Scientific Programmer (m/f/d): Climate Modelling, Data Infrastructure and Online Tools

Scientific Programmer (m/f/d): Climate Modelling, Data Infrastructure and Online Tools
Scientist
Jena
Developmental and Evolutionary Biology & Genetics
Immunobiology and Infection Biology & Medicine
Earth Sciences and Climate Research
Social Sciences
Linguistics
Job Offer from October 23, 2026
The Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA) was founded in summer 2022 and is a dynamically growing, highly-interdisciplinary and international research institution. The research focuses on modeling and analyzing the interrelationships between biophysical and human-made systems, looking from the deep past to the future. The institute examines how humanity has driven the emergence of the Anthropocene – the period in which human activities began significantly impacting our planet’s climate and ecosystems – and identifying potential intervention points towards a more sustainable future.
The
Carl Zeiss Stiftung Independent Research Group on High-End Climate Risks (CZS-HECR)
at MPI-GEA works towards an end-to-end understanding of worst-case climate outcomes, from unprecedented and compounding extremes to their societal impacts. The group combines fundamental physical process understanding rooted in climate physics and Earth System analyses, targeted climate model experiments, advanced statistics, including machine-learning- and explainable AI to deliver usable climate risk estimates under current and future climates for core societal sectors such as health, food, energy and finance.
Candidate tasks
Develop, deploy and maintain the real-time online tool that detects and visualizes global record-breaking and compounding extreme weather events as they occur.
Set up, operate and maintain numerical and AI/ML-based climate models and aid in the setup of modeling experiments on MPI-GEA’s HPC systems
Build and maintain a climate database, including reanalysis, observational, model and impact data, with reproducible workflows
Develop and maintain analytical tools and shared code libraries for the research group
(Co-)author scientific publications and present research at workshops and conferences
Support group members in efficient data handling, machine learning workflows and good software practice (version control, testing, documentation)
Ensure that data, code and tools are documented, and available for use by the wider community
Your qualification
Essential
PhD in climate, physics, math, data science, or related fields
Experience with climate model data and gridded climate data tools and libraries (e.g. xarray, Dask, CDO)
Experience with machine-learning frameworks (e.g. PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX)
Experience with setting up climate or weather model simulations and with HPC environments
Experience in web development and deploying interactive data platforms (e.g. web mapping and dashboards, containers, APIs)
Good command of written and spoken English
Our offer
The full-time or part-time position with at least 34 hours/week will begin on the 1
st
of January, 2027, though some flexibility in start date is possible. The term is five years. Renumeration will follow the public service pay scale (TVöD Bund) up to paygroup 13, according to the candidate’s qualifications and experience. You are entitled to an annual bonus, 31 days' holiday and time off on 24th and 31st December. We also offer attractive, family-friendly flexi-time and remote-working arrangements. A company pension scheme (VBL), an employer subsidy for public transport, the opportunity for further training, and language and health courses complete our offer.
The Max Planck Society is committed to employing more individuals with disabilities and especially encourages them to apply. We are also committed to encouraging diversity and actively challenging biases based on gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion and other components of identity. We were honored with the TOTAL E-QUALITY award for the first time in 2023 for our commitment.
The Max Planck Society supports the compatibility of family and career and is certified according to the "berufundfamilie" (“job and family”) audit.
Your application should include
A cover letter
A CV of no more than 3 pages
A summary of research interests with max. 2 pages
A list of scientific, peer-reviewed publications or examples of successful coding projects related to the position
Contacts of two referees
Any relevant certificates
Position remains open until filled.
Contact for more information
Application portal
Dr. Kai Kornhuber
Email:
kornhuber@gea.mpg.de