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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

The newly established working group BirdTwin is developing the data and modelling backbone of an ecological digital twin for bird diversity in Europe. The goal is to build a scalable, operational system that integrates heterogeneous monitoring, environmental, and remote sensing data with ecological models to generate spatially and temporally explicit biodiversity indicators. In the long term, this system will therefore enable scenario analyses to explore how different decisions and management actions could affect biodiversity. In this role, you will contribute significantly to conceptualising, designing and implementing a scalable, data-driven infrastructure: from data integration and system architecture to reproducible modelling workflows. A key focus lies on the operationalization of scientific processes, translating complex ecological and data-related requirements into robust, maintainable technical solutions. You will become part of an ambitious, interdisciplinary team working at the interface of ecology, modelling, data science, and software engineering. Together with partners from iDiv (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research), DDA (Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten e.V.), the University of Potsdam, and different stakeholders, you will help shape the foundations of ecological digital twins. A field that is still emerging and requires both technical excellence and a willingness to work iteratively under evolving requirements. This position offers a unique opportunity to actively contribute to the development of a complex, data-driven system, turning scientific concepts and heterogeneous data sources into a reproducible, scalable infrastructure for biodiversity analyses. Join us, enable cutting-edge research, and see your work make a tangible impact on biodiversity conservation.

Your tasks

Working closely with the group leader, other team members and project partners, you will:

• Design, implement, and continuously advance the data and modelling infrastructure of the ecological digital twin 
• Build and maintain scalable data architectures, ensuring harmonisation, integration, and traceability of heterogeneous data sources (i.e. monitoring, environmental, remote sensing data) 
• Design and implement robust, automated, and production-ready data pipelines and APIs for efficient data integration, processing, and provisioning of model outputs 
• Develop reproducible, automated data and modelling workflows (R/Python), including versioning, documentation, and CI/CD (Git-based) 
• Set up and manage containerized modelling environments (e.g. Docker, Kubernetes) and enable scalable execution in cloud and HPC infrastructures 
• Integrate and operationalize ecological modelling approaches (e.g. habitat use and species distribution models) within standardized and reproducible workflows 
• Contribute to the development of a bird diversity monitor by enabling the processing and aggregation of biodiversity data as a baseline for future analyses 
• Translate scientific concepts and modelling approaches into operational, maintainable system components 
• Actively contribute to establishing standards and best practices for digital twin infrastructures and iterative development in the ecological domain

We offer

• The freedom to master even the most demanding challenges between basic research and practical application
• The chance to work in interdisciplinary, international teams and benefit from a variety 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
• Flexible working hours and a wide range of options for balancing work and care responsibilities 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 Germany Job Ticket
• A workplace in a vibrant region with a high life quality and social and cultural diversity

Your profile

• Completed university degree (Master's, Diploma, or Doctorate) with a focus on Environmental Informatics/ Computational or Data Science/ Ecological Modelling (with informatics background)/ Information Technology/ Applied Mathematics/ Bio-/Geoinformatics or a comparable field in the natural science with a focus on computational/data-driven methods
• Proven experience with the FAIR principles 
• In-depth knowledge and several years of experience in the following tech stack:
  • R/Python, Vue.js, PostgreSQL, GraphQL, AWS, PHP Symfony
  • Interface and API development as well as metadata management
  • Containerisation (Kubernetes, Docker) and connection to HPC or cloud infrastructures
  • Object storage (S3)
  • Use and adaption of modelling environments (R, Python)
  • Integration of research data infrastructures and development of monitoring and visualization solutions
• Experience with agile methods, especially working with a product manager, and with common collaboration tools (Atlassian JIRA/Confluence, GitLab)
• Excellent and dependable team player who prioritizes collaboration over personal success while confidently contributing their expertise and working independently and autonomously within the given framework
• Actively participating in transparent feedback culture (pair programming, reviews, retrospectives)
• Willingness to appreciatively collaborate with non-tech colleagues on equal terms and the ability to translate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences