Planetary Research Jobs

We are currently hiring 18 Doctoral (75% E13 TV-L) and 6 Postdoctoral Researchers (100% E13 TV-L) within the SFB 1759 for the first funding period of the SFB 1759 (10/2026–06/3030). The starting dates are flexible but funding is limited to 30 June 2030. The regular working time for full (100%) employment is between 39.4 hours (for positions in Berlin) / 39.83 hours per week (Dresden and Bochum). Good English language skills (written and oral) are required.

The participating institutions are equal opportunity employers and are committed to increasing the proportion of women academics. Consequently, we actively encourage applications by women. Female candidates with equivalent qualifications and academic achievements will be preferentially considered within the framework of the legal possibilities. We also welcome applications from candidates with severe disabilities. Disabled candidates with equivalent qualifications will be preferentially considered, although some restrictions related to accessing laboratory facilities may apply in some projects.

Applications should be written in English and include a cover letter, the names of three (postdoc positions) or two (doctoral positions) referees, CV, copies of degree certificates and transcripts, all combined into a single pdf (max. 10 MB). Please indicate which position(s) you are applying for via the reference codes below and email your application to coord@sfb1759-planetary-habitability.de. Please also consider the more detailed description of the positions including necessary requirements posted on the institutional websites. All individual position announcements will be linked here once published by the institutions in the coming weeks. Positions may have different individual application deadlines, but review of all applications will begin 22 July 2026 and will continue until all positions have been filled.

1. Postdoctoral position in B01 | Differentiation (FUB/TUB, Berlin): The subproject will study the coupled thermal and orbital evolution of icy moons, focusing in the first project phase on Saturn’s active moon Enceladus. The task of the postdoctoral work will be to investigate the orbital evolution, including the interaction with the planet, the Saturnian satellite system, and the rings. The research will be carried out in close collaboration with a doctoral position in B01, that will study the interior evolution and differentiation of Enceladus. For plausible orbital evolution scenarios the coupling of these processes will be explored, which is established by the temperature and frequency dependent mechanical properties of the interior. The postdoctoral researcher (reference code SFB1759-B01-JS) will implement an N-body code for the orbital evolution of a system of icy satellites and will include tidal interactions in that model to study the coupled thermal and orbital evolution. Also numerically less demanding approximations will be used, in terms of orbit averaged evolution equations for the orbital parameters. In later phases, the methods will be applied to other icy moons, dwarf planets, KBOs, and exomoons. In this way the project will contribute to the understanding of the formation of habitable niches on bodies with a substantial water fraction. The researcher will conduct parameter studies, analyse the results, present at conferences, and contribute to publications. For more information, please contact Jürgen Schmidt (juergen.schmidt@fu-berlin.de).
2. Postdoctoral position in B02 | Ice shells (DLR/FUB, Berlin): In this project we will investigate the efficiency of material transport between the surface and the subsurface ocean of Europa. We will combine large-scale dynamics within the ice shell with impact processes to determine to what extent material exchange between surface and ocean on Europa could be facilitated by impacts and how impacts affect the ice shell structure and evolution. This project will investigate what type of material will reach the surface, at what locations, and on which timescales. This information can in turn be used to provide predictions for future measurements to assess the habitability of the subsurface ocean of Europa. The Postdoctoral researcher (reference code SFB1759-B02-AP) will perform thermochemical geodynamic modelling necessary to address material transport through the ice shell including surface mobilization, incorporate the effects of impacts on the ice shell dynamics and material transport through the ice shell, and model the surface composition. For more information, please contact Ana-Catalina Plesa (ana.plesa@dlr.de).
3. One Postdoctoral and two Doctoral positions in B03 | Mars (FUB/DLR, Berlin): In this project we will investigate the subsurface environment and the evolution of the groundwater table on Mars through time by combining numerical models of large-scale impacts, impact-induced hydrothermal systems, interior evolution, and water-rock reactions. This combined modelling approach will provide a unique framework to investigate the formation and evolution of subsurface habitable environments on Mars. The Postdoctoral researcher (reference code SFB1759-B03-KW) will address two major topics (impact effects on the subsurface environment and formation of hydrothermal systems), working with a model to investigate the formation and evolution of hydrothermal systems, and by including extensive changes to the iSALE code, requiring experience in using the iSALE code and code development in general. The first PhD researcher (reference code SFB1759-B03-AP) will run thermal evolution models including the effects of large-scale impacts and develop groundwater maps at various points in time. The second PhD researcher (reference code SFB1759-B03-TJ) will perform thermodynamic modeling of fluid storage capacities of various Martin crust lithologies, determine the fluid chemistry and petrophysic properties of Martian crust, and provide look up tables. For more information, please contact Kai Wünnemann (Kai.Wuennemann@mfn.berlin), Ana-Catalina Plesa (ana.plesa@dlr.de) and Timm John (timm.john@fu-berlin.de).
4. One Postdoctoral and one Doctoral position in B05 | Statistics (FUB/DLR, Berlin): The overarching goal of this project is to develop an integrated, physics-based framework to assess the long-term habitability of rocky exoplanets. We aim to quantify how a planet’s interior structure, tectonic regime, volatile cycling, and redox state interact with its atmospheric evolution and escape processes to determine whether liquid water can persist on its surface over geological timescales. The postdoctoral researcher (reference code SFB1759-B05-HR) will advance the 1D-TERRA atmospheric code and couple it with the interior–atmosphere code TEMPURA. The researcher will then calculate theoretical spectra and conduct detectability analyses with current and future missions. The Doctoral researcher (reference code SFB1759-B05-NT) will extend the TEMPURA code and perform ensembles of coupled interior-atmosphere simulations of long-term planetary habitability. For more information, please contact Heike Rauer (heike.rauer@dlr.de) and Nicola Tosi (nicola.tosi@dlr.de).
5. One Doctoral and one Postdoctoral position in C03 | Biosignatures (TUB/FUB, Berlin / TU Dresden): Biosignature assessment needs to consider its stability and resilience against degradation in order to persist in the environment over relevant exposure timescales. Studying the (photo)chemical evolution and stability of biosignatures experimentally in simulated planetary environmental conditions will allow us to understand kinetic pathways, degradation routes, fragmentation products and volatilization. The subproject also addresses the crucial question of how uncertainty in biosignature detection is communicated and perceived by the public. The Doctoral researcher (reference code SFB1759-C03-DS) will conduct laboratory experiments under Mars simulated conditions, which will be conducted in a specialized chamber, and will as well work in the hyperarid Atacama Desert. The researcher will use specific microorganism and evaluate what biomarkers remain after exposure to Mars or Mars-like conditions. The Postdoctoral researcher (reference code SFB1759-C03-FP) will conduct microbial experiments relevant for icy moons with an electron gun in Berlin and in Leipzig. In addition, UV radiation campaigns have to be conducted in both Berlin and in the laboratories of our collaborators at the Open University in the UK, and possibly sample preparation for exposure experiments in space. The tasks also include analysis with the LILBID experiment at FUB of the samples before and after exposure. For more information, please contact Dirk Schulze-Makuch (schulze-makuch@tu-berlin.de) for the first position and Frank Postberg (frank.postberg@fu-berlin.de) for the second position.
6. One Postdoctoral position in C04 | Sample return (DLR/FUB, Berlin): This interdisciplinary research project will address the societal dimensions of a sample return mission. We will differentiate between different possible scenarios from bringing back samples from other planets to Earth to finding signs of extraterrestrial life on other planets within or outside our solar system. We will specifically investigate psychological constructs, such as knowledge, education, and trust in science, but also ethical and religious aspects as well as media usage. The postdoctoral researcher in psychology (reference code SFB1759-C04-SP) will construct vignettes together with the respective researchers from the space sciences. The postdoctoral researcher will also identify, adapt, and develop new measurement scales on relevant social constructs and will evaluate their psychometric properties in validation studies. The main goal will be to construct and conduct a large representative survey of the adult German population and to analyse the data and publish the results. For more information, please contact Steffi Pohl (steffi.pohl@fu-berlin.de).