Job Announcement

The University of Potsdam was founded in 1991 and has firmly established itself within the scientific landscape and
developed into an outstanding economic factor and growth engine for the region. The university excels in acquiring
third-party funds, has received multiple teaching awards, has a very service-oriented administration, and has been
honored several times for its family-friendly culture. About 22,000 students and 3,000 employees study and work
at three campuses – Am Neuen Palais, Griebnitzsee and Golm – at one of Germany’s most scenic institutions of
higher education.

The University of Potsdam, Faculty of Science, Institute of Geosciences invites applica-
tions for the following position limited to three years, to be filled as soon as possible:

Academic Staff Member (f/m/d)
PhD Position

Requisition No.: 370/2024

and the position is funded for three years. The successful candidate will work 40 hours per
week (100 %).

The PhD position “Topographic signatures of mass movements in the Central Andes and Cor-
inth Rift” is available from October 01, 2024 within the framework of the EU-funded Marie
Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network for Climate-Tectonics Interactions using Big Data in-
formed Models (INITIATE, https://www.initiate-dn.eu/). The salary is competitive and deter-
mined by the EU living allowance (approx. 40.000 € annual salary in Germany) plus an addi-
tional mobility allowance and family allowance if applicable. This is a temporary position for
three years. The fixed term of employment is in accordance with Section 2 subsection 2 of the
German Act on Fixed-Term Employment Contracts in Science and Academia (Wissen-
schaftszeitvertragsgesetz or WissZeitVG).

The goal of the project is to enhance our understanding of unstable hillslopes and slow-moving
landslides in tectonically active regions and areas experiencing climatic changes. The Eastern
Cordillera in northwestern Argentina and the Gulf of Corinth are excellent natural laboratories
with several decades of airphoto, UAV, high-resolution satellite imageries, and GNSS
timeseries. This project will further develop methods to detect and measure rates of mass
movements using GNSS data, offset tracking from satellite imagery or radar interferometry,
and machine learning techniques.

Your Qualifications:
The applicant should hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in geosciences, physics, physical
geography, or computer science and have a strong interest in computer-vision methods and
time-series analysis. Experience with remote-sensing data, GNSS data, image analysis, and
geomorphologic processes will be ideal. Proficiency in English is necessary and German-lan-
guage knowledge will help, but is not a requirement.

Importantly, the applicant should meet the following EU-defined eligibility criteria: (1) All re-
searchers recruited in a Doctoral Network must be Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs; i.e., be in
the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and

have not been awarded a doctoral degree); (2) Researchers can be of any nationality; (3)
Mobility Rule: at the time of recruitment by the host organisation, researchers must not have
resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organ-
isation (in this case: Germany) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the
hiring date. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into
account. The mobility rule is only determined at the time of the fellow’s first recruitment in the
project.

What We Offer:
As a university, we combine the strong potential for development of a teaching and research
institution with the attractive working conditions of the public sector. The University of Potsdam
is a reliable employer that supports its employees with a variety of offers and benefits:

• Make the most of the various continuing education and networking opportunities offered by

the University of Potsdam to refine your subject-specific and interdisciplinary competencies
for professional as well as personal growth.

• All campuses have good transport connections. You can receive a monthly subsidy for the

public transport job ticket and use our campus bicycles.

• Benefit from a company pension scheme, a special annual payment, and capital-forming

benefits.

• Take advantage of the various offers from our Occupational Health Management unit as

well as the Academic Sports Center.

For further information about this position, please contact Prof. Bodo Bookhagen by e-mail:
bookhage@uni-potsdam.de.

The application should include (use templates on https://www.initiate-dn.eu/projects.html): (1)
a research statement detailing your background and motivation; (2) mobility declaration includ-
ing documentation; (3) names and contact information of two referees; (4) a curriculum vitae
including publication list; (4) academic credentials and transcripts.Please send us your appli-
cation including the ID no. 370/2024 by November 30, 2024 by email to Prof. Bodo Bookha-
gen: bookhage@uni-potsdam.de.

If you completed higher education qualifications outside the EU, please submit a German
translation and the assessment of the Central Office for Foreign Education (Zentralstelle für
ausländisches Bildungswesen – ZAB) . Alternatively, please send us a PDF file from the data-
base for the recognition and assessment of foreign higher education certificates (ANABIN)

The University of Potsdam values the diversity of its community and pursues the goals of equal
opportunity regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion/belief, disability,
age, and sexual orientation and identity. Applications from abroad and from persons with a
migration background are expressly encouraged. The university strives for a balanced gender
ratio in all employment groups; in areas where women are underrepresented, women are given
preference in case of equal suitability (Section 7 paragraph 4 of the Brandenburg Higher
Education Act). People with disabilities are given preferential consideration in case of equal
suitability. In aptitude tests and selection interviews, individual compensation measures for
disadvantages are granted, taking the specific disability into consideration. If a person with a
disability would like to make use of individual compensation measures, please state this in the
application letter.

Potsdam, November 11, 2024