Research Assistant

research assistant (f/m/d)

(agricultural, soil, geological or environmental sciences)

with 65% of the regular weekly working time in the integrated research project “DeniDrain“. The position is to be filled earliest and limited until 31.12.2026.

Denitrification in soil has been intensively studied for more than 100 years, but previous experimental studies and thus also the parameterization of the models refer almost exclusively to the deep vadosezone. Together with the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), the Thünen Institute is investigating denitrification in the unsaturated drainage zone below the root zone. The aim of this collaborative project is to quantitatively determine the mitigation of nitrate inputs to groundwater by the degradation of nitrate to N2O and N2 by denitrification in the deep vadose zone. After a suitable site selection, current denitrification rates of these sites and effects of different control variables will be investigated in the laboratory. At BGR, the data obtained will then be used to test and improve models.

Your tasks:

- assistance with sampling
- conducting laboratory experiments on denitrification and nitrate leaching
- scientific data analysis and statistical evaluation
- publication of results in scientific journals
- presentation of results at national and international conferences

Professional skills:

- good university degree ((university diploma, MSc.) in agricultural, soil, geosciences or environmental sciences or comparable disciplines with a scientific background
- knowledge in the field of nitrogen turnover in agricultural soils
- experience in field and/or laboratory work in the field of agriculture/soil science desired
- good statistical knowledge

Personal/Social skills:

- independent and self-reliant scientific way of working
- high level of motivation and enjoyment of scientific work, willingness to learn new methods, technical skills
- excellent communication skills in English, good German language skills necessary
- driving license class B desirable

Our offer:

- ** Security and benefits**: collectively agreed, fixed-term employment with attractive social benefits (e.g. company pension scheme, annual one-off payment, capital-forming benefits) upon fulfilment of the collective agreement and personal requirements according to pay group 13 TVöD
- ** Responsibility and a sense of purpose**: responsible work in a dedicated team, involvement in a dynamic, interdisciplinary research institute and proximity to current policy and practice-relevant topics
- ** Flexibility and work-life balance**: flexible working time models, fundamental possibility of mobile working and teleworking, certified employer berufundfamilie audit with a wide range of offers for reconciling work and life phases
- ** Prospects**: further training opportunities for the area of responsibility and individual development
- ** Health**: company health management and preventative healthcare programmes
- ** Mobility**: JobTicket, public transport connections, free parking spaces and the option of using e-charging stations

Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut

Institut für Agrarklimaschutz

Bundesallee 65

38116 Braunschweig