The Institute for Earth System Science and Remote Sensing at the Faculty of Physics and Earth System Science seeks to fill the above position – subject to funding approval – in the Environmental Data Sciences and Remote Sensing working group (Professor Miguel Mahecha, Principal Investigator Dr Guido Kraemer):

Scientific researcher (postdoc position) (m/f/d/x)

Job vacancy from 17.03.2026 · Reference number 39/2026

Remuneration

salary group 13 TV-L

Term

Fixed term for the duration of the project, expected to end on 30 April 2030

Volume

100% of a full-time position; part-time position possible

Start date

earliest opportunity from 1 May 2026

Founded in 1409, Leipzig University is one of Germany’s largest universities and a leader in research and medical training. With around 30,000 students and more than 5000 members of staff across 14 faculties, it is at the heart of the vibrant and outward-looking city of Leipzig. Leipzig University offers an innovative and international working environment as well as an exciting range of career opportunities in research, teaching, knowledge and technology transfer, infrastructure and administration.

The position will be funded through the Horizon Europe project “Observation and AI-powered System for Intelligent water Solutions” (OASIS). The project will deliver Earth Intelligence in the context of biodiversity, climate change, water cycle management, resilience, and policies. The project consists of 16 partners and 40 stakeholders and will merge natural language interfaces with data and models to support EU policies.

The role

Conducting high-quality research at the interface between natural language, environmental data and domain-specific process models
Implementing Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers; coordinating and supporting project partners with the implementation of MCP servers for solving environmental problems
Developing chat interfaces and supporting project partners with the implementation of natural language interfaces to analyse environmental data and generate factually trustworthy reports
Collaborating closely with international project partners and stakeholders
Contributing to scientific publications, project reports and dissemination activities
Participating in project meetings, workshops, and stakeholder engagement activities
Managing and supporting other partners with the implementation of chatbots and MCP servers

About you

Scientific higher education and completed doctorate in computer science, remote sensing, data science, ecology, environmental sciences, geography, hydrology, or a related field
Excellent written and oral communication in English
Ability to work in an international consortium; experience in stakeholder engagement (civil society, policy makers, industry)
The following capabilities would be advantageous and should be proven by past projects, open source contributions, or a technical portfolio:
Strong programming skills in Python, R or another data-oriented programming language
Knowledge in some of the following areas: using large language models (LLMs) through application programming interfaces (APIs), connecting them with MCP servers, creating agents to automate workflows and creating natural language interfaces

What we offer you

a responsible role in the exciting environment of a large university
working in a friendly, helpful, and high-performing team
flexible working hours and mobile working for a better work-life balance
Opportunities for further training and professional development as part of a structured staff development programme
diverse range of corporate health management
Remuneration in accordance with the collective agreement for the states, including annual bonus and company pension plan
excellent transport links and the option to purchase a discounted public transport ticket, such as the Deutschlandticket as a commuter pass
extensive catering in the cafeterias and cafés of the Leipzig Student Services Association

Leipzig University aims to increase the proportion of women in positions of responsibility and therefore expressly invites qualified women to apply. Severely disabled persons – or persons deemed legally equal to them under Book IX of the German Social Code – are encouraged to apply and will be given preference in the case of equal suitability. If you have any questions about accessibility or need assistance with this application process, please contact Leipzig University’s disability officers at: schwerbehindertenvertretung@uni-leipzig.de.

Have we sparked your interest?

For questions regarding the position please contact Dr Guido Kraemer (guido.kraemer@uni-leipzig.de).

Please send your application with the usual documents, quoting reference number 39/2026, to: Leipzig University, Faculty of Physics and Earth System Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of Physics and Earth System Science, Professor Johannes Quaas, Linnéstraße 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany by 31 March 2026. You are also welcome to email your application as a single PDF file to dekan@physes.uni-leipzig.de. Please note that it is not possible to guarantee confidentiality and rule out unauthorised access by third parties when communicating by unencrypted email.

Please note that it is not possible to guarantee confidentiality and rule out unauthorised access by third parties when communicating by unencrypted email. We kindly request that you submit copies only, as we are unable to return application documents. Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.

Privacy information

If you choose to apply and send us your documents, you do so voluntarily. Any personal data contained within your application documents, or obtained during an interview, will be processed by Leipzig University – as the advertiser of the position – exclusively for the purposes of the selection process for the position advertised. It will not be passed on to third parties without your consent in the individual case. The legal basis for such data processing is Sect. 11(1) of the Saxon Data Protection Implementation Act (SächsDSDG) in conjunction with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The controller for the application process within the meaning of the GDPR is the addressee of the application, specified in the advertisement.

Your personal data will be stored for six months after the end of the recruitment process and then erased or destroyed in accordance with data protection regulations. You may refuse or withdraw your consent with effect for the future without giving reasons. In these cases, Leipzig University will not or no longer be able to process and consider your application. Under the GDPR, subject to the relevant statutory requirements you have the following rights vis-à-vis the addressee of the application with regard to your personal data: right of access (Art. 15 GDPR); right to rectification of inaccurate personal data (Art. 16 GDPR); right to erasure (Art. 17 GDPR); right to restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR); and right to object to processing (Art. 21 GDPR). If you have any questions, please contact the Data Protection Officer at Leipzig University (office: Augustusplatz 10, 04109 Leipzig). You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Saxon Commissioner for Data Protection.