Area of research:
Other
Job description:
Kiel University and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel aims to attract more qualified women to professorships.
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Kiel University, and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel invite applications for a
Junior Professorship (W 1)
in Physical Oceanography
with temporary civil service status for an initial period of four years (first phase) to start at the earliest possible time.
The future position holder is expected to represent the field of Physical Oceanography in both research and teaching.
The junior professorship (W 1) is based at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel ( in the research unit “Physical Oceanography” which is part of the research division “Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics.”
The junior professor is expected to initiate and lead excellent and internationally recognized research in the field of Physical Oceanography. Applicants’ research interests should lie in the area of process-oriented observational physical oceanography and comparative model-data analysis. They should align with the research profile of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and the Physical Oceanography research unit. Possible areas of research focus include: ocean and climate dynamics, wind-driven and thermohaline circulation, water mass transformation, mesoscale and submesoscale variability, internal waves, mixing processes, and atmosphere-ocean interactions. A particular interest in applying various modern observational methods (e.g., research expeditions, moorings, gliders, turbulence probes), in modern data analysis, artificial intelligence, data science methods, or in the integration of data and models into digital twins of the ocean is highly desirable. Active participation in research collaborations within the research division is expected. Interdisciplinary cooperation with other research groups at Kiel University, especially within the Kiel Marine Science (KMS) framework, as well as with GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, is explicitly encouraged.
A completed university degree, a doctorate/PhD in Physical Oceanography or a related discipline, and internationally peer-reviewed publications in the field of Physical Oceanography are required. Experience in academic teaching and in successfully acquiring third-party funding is an advantage. International collaborations within and outside the EU are welcome.
The professorship includes teaching in English and, if applicable, in German within the Kiel Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in “Physics of the Earth System” and “Climate Physics.” A suitable teaching concept for these programs must be submitted with the application.
Reference is made to the recruitment requirements set out in § 64 of the Higher Education Act of the State of Schleswig-Holstein. If the interim evaluation of the first phase of the junior professorship is positive, it is intended to extend the temporary civil servant position for an additional two years (second phase). Further information can be found on the website (in German).
Kiel University and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel are striving to increase the number of female scientists in research and teaching and therefore expressly encourages qualified women to apply. Women will be given priority if their aptitude, qualifications and profes- sional performance are of equal value.
Kiel University and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel are committed to the employment of people with disabilities: Applications from severely disabled persons and their equals will be given preferential treatment if they have the appropriate qualifications.
We expressly welcome applications from people with a migration background. Application photographs are not required and we expressly request that you refrain from submitting any.
Applications including the usual documents (curriculum vitae with list of publications, if applicable list of externally funded projects and list of courses taught, copies of academic degrees, a compelling research and teaching concept [max. 6 pages in total], and two references) should be submitted, indicating both private and institutional contact details (address, phone number, and email), by December 14, 2025 — preferably in a single PDF file via email to bewerbung(at)mnf.uni-kiel.de — to: Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Olshausenstr. 40, 24098 Kiel, Germany.
For more details about the position and the research unit, please contact Prof. Dr. Peter Brandt (pbrandt(at)geomar.de).
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