Deutsches Helmholtz GeoForschungs-Zentrum
GFZ is Germany's national centre for solid Earth research. We advance the understanding of dynamic processes to address global challenges, from mitigating the impacts of natural hazards and sustaining our habitat amid global change to responsibly managing georesources. We are part of the Helmholtz Association, the largest German scientific organisation. With around 1,200 employees as well as ca. 500 guest researchers, we contribute to the Helmholtz Research Field Earth and Environment, aligning cutting-edge research with societal relevance and international collaboration. Our work integrates multidisciplinary studies across Earth's system components, leveraging advanced technologies and infrastructure to research solutions and to transfer our knowledge to society. We are doing this according to our vision: “Taking the pulse of our Earth to safeguard a habitable planet”.
The section 4.4 Hydrology (department “Geosystems”) offers a PostDoctoral position focusing on monitoring and analysing tree responses to climate change in the framework of the project “Trees under stress: Potsdam as a real-world laboratory for climate change impacts (ArboKlim)”:
PostDoc Position (f_m_x) in Ecohydrology/Environmental Seismology
Reference Number 11107
The PostDoc position is one of three in a cluster hire. It is embedded in the Helmholtz long-term environmental observatory network TERENO, and the EU-funded regional project ArboKlim, carried out by the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), in close collaboration with local partners.
ArboKlim investigates the impacts of climate change on tree vitality, mechanical stability, and associated risks in and around the UNESCO World Heritage landscapes of Potsdam, Germany. To improve the understanding of tree responses to increasing frequency and intensities of weather extremes, the project integrates monitoring of eco-hydrological and seismic signals with physical and chemical signatures preserved in tree rings. The goal of ArboKlim is to develop scientifically robust indicators and practical tools that support risk assessment, vegetation management, and the long-term resilience of culturally and socially important green spaces under climate change.
Your responsibilities:
- Instrumentation of field sites
- Processing of tree water status data, including sap velocities, tree growth, water content in tree and soil and seismic data
- Joint analysis of tree water status data and seismometer data to investigate tree stress
- Data management
- Collaboration with project partners in meteorology, dendrochronology and geomorphology and especially close collaboration with the other two PostDocs hired in this project
- Communication and discussion of results with stakeholders to integrate the findings in water management and mitigation practices
- Interpretation, publishing and presentation of findings in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences
Your qualifications:
- A Master's degree (or equivalent) and a PhD degree in Hydrology, Civil or Environmental Engineering, Geosciences, Geophysics, Environmental Sciences, Biogeosciences or Physics
- Strong interest in interdisciplinary research
- Process-oriented thinking, preferably within the atmosphere–tree–soil nexus
- Some knowledge of tree physiology and/or experience in environmental seismology is an asset
- Substantial experience in statistics and analysis of large data sets, including time series analyses and machine learning
- Good programming skills
- Very good communication and interpersonal skills, team player
- Very good command of English
- Experience in writing scientific publications
- Knowledge of the German language is an asset
- Ability to work in the field, including extended walking and carrying of heavy loads
- Valid driver’s license category B
What we offer:
- A challenging postdoctoral position in an international and interdisciplinary research environment
- Access to state-of-the-art instrumentation, long-term datasets, and computing infrastructure
- Public service benefits
- Participation in Helmholtz-wide training and networking activities, and other extensive training opportunities
- Professional career advice offered by our in-house Career-Centre
- Flexible working hours and conditions
- Support with finding a good work-life balance offered by benefit@work
- Institute children's day-care centre on site
- Workplace at the Albert Einstein science park, a family-friendly workplace on the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam, close to Berlin
- Workplace within walking distance of Potsdam main train station, or just a short ride on the shuttle bus
Start date: Preferably 15th April 2026
Fixed end date: 30th June 2028
Salary: The position is classed as salary group 13 according to “TVöD Bund (Tarifgebiet Ost)”. The salary group is determined on the basis of the Collective Wage Agreement and the respective personal qualifications.
Working hours: Full-time (currently 39 h/week); The position is generally suitable for part-time work.
Place of work: Potsdam
Apply
www.gfz.de
