Vacancy

🚨 We currently have an open position for a postdoctoral researcher (our call).

To ensure your application receives full consideration, please carefully review the guidelines below before applying to our group. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, following these guidelines will ensure efficient use of our time and demonstrate your genuine interest in our group, significantly reducing the risk of your application being overlooked.

For funding opportunities, please check out this ebook: Funding Your Research in Germany.

Postdoctoral Researcher

A postdoctoral researcher is an early-career researcher who is gaining advanced research experience and developing the skills necessary to become an independent researcher or pursue other research-intensive careers. As a postdoc in our group, you are expected to dedicate the majority of your time to conducting cutting-edge research within a specific project or area of study that aligns with the group’s research agenda (see our research manifesto and recent publications). You are expected to demonstrate increasing independence in your research and will be evaluated by your ability to produce original research that contributes to the existing body of knowledge in your field, as demonstrated by publications in peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and other forms of scholarly output.

We highly value collaboration. You will therefore work as part of a research team, collaborating with other postdocs, graduate students, research assistants, and our external collaborators. You will also have the opportunity to mentor junior researchers or students, gaining valuable experience in supervision and training. You may contribute to writing grant proposals to secure funding for research projects and will have minimal teaching responsibilities.

To apply for a postdoc position, you will need to submit at least

a cover letter,
a CV, and
a research statement,

together with contact information of at most three references who are willing to attest your academic aptitude, for example, your PhD advisors, collaborators, etc.

Your cover letter should clearly articulate why you believe our group is the ideal place for the next step in your career. Your research statement should be approximately 2–3 pages long and should provide a clear summary of your past research accomplishments while outlining your future plans. Whenever possible, highlight connections and comparisons to our current research focus.

We encourage strong candidates for the postdoc position to also explore third-party fundings such as Humboldt Research Fellowship and other funding programs.

Doctoral Candidate

A doctoral student is a researcher in training, contributing to the advancement of knowledge, while developing the skills and expertise necessary for a successful academic or research career. In the German academic system, doctoral candidates are generally employed as research associates or similar positions, receiving a regular salary and associated benefits, distinguishing their status from that of students receiving financial aid.

Pursuing a PhD degree can be fun, yet demanding. It requires a blend of intellectual curiosity, perseverance, and dedication. As a doctoral student in our group, your primary responsibility is to become a producer of new knowledge, not just a consumer of existing knowledge. Under your supervisor's guidance, you are expected to push the boundaries of your field by generating new insights, discoveries, or theories.

To apply for a PhD position, you will need to submit at least

a cover letter,
a CV, and
a personal statement,

together with contact information of at most two references who are willing to attest your academic aptitude, for example, your bachelor/master thesis supervisors.

Your cover letter should convey your enthusiasm for pursuing a PhD, especially within our group. In your personal statement (approximately 1–2 pages), please summarize your research background and explain how it connects to the research topics you hope to explore. Feel free to mention a research paper from our group that has particularly captured your interest.

Tip: For doctoral candidates, we look for someone with whom we’ll enjoy working. Ideally, we want someone who is open-minded, intrinsically motivated, and is not afraid of taking their own initiative. Prior experience in publishing research papers is a plus.

We encourage strong candidates for the PhD position to also explore third-party fundings.

Research Assistant/HiWi

The role of a research assistant (known as HiWi, or Hilfswissenschaftler, in Germany) is to support research activities within a research group. It involves tasks like conducting literature reviews, collecting and analyzing data, running experiments, and assisting with writing reports and publications.

As a Research Assistant (RA) or HiWi in our group, you will actively participate in one of the ongoing projects led by PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, or the PI. This role offers you the opportunity not only to contribute to the progress of cutting-edge research but also to gain valuable hands-on research experience. Typically, the RA/HiWi position is a paid, part-time role.

We encourage you to first familiarize yourself with our research, such as by reviewing our recent publications, to ensure that our research themes align with your interests. Next, reach out to the PhD students or postdoctoral researchers whose work interests you to explore potential collaboration opportunities. Your application will then be discussed internally to assess whether your background and skills align with our current projects.

We are particularly interested in candidates with a strong mathematical background, excellent programming skills, or ideally both.

Warning: Please avoid sending unsolicited emails directly to the PI, as these are unlikely to receive a response.

Internship

The internship provides a unique opportunity for you to expand your network within the research community and to gain practical experience and develop valuable skills outside of your home institution or university. From our perspective, interns often enrich our research by bringing fresh perspectives to the group.

As a research intern in our group, you will work closely with experienced researchers who provide guidance, mentorship, and support.

Please send your CV to the PI with a brief explanation as to why you’re interested in collaborating with us.

Warning: We rarely accept undergraduate students directly for an internship within our group. If you’re interested, please apply through existing internship programs for undergraduate students.

Master/Undergrad Students

We welcome undergraduate and master's students to our research group. If you’re considering writing your thesis with us, please review our available projects here.

If a project aligns with your interests, please contact the corresponding project coordinator.