute for Horticultural Sciences (IGZ) in Großbeeren, Germany, is offering a postdoctoral position in the research group Plant-Microbe Systems beginning 1 February 2027 for a fixed term of two years. The role focuses on microbial ecology and bioinformatics within a project space that examines plant-associated microbiomes, their interaction with the environment, and how microbiome-informed approaches can support sustainable, climate-resilient crop production.

This position combines experimental and computational work. The successful candidate will carry out microbiological and molecular laboratory work on environmental and plant-associated samples, including cultivation, DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, and library preparation for amplicon/metabarcoding sequencing. The role also includes bioinformatic processing and quality control of sequencing data, development and application of statistical models for microbiome and ecological datasets, basic field sampling of soil, plant, and rhizosphere material, and writing R-based scripts and workflows for data processing, analysis, and visualisation.

The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to publications in peer-reviewed international journals, present results at conferences, and co-supervise Bachelor’s and Master’s students. The advertised group integrates molecular, bioinformatic, statistical, and field-based plant science research, making this an attractive opportunity for researchers who want to work at the interface of microbiology, ecology, and computational analysis in a horticultural sciences setting.

Eligibility highlights: applicants should hold a completed PhD in microbial ecology, bioinformatics, or a related natural science field. Strong experience with molecular lab methods, high-throughput sequencing analysis, bioinformatics pipelines such as dada2 or QIIME, advanced R programming, and statistical modelling is expected. Fluency in English is required; German language skills are helpful but not mandatory. Willingness to undertake field work and business travel is also requested, and a Class B driver’s license is considered an advantage.

Funding and employment: the position is salaried under the TV-L pay scale, up to EG 13, full-time, with the possibility of part-time arrangements. Benefits include a collectively agreed annual bonus, 30 days of vacation per year, pension coverage through VBL Ost, and a subsidy for local public transport or the Deutschland-Ticket.

Application deadline: 24 November 2026. Applications should be submitted by email in one PDF file and include a motivation letter, CV, academic certificates, contact details for two references, and the earliest possible starting date.