Area of research:
Scientific support staff
Job description: W3 Professorship in the field of Polar Marine Geology and Palaeoclimatology/Palaeoceanography (f/m/d)
Background
In a joint appointment procedure (Berlin model) with the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven (AWI), the University of Bremen, in the Faculty of Earth Sciences, is offering a W3 professorship (f/m/d) in the field of Polar Marine Geology and Palaeoclimatology/Palaeoceanography - Reference number P523/25
If the general requirements under civil service law are met, tenure is granted for life.
The professorship is located in the Faculty of Geosciences at the University of Bremen and is associated with the leadership of a scientific section (in rotation) at the AWI.
We are looking for an exceptional geoscientist with proven expertise in Cenozoic paleoclimatology and paleoceanography, particularly in the polar/subpolar oceans. You should have extensive experience in the field of multi-proxy paleoclimate reconstructions. Knowledge of sedimentological, geochemical and micropaleontological approaches and their application to generate proxy records documenting physical and biological interactions in the land-ocean-ice-atmosphere systems and the Southern Ocean and Arctic carbon cycle is required. A key aspect of the research is on changes in ocean circulation, ocean temperature, biogenic and terrigenous fluxes, salinity and sea ice fluctuations, and potential links to ice sheet dynamics affecting atmospheric CO2 fluctuations and amplifying Earth’s response to climate change. Time-scales might range from multidecadal, orbital to longer-term paleoclimatic variations during the Cenozoic.
Your Tasks
* You will advance high-latitude paleoclimate research by fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and incorporating innovative analytical approaches.
* You will contribute to national and international initiatives (e.g., at MARUM, via DFG Priority Programmes SPP 1158 and 527, SWAIS-2C or Antarctica InSync) and should have a strong background and network in international research.
* Responsibilities include a teaching load of 2 lecture hours (LVS) per semester at the University of Bremen in the field of paleoclimatology in the bachelor's and/or master's degree programmes of the Faculty of Geosciences. In particular, the curriculum should integrate current, high-impact research findings to heighten student awareness of polar paleoclimate research's role in understanding present and future climate developments.
* You are expected to develop scientific objectives and strategies to lead and network polar ocean research campaigns and to enhance our understanding of inter- and intrahemispheric mechanisms driving climate variability and the carbon cycle.
Your Profile
* A university degree with a geoscientific focus, an outstanding doctorate in one of the above-mentioned research areas, a habilitation or equivalent performance records, participation in national and international committees and other outstanding scientific achievements in the field of polar marine paleoclimatology are required.
* Extensive experience in the management of organizational units and in the performance of other management tasks is essential.
* Experience in the coordination of international research projects in securing external funding is essential, as is a commitment to mentoring and developing the next generation of researchers.
* Pedagogical competence and didactic commitment are required.
* We expect experience in planning and conducting marine geological expeditions, including international programs such as IODP.
* We expect a high level of motivation and strong willingness for interdisciplinary cooperation within the AWI, with research groups at the University of Bremen / MARUM and further national and international research groups.
Further Information
You are interested?
You are interested?
Applications should include the usual documents (CV, list of publications, record of acquired third-party funding, list of taught courses, teaching evaluations (if available), certificates regarding qualifications and appointments) as well as research and teaching concepts. Applications should be sent to the following address by 12 December 2025, quoting reference number P 523/25:
By post to: University of Bremen – Fachbereich 05 Geowissenschaften, Fachbereichsverwaltung, Klagenfurter Str. 2-4, 28359 Bremen or by e-mail (as a single PDF file): fb05.bewerbung@uni-bremen.de
Please note that no photos should be included with your application documents.
We kindly ask you to submit only copies (no folders), as we are unable to return them. Once the selection process has been completed, your application documents will be stored in accordance with legal requirements and then destroyed. Any costs incurred in connection with the application process cannot be reimbursed.
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