The mission of the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) as a nationally and internationally active research institute is to deliver solutions for an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable agriculture – together with society. ZALF is a member of the Leibniz Association and is located in Müncheberg (approx. 35 minutes by regional train from Berlin-Lichtenberg). The institute maintains further locations in Brandenburg (Dedelow, Paulinenaue) as well as in Hesse (Giessen, Witzenhausen, and Geisenheim).

This Call invites applications integrating hydrological research from the plot to the landscape scale considering system effects. The position requires knowledge in hydrology (agro-hydrology, soil-hydrology and eco-hydrology). We are specifically interested in expertise explicitly addressing hydrological processes being subject to a complex interplay of various drivers and actors in agricultural landscapes. The position will be located in the Research Area 1 “Landscape Processes” in the working group of Agricultural Biogeochemistry and will closely collaborate with the relevant working groups within the same research area (e.g. Ecophysiology of Water and Matter Cycles Group, Soil Erosion and Feedbacks Group, Root Soil Interaction Group) and with other working groups in Research Area 2 and 4.

We are offering a full-time position temporarily limited for 36month at our location in Müncheberg as

Postdoc (m/f/d) on “Experimental Hydrology” 24-2026

Your tasks:

• The successful candidate is expected to develop this field of research through the following aspects:
• Conduct innovative lysimeter experiments (Spreewald, Uckermark) to better capture and describe the upscaled effects of biotic and abiotic processes on water storage, mass transport, and nutrient dynamics.
• Refurbishment of the existing infrastructure for gapless and high-quality data collection at the different lysimeter sites
• Develop approaches to efficiently use existing lysimeter and field hydrological datasets for testing, extending and improving agroecosystem models (e.g. crop models).
• Analyse the dynamic spatio-temporal interactions among soil structure, groundwater, and surface water bodies using advanced coupled simulation systems.
• Assess the impacts of crops including root systems dynamics and agricultural management on water-related ecosystem services such as infiltration, preferential flow, plant water use, carbon storage, erosion control, and drought resilience.
• Integrate ZALF lysimeter-based hydrological research with external collaborations such as TERENO and eLTER, focusing on critical zone processes where soil structure, biological activity, and hydrological dynamics shape crop performance and overall ecosystem functioning.

Your qualifications:

• PhD in hydrology, soil physics, geography or related sciences
• Sound statistical, hydrological modelling, and experimental skills to analyze hydrological processes in space and time
• capability to independently carry out research
• experience with open-field measurements and monitoring programs
• data management skills
• proven publication skills and excellent publication record
• willingness for collaboration in a highly interdisciplinary research environment and experience in interdisciplinary projects
• collaboration with water resources agencies, and communication with the public would be advantageous
• driving license

What we offer:

• a full-time contract, with part-time option to allow for the reconciliation of family and career
• an interdisciplinary working environment that encourages independence and self-reliance
• classification according to the collective agreement of the federal states (TV-L) up to E13 (including special annual payment)
• a collegial and open-minded working atmosphere in a dynamic research institution
• Individual options for career support such as a mentoring tandem, courses and training as well as variable options to access scientific resources
• Established infrastructure including highly equipped lysimeters monitoring systems
• Remote working of 40% per month
• Company ticket for public transport

ZALF promotes equality among all employees and welcomes applications regardless of ethnic, cultural, or social background, age, religion, ideology, disability, gender, or sexual identity. The filling of the position in part-time is possible in principle. Please send your application preferably online (see button online application below). For e-mail applications, create a PDF document (one PDF file, max. 5 MB; packed PDF documents, archive files like zip, rar etc. Word documents cannot be processed and therefore cannot be considered!) with the usual documents, in particular CV, proof of qualification and certificates, stating the reference number 24-2026 until 29 May 2026 to (see button e-mail application below).

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: apl. Prof. Dr. Jörg Schaller and Dr. Maren Dubbert (Phone +49 (0) 33432/82-137; , )

For cost reasons, application documents or extensive publications can only be returned if an adequately stamped envelope is attached.

If you apply, we collect and process your personal data in accordance with Articles 5 and 6 of the EU GDPR only for the processing of your application and for purposes that result from possible future employment with the ZALF. Your data will be deleted after six months.

Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF),

Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany

Contact of Human resource management: