Scientist - Federated Accounting Framework & Service Architecture for the Accounting4NFDI Project

Work group:L

Area of research:Scientific / postdoctoral posts

Starting date:21.10.2026

Job description:DESY

Distributed research infrastructures (compute, storage, licenses, facilities, scientific instruments and digital services) require transparent usage information to support sustainable operation and fair access. Accounting4NFDI is developing a unified, federated accounting framework for NFDI consortia and services. Based on FAIR principles, the framework will align with EOSC requirements and is intended to become a Base4NFDI service that interoperates with existing infrastructures rather than replacing them. DESY and the University of Freiburg jointly lead the work package "Accounting Framework, Service Concept and Dashboard". At DESY, you will conduct independent scientific and conceptual work on the accounting model, federated service and interface architecture, reporting and dashboard concepts, and their validation across heterogeneous research infrastructures. Your focus will be on developing, evaluating and generalising models and architectural concepts for interoperable research infrastructures.

About your role:

• Scientifically analyse and abstract heterogeneous accounting requirements of research infrastructures and develop a unified, resource-oriented accounting and information model
• Develop and evaluate a federated service, integration and information architecture for Accounting4NFDI, including concepts and specifications for interoperable APIs and exchange formats
• Develop reporting and dashboard concepts based on the accounting framework, including suitable attributes, aggregations and evaluation logic for different stakeholder groups
• Methodically validate accounting models, architecture and interface concepts through use cases, Proofs of Concept (PoCs) and integration scenarios, and derive generalisable findings for further development
• Document, publish and present scientific and technical results; contribute to workshops, knowledge transfer and community engagement within NFDI, Base4NFDI and EOSC

About you:

• Completed University degree in Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics or a comparable field, a PhD or equivalent experiences is helpful
• Strong knowledge of data/information modelling, federated architectures, web APIs and interoperable exchange formats
• Fluent German and English (project language)
• Excellent analytical and conceptual skills; able to work independently on scientific/technical questions
• Experience in interdisciplinary collaboration and documenting complex concepts
• Strong communication and presentation skills; able to discuss and defend concepts across stakeholder groups
• Familiarity with FAIR principles, Open Science and research infrastructures
• Knowledge of NFDI, Base4NFDI and/or EOSC
• Knowledge of OAuth2/OIDC and IAM4NFDI
• Advantage: experience with reporting/dashboards or data harvesting/aggregation

Look forward to a unique working environment on our international research campus. Respectful cooperation and the well-being of our staff are central to us, with gender equality forming a key part of this commitment. To support work life balance we offer flexible working hours, variable part-time, job-sharing models and participation in mobile work (up to 50%). You will benefit from our family-friendly and collegial atmosphere, our established health management and occupational pension provision. As a public funded employer, we offer you a secure workplace and facilitate your individual career with our comprehensive training and development opportunities. Remuneration is according to the regulations of the TV-AVH. DESY offers its employees a financial supplement for a German job ticket (Deutschland-Ticket) at both locations.

We look forward to receiving your application via our application portal:Apply now DESY promotes the professional development of women and therefore strongly encourages women to apply for the position to be filled. In addition, severely handicapped persons with equal aptitude are given preferential consideration. The advertised positions are basically suitable for part-time employment.You can find further information here: https://www.desy.de/career/Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESYPersonalabteilung | Notkestraße 85 | 22607 HamburgPhone: +49 40 8998-3392This research center is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. With more than 42,000 employees and an annual budget of over € 5 billion, the Helmholtz Association is Germany's largest scientific organisation.