GFZ is Germany's national centre for solid Earth research. We advance the understanding of dynamic processes to address global challenges, from mitigating the impacts of natural hazards and sustaining our habitat amid global change to responsibly managing georesources. We are part of the Helmholtz Association, the largest German scientific organisation. With around 1,200 employees as well as ca. 500 guest researchers, we contribute to the Helmholtz Research Field Earth and Environment, aligning cutting-edge research with societal relevance and international collaboration. Our work integrates multidisciplinary studies across Earth's system components, leveraging advanced technologies and infrastructure to research solutions and to transfer our knowledge to society. We are doing this in line with our vision: “Taking the pulse of our Earth to safeguard a habitable planet”.
For section 1.4 "Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics" (department "Geosystems") we are looking for a:
Join our international research activities in the field of global forest monitoring and Earth observation as a parental leave replacement.
The work will be related to the R&D Component of the Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI). GFOI addresses methodological and technical challenges that interfere with progress in forest and land-use monitoring and subsequent greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting efforts for reporting countries. The primary aim is to foster a community of experts to highlight scientific advancements and emerging technical methods that can enhance the efficiency of forest and land use monitoring systems. The research focuses on tropical forests, Earth Observation-based forest monitoring, REDD+ reporting requirements, AFOLU reporting, and capacity building in tropical partner countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Development and application of innovative large-scale/global remote sensing methods for the routine monitoring of forest ecosystems
- Coordination of projects within the framework of the Global Forest Observation Initiative (GFOI)
- Analysis, interpretation and visualisation of remote sensing and in-situ data
- Development of operational products and services on a global scale, with a focus on tropical forest carbon emissions and emission reductions
- Publication of scientific results in international journals and presentation of research results at national and international conferences, as well as policy forums
- Participation in the application process for national and international research projects
- Establishing and maintaining scientific collaborations with national and international partner institutions, including government agencies and international development organisations
- Professional supervision of students, interns and doctoral candidates
Essential Qualifications:
- Experience in the assessment of the maturity of novel methods using Earth Observation data, with knowledge of end-user requirements within national forest monitoring systems
- A completed Master`s degree (or equivalent) and a doctorate in the field of remote sensing, geosciences, geoinformatics, environmental sciences, data science or comparable disciplines
- In-depth knowledge of remote sensing, tropical forest monitoring and geospatial data analysis
- Experience in processing and analysing multi-temporal remote sensing datasets and spatial data
- Knowledge of carbon accounting, MRV systems and the analysis of emissions and emission reductions from deforestation and forest degradation in tropical forests
- Programming skills in R and/or Python
- Experience in scientific work and publishing
- Knowledge of project management and experience in the acquisition and management of third-party funding projects
- Very good English skills, both spoken and written
Desirable Qualifications:
- Experience in an international scientific environment, including collaboration with tropical partner countries
- In-depth knowledge of REDD+, AFOLU reporting (IPCC guidelines, UNFCCC frameworks) and cooperation with tropical partner countries
- Experience with cloud computing and big data technologies
- Working knowledge of additional languages relevant for cooperation with partner countries (e.g. Spanish, Portuguese, French)
- German language skills (intermediate or higher) are an advantage.
- Experience representing scientific or technical work in international policy processes (e.g. UNFCCC, GFOI, SilvaCarbon, FAO)
- Strong communication and teamwork skills
Start date: As soon as possible
Fixed-term: 16 months / parental leave
Salary: The position is classed as salary group 13 according to “TVöD Bund (Tarifgebiet Ost)”. The salary group is determined on the basis of the Collective Wage Agreement and the respective personal qualifications.
Working hours: Full-time (currently 39 h/week); The position is generally suitable for part-time work.
Place of work: Potsdam
- Ambitious and varied tasks in a dynamic and international research environment
- State-of-the-art equipment
- Public service benefits
- Extensive training opportunities
- Professional career advice offered by our in-house Career-Centre
- Flexible working hours and conditions
- Support with finding a good work-life balance offered by benefit@work
- Institute day-care centre on site
- Working at the Albert Einstein Science Park on the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam
- Workplace within walking distance of Potsdam main train station, or just a short ride on the shuttle bus
If so, we look forward to receiving your application by 17th June 2026. Please use our online application form only.
Required documents: motivation letter, CV, certificates/grades
The GFZ actively promotes diversity and explicitly welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of ethnic and social origin, nationality, gender, sexual orientation and identity, religion/belief, age and physical characteristics. We also promote an inclusive working environment in which everyone can fully develop their own talents. Anyone who has been recognised as severely disabled will be given preferential consideration in the event of equal suitability and qualification in accordance with the provisions of the German Social Code IX. If you have any further queries regarding gender equality, please do not hesitate to contact our Equal Opportunities Officer.
“Diversity in perspectives” is one of GFZ's core values. As an integral part of supporting diversity at our centre, we actively promote women in science and in leadership positions. We, among others, do this through our gender equality plan and the cascade model measures, which we actively implement to enable sustainable equal opportunities in academic career paths. The GFZ thus committedly strives for gender equality in science, including in leadership positions, and strongly encourages women to apply.
Data protection information for applicants
In case of any further queries regarding the field of activity, please contact Dr. Daniela Requena-Suarez via email. If you have any general questions about the application process, please contact our recruiting team at our phone number +49 (0) 331-6264-28787.
