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Postdoctoral scientist position (m/f/d) "Seagrass Assisted Evolution"
GEOMAR
Posted on Feb 18, 2025
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel is a foundation under public law jointly financed by the Federal Republic of Germany (90%) and the State of Schleswig-Holstein (10%). It is one of the internationally leading institutions in the field of marine research.
Through our research and our commitment to the transfer of knowledge and technology, we contribute significantly to the preservation of the function and protection of the ocean for future generations.
The research unit Marine Evolutionary Ecology of the research division Marine Ecology (PI Prof. Thorsten Reusch) is offering a
Postdoctoral scientist position (m/f/d)
"Seagrass Assisted Evolution"
The employment is for five years, desired starting date is 1 May 2025.
Background and Project Description
The position is embedded into the German ANK ("Aktionsprogramm Natürlicher Klimaschutz") funded project ZOBLUC - Zostera as Blue Carbon Ecosystem. The successful candidate will work within a consortium coordinated by GEOMAR that also comprises groups at Kiel University and at the State Agency for Environment of Schleswig Holstein (LfU). The primary goal of ZOBLUC is to upscale mapping, monitoring, restoration techniques and stakeholder involvement for eelgrass (Zostera marina) conservation and restoration in the south-western Baltic Sea. The specific aim of the advertised position is to develop and test assisted evolution approaches to enhance the resilience of eelgrass restoration in the face of rapid ocean change. The successful applicant will establish and test diverse approaches that will encompass (i) breeding and artificial selection (ii) hybridization of different donor genotypes (iii) stress hardening /priming of seeds and juvenile plants. Field and tank experimentation will be combined with genomic approaches, in particular genome-wide association studies and tests for selection to determine the basis of adaptive responses. The successful candidate will closely collaborate with three other doctoral students working on related questions. Our team comprises a scientific diving group that assists in obtaining samples and executing underwater experimentation. Access to infrastructure required to conduct large-scale omics analyses such as next generation sequencing and high-performance computing is available, as well as state-of-the art experimental facilities with running seawater. The successful candidate will also keep and expand collaborative contacts to other international groups working on seagrass restoration and assisted evolution in Europe and beyond.
Your profile
Requirements for a successful application are:
- a PhD or doctoral degree in biology, genetics, ecology, marine sciences, plant breeding or in a related subject
- proficiency in evolutionary biology and genetics
- proficiency in omic approaches including fluency in bioinformatic scripting
- a very good track of scientific publications related to career stage
- proficiency in English (written and spoken)
Desirable qualifications would be:
- experience in seagrass ecology and evolution
- knowledge in marine nature conservation regulation and management
- experience with public outreach /media
- scientific diving license
- boating license
At GEOMAR, located directly at Kiel Fjord with many leisure and recreational opportunities, we offer:
- An exciting and international work environment with the opportunity to provide important impetus for the development of sustainable solutions
- Integration into a network of seagrass researchers and into the European seagrass restoration science community
- Work in the field of marine restoration, a forward-looking area with social significance
- Good conditions for work-life balance: We offer, among other things, the possibility of mobile working and individual working time arrangements, vacation courses for the children of our employees, and good support in finding a place in a daycare center at the Kiel site
- Support services for professional and personal life situations
- Exciting topics in an international environment
- Work in the field of marine and climate research, a forward-looking area with social significance
- 30 vacation days + additional time off at Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve
- Company pension plan and capital-forming benefits
The full-time position (39 hrs/week) is available for a period of five years. The salary depends on qualification and could be up to the class 13 TVöD-Bund of the German tariff for public employees. The position can be split in principle. Flexible working time models are possible.
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel seeks to increase the proportion of female scientists and explicitly encourages qualified female academics to apply. GEOMAR is an equal opportunity employer and encourages scientists with disabilities to apply. Qualified disabled applicants will receive preference in the application process.
Please submit your application no later than 20 March 2025 under the following link:
Along with the usual documents (cv, list of publications, pdf or online access to your dissertation, degree certificates), please include a one-page research outline how you would tackle the question of assisted evolution in eelgrass, as well as a commented list of your three most significant publications so far (max. 100 words per published work).
As soon as the selection procedure has finished, all your application data will be removed according to data protection regulation.
For further informal inquiries, regarding the position and research unit please contact Prof. Thorsten Reusch (treusch(at)geomar.de).
For any further formal question use the e-mail bewerbung(at)geomar.de. In doing so, please refer to the keyword “Seagrass_Assisted_Evolution”.
Further information on GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel or on the Helmholtz Association can be found here www.geomar.de or www.helmholtz.de.
GEOMAR is committed to an objective and non-discriminatory personnel selection. Our job advertisements address all people. We expressly renounce the submission of application photos.