Area of research:
Other
Job description:
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. As part of the LiMare consortium funded by the BMWE, an approach will be developed that will enable extractions of critical raw materials from seawater in a selective and environmentally friendly manner. The sub-project “Determining the impacts on the marine ecosystem” aims to provide a risk assessment for this new technology.
The Geomicrobiology group in the research unit Marine Geosystems is offering one position for a
technical assistant (m/f/d)
starting as soon as possible. The position is limited to 36 months, subject to approval.
The Geomicrobiology group studies microbial communities from the sea floor - from shallow water to the deep sea. In light of ongoing anthropogenic activities, it is of fundamental importance to understand how microorganisms and their metabolisms are influenced by changing environmental conditions and how they in turn shape their environment. Established methods the Geomicrobiology working group uses to address these aspects include molecular biological approaches as well as cultivation-based techniques such as incubation experiments, cultivation and rate measurements.
Job description/Project description
You will conduct incubation experiments with sediment cores and the overlying water column in order to produce a well-founded risk assessment of a newly developed process for the selective and environmentally friendly extraction of critical raw materials from seawater. In doing so, you will implement different experimental approaches, take subsamples at defined times, and perform cell count determinations as well as taxonomic, functional, and chemical analyses. The methods used include classical microbiological and molecular biological laboratory techniques for analyzing microbial diversity and functionality.
Qualification
Requirements:
* Completed training as a biology lab technician, chemical-technical assistant, or biological technical assistant, or comparable qualification
* Extensive practical experience in classical microbiological and molecular biological methods
* Experience working under sterile laboratory conditions and with microbiological cultivation techniques
* Willingness to participate in sea-going expeditions
* Very good written and spoken German
Desirable:
* Experience in DNA and RNA extraction from sediments and environmental samples
* Experience in preparing DNA/RNA material for Illumina sequencing
* Knowledge of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and specific staining methods; experience with light and fluorescence microscopy
* Basic understanding of microbiological metabolic processes
* Experience with sensor technology and microprofile measurements
* Experience in data analysis with Excel or R, including sequence data analysis
* Practical field and ship experience, especially sampling and sediment core work
* Flexibility in changing tasks and willingness to undergo further training
* English skills are an advantage
At a workplace, directly on the Kiel Fjord with many leisure and recreational opportunities, we offer you:
* Support services for professional and personal life situations
* An exciting work environment with the opportunity to provide important impetus for the development of sustainable solutions
* 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 position is limited to 36 months, subject to approval. Remuneration is based on pay scale E9a (TVöD-Bund) if the relevant requirements are met. The regular weekly working hours correspond to those of a full-time employee. The position can be split, provided that it is filled on a full-time basis. Flexible working time models are generally possible.
GEOMAR is committed to promoting women in the workplace. Applications from women are therefore expressly welcome. GEOMAR is committed to employing people with severe disabilities. Therefore, applicants with severe disabilities will be given preferential consideration if they are suitably qualified.
Please send your complete, informative application documents, including contact details for one reference, by January 12th, 2026 via our application portal at the following link:
Online application
As soon as the selection procedure has finished, all your application data will be removed according to data protection regulation.
For further information regarding the position and research unit please contact Prof. Dr. Mirjam Perner (Tel.: 0431 600-2837, mperner(at)geomar.de) or send us an e-mail to bewerbung(at)geomar.de. In doing so, please refer to the keyword “ TA - LiMare ”.
For further information on GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel or the Helmholtz Association, please visit or
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.
This research center is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. With more than 42,000 employees and an annual budget of over € 5 billion, the Helmholtz Association is Germany's largest scientific organisation.
Company
The Helmholtz Association contributes to solving major challenges to assure the future of our society. With more than 47.500 people on staff in 18 national Research Centers and an annual budget of more than 6 billion euros, the Helmholtz Association is Germany’s largest scientific organization. The name Helmholtz stands for concerted research, in which networks form the key principle behind inquiring thought and action.
The profile of the Helmholtz Association
The Helmholtz Association performs cutting-edge research which contributes substantially to solving the grand challenges of science, society and industry. To succeed in meeting these responsibilities, Helmholtz concentrates its work in six research fields: Energy, Earth and Environment, Health, Information, Matter, as well as Aeronautics, Space and Transport. Within each of these fields, research programs are developed by our scientists and regularly evaluated by renowned international experts. Their evaluation forms the basis for the program-oriented funding that is allocated to Helmholtz research. Within the six research fields, Helmholtz scientists cooperate with each other and with external partners – working across disciplinary, organizational and national borders.
Moreover, Helmholtz specializes in large-scale research infrastructures – from accelerator facilities, earth observation satellites, research ships to supercomputers. They form the basis for scientific advances in tackling global societal challenges. Managing national research infrastructure is part of the Helmholtz Association's mission.
Promoting young academics
Helmholtz scientists, a high-performance infrastructure and modern and efficient research management are the ingredients to the Helmholtz Association‘s success and global impact.
Promoting young researchers is a major priority for the Helmholtz Association. Its qualification schemes for young researchers are geared mainly towards PhD students, postdocs and young managers. The Helmholtz Association has set high standards for its talent management. Its strategy begins with targeted recruitment of highly qualified staff at all levels, followed by comprehensive support aimed at further developing their potential. Ensuring equal opportunities is an essential element in all talent management activities undertaken by the Helmholtz Association.
The Helmholtz Graduate Schools and Research Schools at almost all Helmholtz Centers provide doctoral students with the general and specific skills and training they need, as well as ample opportunity to network. The period following a doctorate is decisive in determining the direction and success of a scientific career. For this reason, we established Career Development Centers for postdoctoral researchers in the Helmholtz Centers. This equips young researchers with the skills they need to go on to head a Helmholtz Investigator Group, for example. As an Investigator Group leader, junior scientists can independently set up their own group to conduct research in their specialist field and acquire management skills.
Within its talent management strategy, the Helmholtz Association pays special attention to the increased recruitment of talented female scientists both from Germany and abroad. To this end, there are currently two funding programs supporting this policy: and Helmholtz Distinguished Professorship – Funding for the recruitment of leading international female scientists (W3) .
The increasing complexity of the content, structures and framework conditions of scientific work today requires researchers to organize their projects, their employees and, of course, themselves in a highly professional and effective way. In response to these demands, we have set up the Helmholtz Leadership Academy to provide leaders in science with professional management training. Furthermore, the Helmholtz network provides a platform for the alumni of the Helmholtz Leadership Academy to come together and share their experiences of leadership, career development and lifelong learning.
All of this combined makes the 18 Research Centers of the Helmholtz Association a highly attractive environment for talented researchers from all over the world.
Company info
Telephone
0049-30-206329-0
Location
Anna-Louisa-Karsch-Str. 2
Berlin
Berlin
10178
Germany