Kathleen Hermans
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Postdoctoral Researcher in Remote Sensing and Land Degradation (f/m/d) Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies in Germany
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Environmental Science
Funding
Full-time postdoctoral position for three years, funded according to the German TV-L payment scheme at salary scale E13.
Deadline
Nov 15, 2026
Country
Germany
University
Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies
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About this position
The postdoctoral researcher will join the TransMoP project, which examines how land degradation and climate change shape human mobility and staying in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Based at the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO) in Halle, the successful candidate will lead the project’s geospatial analyses and work at the intersection of remote sensing, environmental change, and migration-related research.
The role focuses on assessing water stress, vegetation dynamics, and land degradation using long-term climate and Earth-observation datasets. The postdoc will handle data processing, time-series analysis, and spatial mapping, developing indicators and multidimensional approaches to understand changes in arid and degraded landscapes over time. The work is embedded in an international, interdisciplinary team with partners in Central Asia and researchers working on migration, livelihoods, and qualitative research.
The position offers access to computational infrastructure and methodological expertise at IAMO, opportunities for research stays and field visits in Central Asia, support for conference participation and peer-reviewed publication, and integration into IAMO’s active research community. The role also includes opportunities for teaching and engagement in the academic environment at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.
The appointment is part of a broader research environment that connects IAMO’s work on Central Asia with regional partners and interdisciplinary collaboration across the institute and beyond.
Funding details
Full-time postdoctoral position for three years, funded according to the German TV-L payment scheme at salary scale E13.
What's required
A doctoral degree in geography, remote sensing, geoinformatics, environmental science, land-system science, geoecology, or a closely related field is required. Applicants should have strong expertise in remote sensing and spatial analysis, including time-series analysis of Earth-observation and climate data such as Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS, and ERA5, preferably applied to land degradation, vegetation dynamics, water stress, agriculture, or dryland systems. Strong quantitative and geospatial programming skills, preferably in R and/or Python, and experience with GIS, statistical analysis, and spatial modelling are expected; experience with change-detection, composite indicators, or dimensionality-reduction methods would be an asset. Candidates should also have experience with research data management, open science, and reproducible research workflows, a publication record appropriate to career stage, excellent communication and English-language scientific writing skills, and the ability to work independently in an international interdisciplinary team. Willingness to undertake research visits in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, collaborate with regional partners, and contribute to the supervision of early-career researchers is expected. Familiarity with Central Asia and proficiency in a regional language such as Russian, Uzbek, or Kazakh would be an advantage.
How to apply
Prepare a single PDF in English with a letter of motivation, CV, transcripts and certificates, an English-language certificate if needed, a research proposal, and names/contact details of two academic referees. Email it with “TransMoP Postdoc” in the subject line to application.agpolicy(at)iamo.de. Also submit your PhD thesis and three most relevant publications; for open access papers, links are sufficient.
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Professors
Prof. Dr. at Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies
Germany
Research Interests
Statistics
Remote Sensing
Environmental Science
Geography
Earth Science
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.