Research Scientist and Project Coordinator; m​/f​/d) field of Zooplankton Biodiversity

Organisation/Company Senckenberg Gesellschaft fuer Naturforschung Research Field Biological sciences » Zoology Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Master Positions Final date to receive applications 8 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Berlin) Country Germany Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Negotiable Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number 06-26009 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Senckenberg Society for Nature Research (SGN), headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, is seeking to fill the following position at its institute Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research in Hamburg, starting as soon as possible:

Research Scientist and Project Coordinator (m/f/d) in the field of Zooplankton Biodiversity (full time / part-time)

Location:

Hamburg
Employment scope: full-time / part-time options available
Type of contract: temporary contract limited until 30.09.2029
Remuneration: collective agreement of the state Hesse, TV-H E13

The Senckenberg Society for Nature Research is a member of the Leibniz Association and has been investigating the “Earth System” worldwide for more than 200 years, examining the past, analysing the present, and developing projections for the future. We conduct integrative geobiodiversity research with the aim of understanding nature in all its complexity and diversity in order to preserve it as the foundation of life for future generations and to ensure its sustainable use.

Across eight institutes and five research stations throughout Germany, scientists from more than 40 countries conduct research at the highest international level.

The German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB) is one of the two departments of Senckenberg am Meer and is based at two locations, Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg. The Hamburg site focuses on research on marine biodiversity, including the taxonomy and systematics of marine organisms.

The position is based within the Zooplankton Working Group and is part of the joint project ZooM-In (Innovative Methods for National Zooplankton Monitoring), contributing to the further development and standardization of modern methods for marine biodiversity monitoring. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the National Biodiversity Monitoring Centre’s initiative Sustainable Biodiversity Monitoring.
The project will be carried out in close cooperation with the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) as well as federal and state authorities.

• Project management of the project ZooM-In
• Organisation of and participation in monthly expeditions (March-October, 3-4 days per months) to the North Sea
• Organisation of project workshops
• assessment of zooplankton biodiversity by imaging technologies
• Cross validation of zooplankton biodiversity assessment by traditional microscopy, molecular genetics and imaging methods
• Communication of project results to stakeholders
• Publication of project results in peer-reviewed journals
• Master degree in marine biology or natural sciences
• Expertise in the application of plankton imaging technologies (Zoo Scan and/or Plankto Scope)
• Relevant knowledge on molecular genetic analyses of organisms, ideally metabarcoding of zooplankton
• Experience in data analyses, preferably using R
• Experience with sea-going expeditions on research vessels and sampling of plankton, resilience to motion sickness
• Willingness to participate in interdisciplinary work
• Very good communication skills, ability to work in a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary…