Research Software Engineer (f​/m​/x) 3D Visualisation Web Application

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) is a world-leading institution in environmental research and a member of the Helmholtz Association, Germany’s largest scientific organisation. With approximately 1,200 employees across Leipzig, Halle, and Magdeburg, we have been conducting research since 1991 using a transdisciplinary approach to address the most pressing challenges of our time: biodiversity loss, climate change, and environmental pollution.

Our goal is to translate excellent research into practical solutions for policymakers, business, and society, and to serve as a reliable partner in supporting transformation processes toward a sustainable and just future for current and future generations. We foster a culture of collaboration, openness, and diversity within a work environment that actively promotes creativity and personal development.

We are looking for a research software engineer to develop, together with us, our next generation 3D visualisation software for Open Geo Sys . The software integrates geoscientific data from various sources, numerical models and simulation results in a common interface. It will support the work of researchers, developers, numerical modellers and users from our application areas: geothermal energy, energy storage and safe nuclear waste disposal.

The application is targeted at desktops and tablets on a multitude of different operating systems. It will lift the usability of our software and workflows to the next level, providing a visual representation of numerical models together with relevant context information from the application background in a unified environment. The application will become a central part of our software ecosystem (which includes the C++ FEM simulation code Open Geo Sys , its Python toolsuite OGSTools and numerous visualisation solutions based on the Unity and Unreal engines).

We are an interdisciplinary team of visualisation experts, software developers, natural scientists and engineers. We build high quality, robust (research) software that makes the difference for our domain experts and collaborators. And we are looking for you to reinforce our team!

• Building an interactive web application for 3D visualizations based on Trame
• Developing and evaluating suitable visualisation methods for heterogeneous data collections and multivariate data
• Implementing data processing workflows as a prerequisite for visualisation
• Connecting the application to external databases and GIS systems
• Interfacing the application with simulation tools (most notably Open Geo Sys ) leveraging synergies with the existing OGSTools suite
• Documenting the developed software and presenting it to collaborators and at conferences/ workshops

• The freedom to master even the most demanding challenges between basic research and practical application
• The chance to work in interdisciplinary, international teams and benefit from a variety of perspectives
• First class integration into national and international research networks to work together on global challenges
• Excellent research infrastructure and research data management to optimally support your work
• Flexible working hours and a wide range of options for balancing work and care responsibilities through our family office
• Competent support and advice for international colleagues arriving at the UFZ from the 'International Office'
• Special annual payment, capital-forming benefits and subsidised Germany Job Ticket
• A workplace in a vibrant region with a high-life quality and social and cultural diversity

• A university degree (MSc or higher) in a project-related field (STEM)
• In-depth knowledge of VTK and Para View
• Experience with scientific 3D/4D visualisation
• Experience in UI-Design
• Solid experience with Python including libraries such as Trame, PyVista or Geo Pandas
• Proven software development skills including a good understanding of best practices and a sense of good software architecture
• Software testing experience incl. automated UI tests
• Experience with any of the following will be helpful:
• Geographic Information Systems (e.g. Arc…