Geógrafo

The Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), a scientific organisational entity of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, invites applications for a PhD Position (75%), starting on 1st of August 2025 or thereafter upon agreement, in the Helmholtz Institute for Climate Service Science (HICSS) Project Test4Stress. The position is limited to 3 years and is intended to complete with a PhD. The employment location is Hamburg, Germany.

GERICS develops science-based prototype products and services in support to government, administration and business in their efforts to adapt to climate change. It builds up a national and international network structure in order to integrate existing competences and knowledge, and to link various actors within the complex area of climate change.

The PhD position is also supervised by Prof. Dr. Jana Sillmann, who is co-leading the Research Unit for Sustainability and Climate Risks (FNK). This Research Unit is devoted to inter- and transdisciplinary research and education on human-induced environmental change.

The successful candidate will work in the project Test4Stress – “Stress-testing future climate-resilient city and neighbourhood concepts”, which is part of the cluster Trans4Heat – “Paths for sustainable transformation to reduce heat-induced systemic risk to critical infrastructure” in the Helmholtz Institute for Climate Service Science (HICSS). HICSS is a cooperation between the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) and Universität Hamburg (UHH). Within the Test4Stress project scientists from the group of Prof. Jana Sillmann (UHH) and scientists from GERICS work jointly to: i) Co-develop stress-testing heatwave scenarios compounding with social & infrastructural events in a participatory approach with local and regional stakeholders ii) investigate how critical infrastructure, mobility, and the 15-min concept / 30-min territory concept can be sustained under stress iii) Shape future pathways and increase the climate-resilience of Hamburg and Heide. Within the cluster Trans4Heat, the results of Test4Stress contribute to identify enablers and barriers for transformation towards a climate resilient city and neighbourhood.

The successful PhD candidate will analyse climate simulations and interact with stakeholders to develop physically plausible heatwave scenarios for the city of Hamburg and the rural region of Heide in Schleswig-Holstein. In a participatory approach, the candidate will conduct stress-test workshops in Hamburg and Heide with stakeholders and local decision-makers with the aim to identify pathways to greater climate resilience.

Equal opportunity is an important part of our personnel policy.

Your tasks

• analysis and bias adjustment of an existing large ensemble of regional climate model simulations for Hamburg and Heide
• development of impactful heatwave scenarios for Hamburg and Heide
• investigate potential societal, infrastructural, and/or environmental conditions compounding with the heatwave
• interaction with stakeholders to update the stress-test scenario
• conducting the main stress-test stakeholder workshops in Hamburg and Heide
• support project and cluster workshops
• present research findings at national and international conferences
• write scientific publications

Your profile

• M.Sc. degree in geography, environmental science, sustainability, related disciplines or interdisciplinary master programs
• experience in handling of geographic- and/or climate data
• experience or willingness in carrying out participatory methods and stakeholder interaction
• interest in working in an interdisciplinary project
• fluency in English (spoken and written)
• fluency in German (spoken and written) would be desirable
• interest in teamwork in an interdisciplinary and international environment

Content-related inquiries regarding this position can be directed to Dr. Jo-Ting Huang-Lachmann and Dr. Benjamin Poschlod.

We offer you

• an exciting and varied job in a research centre with around 1,000 employees from more than 60 nations
• you will benefit from comprehensive academic training by joining the Graduate School of Integrated Climate and Earth System Sciences (SICCS)
• social benefits according to the collective agreement of the public service and remuneration up to pay group 13 (according to EntgO Bund)
• an excellent technical infrastructure and modern workplace equipment
• 6 weeks holiday per year; company holidays between Christmas and New Year's Day
• very good compatibility private and professional life; offers of mobile and flexible work
• PhD Buddy Program
• free assistance program for employees (EAP)
• corporate Benefits
• office location in the heart of the city of Hamburg in the historic Chilehaus

Severely disabled persons and those equaling severely disabled persons who are equally suitable for the position will be considered preferentially within the framework of legal requirements.

Interested?

Then we are looking forward to receiving your comprehensive application documents (cover letter, CV, transcripts, certificates etc.) indicating the reference number code no. 2025/KG 3 until 04.06.2025.

Nuestros anuncios de empleo se dirigen siempre a todas las personas profesionalmente capacitadas, independientemente de su edad, sexo, origen, orientación sexual, discapacidad, religión, ideología, etc. La selección de los candidatos está orientada exclusivamente a la cualificación.Se reservan los errores de información y ortografía.