Junior Group Leader

The Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function (SIP) in Jena is seeking to fill the position of a

**Junior Group Leader (M/F/d) in Digital Collectomics**

**Developing modern technologies for collection-based research**

**Location**:Jena, Germany

**Employment scope**:Full-time (40 hours / week) / part-time options are available (minimum 75%)

**Type of contract**:The contract shall start at the earliest possible date. The position is initially limited. The type of time limitation depends on individual profile and legal framework (maximum 6 years). A later permanent employment (Tenure Track) is intended after a positive evaluation. Opportunities for advancements to a professorship exist and depend on the successful acquisition of funds for outstanding excellence.

**Remuneration**:Collective agreement of the German Länder, TV-L E 13

Founded in 1817, Senckenberg Society for Nature Research (SGN) counts among the world’s leading research institutions in the field of biodiversity. At our twelve sites in Germany, scientists from over 40 nations conduct cutting-edge research on an international scale.

In April 2024, the Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function Jena (SIP) was newly founded in cooperation with the Friedrich Schiller University Jena around the Herbarium Haussknecht. Jena is a research city with state-of-the-art scientific facilities. In SIP, the four departments Functional Plant Biodiversity, Integrative Plant Taxonomy, Ecology and Evolution of Bryophytes and Digital Collectomics work together to analyse Anthropocene Biodiversity Change using collection based modern and innovative methods in large temporal depth and on broad spatial scale.

Senckenberg is committed to study the causes and effects of biodiversity loss in the Anthropocene. As part of our strategic development, we launched an ambitious long-term research effort in “Anthropocene Biodiversity Loss” encompassing the modules “Collectomics”, “Biodiversity Genomics”, and “Solution Labs”. Objectives include the transformation of natural history collections into the digital era, studying biodiversity from the genome to the ecosystem levels and offering exploratory spaces for science and society to develop common solutions to Anthropocene challenges.

Within this research effort, Senckenberg takes innovative steps in collection-based research and data science. The objective of “Collectomics” is to make current and future natural history collections digitally accessible and to improve integration and collaboration across regions, collections, and disciplines. This will enable broader, more holistic biodiversity research, for the benefit of people and nature.

**Your Tasks**
- Exploration, development and implementation of methods for collection digitization and automated extraction and analysis of information from collection material with a specific focus on herbaria (e.g. plant traits, chemical values, metadata from herbarium specimens) and corresponding modelling in the field of biodiversity research
- Conceptual development and integration of databases including exchange protocols to existing collections of Senckenberg and beyond
- Responsibility for the maintenance of plant and herbarium related databases
- Cooperation with scientists from other Senckenberg Institutes, including the Senckenberg data and modelling centre, and local institutes in and around Jena (e.g., the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig) as well as international networks
- Participation in the MSc Evolution, Ecology and Systematics at Friedrich Schiller University Jena through the development of interdisciplinary courses in the fields of computer science and biology
- Collaboration in establishing and developing the profile of the new Senckenberg institute in Jena through the implementation of modern technologies for collection-based research (“_Digital Collectomics_”).

**Your Profile**
- Doctoral degree in computer science or natural science, preferably biology, but in this case with proven expertise in the field of computer science or using computer vision methods
- Excellent knowledge of the development and implementation of methods in the field of digitization, artificial intelligence, machine learning and/or 2D/3D imaging and corresponding modelling in the field of biodiversity research, documented through publications in international peer-reviewed scientific journals
- Interest in scientific and natural history collections (herbaria) and in biological questions as well as in inter
- and transdisciplinary work in research and teaching
- Experience in the acquisition and implementation of third-party funded projects
- Ability to provide dedicated leadership
- Fluency in English both spoken and written is mandatory; good knowledge of German or willingness to learn German is advantageous
- Motivation, commitment and the ability to develop and implement own research ideas
- Experience in guiding students, s