PhD position Hydrological response modelling

The Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), a scientific organizational entity of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, located in Hamburg, invites applications for a PhD student position (75 %) in the research project HYDROLINE in the frame of the Helmholtz Institute for Climate Service Science (HICSS). The position is limited to 3 years. The place of employment is Hamburg.

The project HYDROLINE will exploit the benefits of an advanced modelling framework for climate services and climate resilient development, by applying it to a warmer world allowing to investigate hydrometeorological extremes under 1.5°, 2.0°, 2.5° and 3.0° global warming to better anticipate potential future weather extremes and related impacts. The project aims to develop novel methods and tools to better simulate runoff processes under current and future climate conditions. The goal of this PhD position is to develop a fully distributed hydrologic response model, to be applied to selected case studies in Germany.
The project is part of the larger STORYLINE cluster project, where new climate service tools for adaptation are being developed with active stakeholder interactions. The project is funded as part of the Helmholtz Institute for Climate Service Science (HICSS), which is based at the Helmholtz- Zentrum Hereon, in collaboration with the University of Hamburg.

The PhD candidate will collaborate with another PhD candidate in the project, who is developing simulations using a convection permitting regional climate model, and with staff from the affiliated URBANLINE project aimed at vulnerability assessments for urban heat events. The position is supervised by the University of Hamburg, Institute for Geography, and co-supervised by GERICS. Working spaces are provided both at the University of Hamburg and at GERICS in Hamburg.


Equal opportunity is an important part of our personnel policy.

Your tasks

• Statistical downscaling of regional climate modelling simulations
• Develop and apply new parametrisations of soil and land-use characteristics
• Perform and evaluate hydrological and surface runoff model simulations
• Application of the model concept for extreme runoff events (return period 500 or 1000 years)
• Assess the effects of conservation-farming techniques as adaptation measures to reduce the flood hazard

Your profile

• M.Sc. degree in earth sciences, hydrology, geography, mathematics, or related discipline
• Experience in applying hydrological models is required
• Experience in programming (e.g. Python, Matlab or R), and handling of geographic data using GIS is required
• Experience with working with climate data including netCDF files is beneficial
• Fluency in English (spoken and written)
• Interest in teamwork in an interdisciplinary and international environment

Content-related inquiries regarding this position can be directed to Prof. Jürgen Böhner (juergen.boehner@uni-hamburg.de) and Dr. Laurens Bouwer (laurens.bouwer@hereon.de).

We offer you

• an exciting and varied job in a research centre with more than 1,000 employees from around 60 nations
• a well connected research campus and best networking opportunities
• individual opportunities for further training
• social benefits according to the collective agreement of the public service and remuneration up to pay group 13 (according to EntgO Bund)
• an excellent technical infrastructure and modern workplace equipment
• 6 weeks holiday per year and company holidays between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• very good compatibility private and professional life through offers of mobile and flexible work
• PhD Buddy Program
• free assistance program for employees (EAP)
• corporate Benefits
• office location in the heart of the city of Hamburg in the historic Chilehaus

Severely disabled persons and those equaling severely disabled persons who are equally suitable for the position will be considered preferentially within the framework of legal requirements.

Interested?

Then we are looking forward to receiving your comprehensive application documents (cover letter, CV, transcripts, certificates etc.) indicating the reference number

code no. 2024/KG 4 until 07.04.2024.

Apply now!