Earth System Modeler

The University of Bonn is an international research university with a wide education and research profile. With a 200-year history, approximately 31,500 students, more than 6,000 staff, and an excellent reputation at home and abroad, the University of Bonn is one of the most important universities in Germany and is recognized as a university of excellence.

The AEI faculty and the Collaborative Research Centre 1502 on Regional Climate Change: Disentangling the Role of Land Use and Water Management (DETECT) seeking, to start as soon as possible, an

Earth System Modeler (f/m/d)

in permanent employment with 100% working hours. The successful candidate is expected to support the CRC’s modelling activities within its central supercomputing project. The position will be based at the DETECT coordination office in Bonn. After the closing of the CRC, a move to an interdisciplinary role within the AEI faculty is intended.

Your tasks:

• Scientific software development, e.g., with ICON, eCLM, ParFlow, Fesom, PDAF, and coupling infrastructures (like YAC, OASIS-MCT) for Earth system models,
• Provide general HPC support and coordination towards exascale system use,
• Full-workflow support for state-of-the-art (km-scale) climate simulations on latest supercomputers, contribution to simulation configurations and setups,
• Collaboration with project partners, supercomputing centres, national and international modelling consortia,
• Teaching (4 SWS) and user training,
• Presentation of scientific results at conferences and in publications.

Your qualifications:

• Master and PhD degree in geosciences, oceanography, meteorology, climate sciences, simulation sciences, or a related field,
• Independent, proactive and structured way of working and a pronounced hands-on mentality,
• Experience in HPC workflows and big data handling; experience in computational analytics desirable,
• Experience in porting, tuning, maintenance of state-of-the-art Earth system models and their components on latest (heterogeneous) supercomputers using latest research software engineering principles,
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in German and English,
• Committed, flexible, team-oriented, reliable and interested in further training,
• High organizational competence, as well as high level of commitment and resilience.

We offer:

• a varied and challenging position with one of the biggest employers in the area,
• participation in the university-wide pension system (VBL),
• access to the extensive university sports program,
• excellent access by public transport thanks to Bonn’s central location as well as the opportunity to take advantage of low-cost parking,
• salary based on the 13 TV-L scale,
• an open, stimulating and interdisciplinary work environment.

DETECT is a research network of hydrologists, meteorologists, land-use modelers, geodesists, data assimilation and remote sensing specialists, data scientists, agricultural economists, and social scientists from the Faculties of Agricultural, Nutritional and Engineering Sciences and Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms University Bonn, the Universities of Göttingen and Heidelberg, the Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Deutscher Wetterdienst. Projects within DETECT investigate how land-use and water management lead to persistent modifications in the coupled water and energy cycles of land and atmosphere (‘drying’ and ‘wetting’); and thus disentangle the role of these drivers of regional climate change from radiative forcing. They develop evidence-based sustainability criteria for climate-smart land and water use. The SFB 1502 is well embedded in the excellent research infrastructure of the participating institutions and offers access to state-of-the-art technologies and a vibrant scientific community.

The University of Bonn promotes an open, respectful, and non-discriminatory academic culture and is actively committed to equal opportunity and family friendliness. We aim to eliminate structural disadvantages and to strengthen diversity in research, teaching, and administration. Therefore, we welcome all applications, regardless of ethnic or social background, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, disability, or age.

Applications from women and people with a documented severe disability (or equivalent status) will be given preferential consideration in accordance with the State Equality Act (LGG) NRW and Social Code (SGB) IX.

Inquiries and applications (CV, letter of motivation, list of publications and similar activities, certificates, expected availability date, and recommendation letter(s) and/or reference contacts) should be sent by August 30, 2026 to Prof. Jürgen Kusche, University of Bonn, Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation (kusche@uni-bonn.de) with the application code 2026/212. Before sending your application, please combine and convert all of your documents into one PDF file.