GFZ is Germany's national centre for solid Earth research. We advance the understanding of dynamic processes to address global challenges, from mitigating the impacts of natural hazards and sustaining our habitat amid global change to responsibly managing georesources. We are part of the Helmholtz Association, the largest German scientific organisation. With around 1,200 employees as well as ca. 500 guest researchers, we contribute to the Helmholtz Research Field Earth and Environment, aligning cutting-edge research with societal relevance and international collaboration. Our work integrates multidisciplinary studies across Earth's system components, leveraging advanced technologies and infrastructure to research solutions and to transfer our knowledge to society. We are doing this according to our vision: “Taking the pulse of our Earth to safeguard a habitable planet”.

For section  4.7 “Earth Surface Process Modeling” (department  4: “Geosysteme”), we are looking for a:

Scientific programmer (f_m_x) - Integrating Databases into Digital Twin

Reference Number 10765

The position will be hosted at the GFZ in Potsdam in the Earth Surface Process Modelling (ESPM) group of Jean Braun, where numerical models are developed and used to investigate a wide range of physical, chemical and biological processes and interactions occurring at the Earth’s surface that are driven by tectonic processes and modulated by climate. The ESPM section hosts approximately 15 researchers from diverse backgrounds and with varied research interests.

Your responsibilities:

• Develop Python code to access and gather a large variety of geological databases into a consistent data catalogue
• Develop data processing pipelines to organise, prepare and transform the data into a format suitable for direct integration within models
• Optimise data access for use within the context of repeated simulations
• Ensure code quality and set up continuous integration pipelines to maintain data catalogue integrity and accessibility
• Publish and document open-source software

Your qualifications:

Essential:

• Completed University degree in Computer Science (or a comparable field)

• Technical skills:

  - Advanced level programming in Python (especially with Pandas, NumPy, Xarray, etc.)

  - Good experience with data manipulation, conversion and cleaning techniques

  - Good experience with data formats (CSV, Excel, JSON, Parquet, XML, HDF5, NetCDF, etc.)

  - Familiarity with consuming RESTful APIs and with database systems

  - Familiarity with software development tools such as version control (Git/GitHub)

• Ability to handle messy, unstructured, or incomplete data efficiently

• Ability to clearly document and explain data transformation steps

• Excellent communication and organisational skills

• Fluency in English (written and spoken)

Desirable:

• Experience with Python geospatial and scientific libraries, such as Xarray, Dask, GeoPandas, etc.
• Experience with data cataloguing tools (e.g., Intake)
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and cloud-native data formats (Zarr, Geoparquet, etc.)
• Experience in the usage and/or development of models in geosciences

What we offer:

• Ambitious and varied tasks in a dynamic and international research environment
• State-of-the-art equipment
• Public service benefits
• Extensive training opportunities
• Flexible working hours and conditions
• Support with finding a good work-life balance offered by benefit@work
• Institute day-care centre on site
• Working at the Albert Einstein science park on the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam
• Work place within walking distance of Potsdam main train station, or just a short ride on the shuttle bus

Start date: As soon as possible

Fixed-term: 2 years

Salary: The position is classed as salary group 11 according to “TVöD Bund (Tarifgebiet Ost)”. The salary group is determined on the basis of the Collective Wage Agreement and the respective personal qualifications.

Working hours: Full-time 100% (currently 39 h/week), the position is generally suitable for part-time work.

Place of work: Potsdam

Have we piqued your interest?

If so, we look forward to receiving your application by 14th December 2025 .

Required documents: CV and cover letter

Please use our online application form only.

The GFZ actively promotes diversity and explicitly welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of ethnic and social origin, nationality, gender, sexual orientation and identity, religion/belief, age and physical characteristics. We also promote an inclusive working environment in which everyone can fully develop their own talents. Anyone who has been recognised as severely disabled, will be given preferential consideration in the event of equal suitability and qualification in accordance with the provisions of the German Social Code IX. In case of further queries regarding gender equality, please do not hesitate to contact our Equal Opportunities Officer.

Apply

“Diversity in perspectives” is one of GFZ's core values. As an integral part of supporting diversity at our centre, we actively promote women in science and in leadership positions. We among others do this through our gender equality plan and the cascade model measures which we actively implement to enable sustainable equal opportunities in academic career paths. The GFZ thus committedly strives for gender equality in science, including in leadership positions, and strongly encourages women to apply.

Your personal data will be processed for the purpose of conducting the selection procedure on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 b, Art. 88 GDPR in conjunction with Art. 26 of the Data Protection Act for the State of Brandenburg. After completion of the procedure, application documents will be deleted in compliance with data protection regulations.

In case of any further queries relating to the field of activity, please contact Prof. Dr. Jean Braun via email. If you have any general questions about the application process, please contact our recruiting team at our phone number +49 (0) 331-6264-28787.