Job Description

Place of work


Leipzig
Working time


65 % (25,35 h / week)
Contract limitations


limited contract / 36 months
Salary


Remuneration according to the TVöD public-sector up to pay grade 13 including attractive public-sector social security benefits.
Contact

Your contact for any questions you may have about the job:

Pia Ebeling (pia.ebeling@ufz.de)


Your application


Please submit your application via our online portal with your cover letter, CV (please omit your

photo

, age, or marital status) and relevant attachments.


Diversity and Inclusion


The UFZ has a strong commitment to

diversity

and actively supports

equal opportunities

for all employees regardless of their origin, religion, ideology, disability, age or sexual identity.


We look forward to applications from people who are open-minded and enjoy working in diverse teams.


The UFZ


The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with its 1,100 employees has gained an excellent reputation as an international competence centre for environmental sciences. We are part of the largest scientific organisation in Germany, the Helmholtz association. Our mission: Our research seeks to find a balance between social development and the long-term protection of our natural resources.


The job


In the PhD cohort “In4Nile” - Advancing Water Quality Information in the Nile River Basin, we offer four PhD Positions. In4NILE addresses the limited availability of water quality information in the Nile basin by developing and applying low-cost sampling techniques, mining of existing open (geo)datasets, exploring the use of unstructured data sources through natural language processing, and by developing basin-scale, multi-pollutant spatially explicit water quality models.



The PhD Position (f/m/x) “Spatio-temporal patterns of water quality drivers and pollution pathways” focuses on identifying and characterizing pollution sources, pathways, hotspots and trends across the Nile River Basin. The candidate will integrate diverse open datasets (global to regional) on pollution drivers—such as urbanization, land use, sanitation, and industry—to develop a comprehensive geospatial database. Using data-driven approaches, the candidate will assess pollution risks along the river network considering hydroclimatic conditions and quantify relationships between pollution drivers, water quality, and impacts, linking to the modelling and the fellow PhD candidates of the In4Nile cohort.


Your tasks


Compile, harmonize, and analyze heterogeneous spatial and temporal data on pollution drivers (e.g. land use, population, sanitation, and industry) across the Nile River Basin. Develop and apply data-driven (geospatial, statistical, and machine-learning) approaches to identify pollution hotspots, assess risks along the river network, and explore relationships between pollution sources, pathways, and water quality. Collaborate with other PhDs of the In4Nile cohort to integrate results and contribute to a basin-scale understanding of water quality dynamics.

We offer


Excellent supervision and optimal professional and interdisciplinary qualification through our HIGRADE graduate programme The freedom to master even the most demanding challenges between basic research and practical application The opportunity to work in interdisciplinary, international teams and benefit from a wide range of perspectives Firstclass integration into national and international research networks to work together on global challenges Excellent research infrastructure and research data management to optimally support your work A wide range of options for balancing care responsibilities and work through our family office Competent support and advice for international colleagues arriving at the UFZ from the ‘International Office’ Special annual payment, capital-forming benefits and subsidised Deutschland-Job-Ticket A workplace in a vibrant region with a high life quality and social and cultural diversity

Your profile

Required:



Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Geoinformation Science, Environmental Engineering, Hydrology & Water Management, Geoinformatics, Data Science with focus on the environment, or a related discipline. Strong interest in water quality, spatial data analysis, and environmental sustainability. Experience data processing and analysis, including geodata. Motivation to work in a multidisciplinary, international team. Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English.

Preferred:

Experience in handling large geodata sets and data management. Experience in programming (e.g., Python) We especially invite candidates from the Nile basin area and other African countries to apply for this position.

Application deadline: 12.01.2026


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