Research Associate / PhD Student / Postdoc (m/f/x) in forest hydrology

TUD Dresden University of Technology, as a University of Excellence, is one of the leading and most dynamic research institutions in the country. Founded in 1828, today it is a globally oriented, regionally anchored top university as it focuses on the grand challenges of the 21st century. It develops innovative solutions for the world's most pressing issues. In research and academic programs, the university unites the natural and engineering sciences with the humanities, social sciences and medicine. This wide range of disciplines is a special feature, facilitating interdisciplinarity and transfer of science to society. As a modern employer, it offers attractive working conditions to all employees in teaching, research, technology and administration. The goal is to promote and develop their individual abilities while empowering everyone to reach their full potential. TUD embodies a university culture that is characterized by cosmopolitanism, mutual appreciation, thriving innovation and active participation. For TUD diversity is an essential feature and a quality criterion of an excellent university. Accordingly, we welcome all applicants who would like to commit themselves, their achievements and productivity to the success of the whole institution.

At the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Forest Sciences, Institute of Soil Science and Site Ecology, the Chair of Forest Sites and Hydrology offers a position as

Research Associate / PhD Student / Postdoc (m/f/x)
in forest hydrology (subject to personal qualification employees are remunerated according to salary group E 13 TV-L)

starting September 1, 2025 (alternatively 1 October, 2025). The position is limited to 3 years with the option of extension (max. six years). The period of employment is governed by the Fixed Term Research Contracts Act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz - WissZeitVG). The position entails 50 % of the full-time weekly hours aims at obtaining further academic qualification (usually PhD / habilitation thesis).

The area of responsibility includes both teaching and research with a focus on hydrology, forest site ecology and soil science . Participation in the following areas is expected:

Teaching:

• planning, organization and independent implementation of courses at Bachelor's and Master's level (in both German and English) as well as preparation and supervision of exams
• independent lecturing of courses or single lectures, including: Landscape Water Balance, Fundamentals of Soil Physics, Soil Water Dynamics, Soil Water Balance, Nutrients and Water Quality
• supervision and assessment of Bachelor's and Master's theses
• planning and implementation of excursions, field and laboratory exercises

Research & Data Analysis:

• data collection, evaluation and interpretation of environmental data
• research focus: Isotope (eco)hydrology in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, model-based evaluation of material and water cycles, hydroclimatic extremes (e.g. droughts) and their effects on the nutrient and water cycle in forests
• participation in scientific publications and third-party funded projects (including own applications)

Tasks of academic self-administration

Requirements:

• university degree (e.g. hydrology, forestry, environmental sciences, geoecology or similar)
• sound knowledge of hydrology and soil science
• basic knowledge of plant physiology and forestry
• ability to teach at BSc. and MSc. level (including teaching in English)
• experience with the use of a programming language (R, Python, Matlab, ...)
• experience with the use of a geoinformation software
• ability to work in a team, very good communication skills, independent working style and organizational skills
• very good German and English language skills
• German driver’s license

We offer:

• a versatile working environment at the interface of research, teaching and practice
• working in an inspiring, collegial, interdisciplinary and international team
• opportunity for further professional development (e.g. PhD or habilitation)
• involvement in ongoing research projects in the field of forest sites and hydrology
• working environment with state-of-the-art (soil) hydrological and isotope analytical measuring instruments

TUD strives to employ more women in academia and research. We therefore expressly encourage women to apply. The University is a certified family-friendly university. We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities. If multiple candidates prove to be equally qualified, those with disabilities or with equivalent status pursuant to the German Social Code IX (SGB IX) will receive priority for employment.

Please submit your detailed application (incl. cover letter, CV, publication list, certificates, diplomas, and the names and contact details of at least two references) by July 31, 2025 (stamped arrival date or the time stamp on the email server of TUD applies) to: TU Dresden, Chair of Forest Sites and Hydrology, Prof. Dr. Natalie Orlowski, Pienner Strasse 19, 01737 Tharandt, or via the TUD SecureMail Portal by sending it as a single pdf file to [email protected] . Please submit copies only, as your application will not be returned to you. Expenses incurred in attending interviews cannot be reimbursed.

Reference to data protection: Your data protection rights, the purpose for which your data will be processed, as well as further information about data protection is available to you on the website: .

Company

TU Dresden

Excellence – A matter close to our hearts

Excellence? Elitism? Opportunity or risk? The Excellence Programme, initially launched in 2005 by the German government has aroused passionate debate right from the start and still has the potential to polarise opinion.

TU Dresden (TUD) looks at it this way: excellence is all about performance and having the right attitude. For everyone here at TU Dresden – one of eleven Universities of Excellence in Germany since 2012 – it is also a matter very close to our hearts. Firstly because of the extra motivation and impetus generated, and secondly, because of the way we handle this role.

Our vision for the future can be summed up as follows: “Let us become one of the leading centres for research and teaching, with our own individual character and a special talent for networking, able to attract the best minds in Germany and from further afield.” After all, it is a well-known fact that excellence in research and teaching presupposes excellent conditions. Or, to put it figuratively, for excellent crop yields, you need the right soil and weather.

TU Dresden is a comprehensive university with 18 faculties and works in close collaboration with its top performers: three Clusters of Excellence, including the “Centre for Tactile Internet” (CeTI) , the Cluster “Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter” (ct.qmat) and the Cluster “Physics of Life” (PoL) . The guiding principle here is that strong individual elements become even stronger when they work together.

The vision for the future takes this principle beyond the confines of the university: with the research network DRESDEN-concept ( D resden R esearch and E ducation S ynergies for the D evelopment of E xcellence and N ovelty), TU Dresden has been creating an alliance of research and cultural facilities in the city, an “excellent playground for excellent people”. This bond is unique in Germany and has evolved over many years. It is not necessary to create anything new here, as it is simply a matter of building further storeys on top of an already solid structure. The measures envisaged as part of the DRESDEN-concept contribute to the overall development of TU Dresden and form an integral part of the university strategy.

Excellence is understood and practised in Dresden as an opportunity for the entire university, and in this spirit, TU Dresden takes those measures that lead to excellence – by the university, for the university – in cooperation with colleagues here and all over the world. But at the same time neither elitist nor exclusive. TUD’s excellence comes from the heart – from and for our about 32,400 students, 600 professors and about 8,400 members of staff. In this way, excellence becomes the basis, the objective, the approach and the driving force. And that’s why being a top performer can also be so rewarding and enjoyable.

Campus Image © Nils Eisfeld

Company info

Location

Dresden
01069 Dresden
DE