Postdoc Positions (f/m/div) on Air Quality Modeling, Hamburg, Germany

The Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M), a multidisciplinary center for climate research located in Hamburg, Germany, in the heart of one of Europe’s most livable and vibrant cities, provides a highly international and interdisciplinary environment for conducting scientific research as well as access to state-of-the-art scientific and computer facilities. You can also find a virtual tour to our campus.

The Environmental Modeling research Group at MPI-M invites applications for two

Postdoc Positions (f/m/div) on Air Quality Modeling
(W104 | all genders)

The Environmental Modeling Group advances understanding of the impact of population growth, urbanisation, industrialisation, and intensive agricultural practices, perhaps exacerbated by climate change, on the regional and global environment. Using a combination of state-of-the-art atmospheric models, remote sensing, and in-situ observations, the Environmental Modeling Group strives to understand: the natural processes and human activity that impact the composition of Earth’s atmosphere, the factors that control the abundance of air pollutants such as aerosol, ozone, and other trace gases in different parts of the world, and the relation between climate, air pollution, and societal actors.

The successful candidates will use atmospheric models as well as space and in-situ data to improve our ability to predict regional air pollution, specifically in Asia, South America, and Africa. They will contribute to the development of comprehensive tools and integrated modeling systems for the analysis and prediction of air quality to help decision makers to take science-informed action to reduce chemical emissions, specifically in industrialized and urbanized regions. The positions are best suited for candidates with experience in atmospheric chemistry modeling and use of combined measurements from multiple sensors to develop air pollution mitigation strategies.

Your profile

• PhD degree in atmospheric sciences, meteorology, physics, mathematics, computer science, or other related fields
• Experience in supercomputer simulations of state-of-the-art atmospheric chemistry models
• Familiarity with the WRF-Chem model would be highly desirable
• Solid skills in Fortran, Unix / Linux, Python, shell scripting, processing; visualization and evaluation of simulation data
• Ability to work both in a team and independently
• Very good spoken and written English language skills for communication within the group, for the presentation of scientific results at international conferences, and in written papers are required

What we offer

• Participation in a challenging part of science in an international, intellectually stimulating environment established for the benefit of science and society, not for turnover increases
• Complex workflows on the bleeding edge of what is technologically possible
• Very good opportunities for self-realization, freedom in and influence upon the decisions what to do, and how to do it
• Excellent opportunities for further (self-)training and development, self-organized and/or in external courses and events
• A network of very experienced and innovative colleagues within the institute and at project partner institutions with a long-proven tradition of sharing knowledge and information
• Working for and with an open-source community

Employment conditions

• Payment will be in accordance with German public service positions (TVöD E 14), including extensive social security plans. The conditions of employment, including upgrades and duration, follow the rules of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Sciences and those of the German civil service.
• The Max Planck Society strives for gender and diversity equality. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.
• Handicapped persons with comparable qualifications receive preferential status.
• The positions are offered initially for 12 months with a very possible extension. Starting date is July 1st, 2022.

Selection criteria

Candidates will be evaluated based on their qualifications and ability to fulfil the responsibilities as outlined for this project.

Deadline for applying

All applications received prior to May 15th, 2022 will be given full consideration. The search will be continued until the position is filled.

Your application

For further information, please contact Guy Brasseur (guy.brasseur@mpimet.mpg.de). Do not forward your application to this e-mail address; the application documents (PDF only) need to be submitted through our online application system.

We are looking forward to receiving your application including the following documents:

1. A cover letter summarizing your qualifications for the position and stating your major achievements (in English)
2. A detailed curriculum vitae with a list of your publications (in English)
3. The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of two potential referees