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At the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), we strive to advance sustainable livestock farming in a globalized world. Our research focuses on enhancing resource efficiency while addressing both local and global environmental and climate impacts. We prioritize animal welfare, health, and the safety of food derived from livestock.

FBN is renowned for its innovative and multidisciplinary approach supported by a modern research infrastructure and international collaboration. Settled on a green, natural campus just a short drive from the vibrant coastal city of Rostock, FBN offers an inspiring setting for impactful research dedicated to a sustainable future in agriculture.

The Animal Behaviour and Welfare working group has a vacancy as

Postdoctoral researcher (all genders welcome)

Start date May 1st or thereafter
Working hours Full time
Limitation March 31st 2029
Remuneration Pay group E13 TV-L
Tender number 2026-06

What to expect:

The PostDoc will work in a cross-institutional project aimed at the development of an AI based tool to assess the welfare of pigs on-farm. By combining behavioral biology, bioacoustics, and AI technologies, vocalizations are classified and used as indicators of animal welfare. While the development of the AI tool will be done by our partners at the Fraunhofer IGD, the PostDoc is expected to run validation studies, generating annotated data and testing the implementation of the tool. They will liaise between Fraunhofer IGD and the FBN team to safeguard an efficient collaboration and communication between behavioural biologists and computer scientists.

The project is part of the KI-Tierwohl project (https://ki-tierwohl.de/), bringing together scientists from biomedical research, farm animal welfare research, AI, and social sciences. It offers a unique opportunity to work in a large multi-disciplinary research consortium and benefit from the networking activities amongst the partner institutes. Participation in the KI-Tierwohl Young Researchers Group is expected.

What to bring:

• a doctoral degree in behavioural biology, life sciences or related fields
• experience performing behavioural experiments, ideally with pigs or other farm animals
• a publication record appropriate for the current career stage
• knowledge of statistical methods, preferentially in R
• good organisational and communication skills
• willingness to work with pigs under on-farm conditions
• motivation to work as part of a team, but also self-sufficient when it comes to running experiments
• an affinity to AI technology (incl. machine learning, computer vision)
• (German) permit to perform animal experiments (equivalent to FELASA B or C) desirable
• previous experience in bioacoustics desirable
• very good English language skills
• German language skills or the willingness to acquire them desirable to enable communication with lab and farm personnel

What we offer:

At FBN, you will be welcomed by a dedicated, multidisciplinary team. We will support you with a structured onboarding. We will also help you with any questions you may have regarding your arrival in the Rostock region. We also offer our employees

• an additional company pension (VBL),
• 30 days annual leave,
• A flexible working arrangement is available, including the option to work remotely, provided that this does not conflict with animal experimentation requirements.

The compatibility of work and family life is important to us at FBN, which is why we stand out for our certified family friendliness. Employees with children also find optimal working conditions thanks to our cooperation with the local kindergarten and parent-child rooms.

If you would like to become part of our team, we look forward to receiving your application. As equal opportunities and diversity are important components of our HR policy, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

For further information, please contact:

Dr S. Düpjan
duepjan@fbn-dummerstorf.de
038208 68 812

Please send applications (single pdf-file preferred), including a motivation letter, detailed CV, copies of diplomas and certificates, and the contact information of references to:

personal@fbn-dummerstorf.de

Please quote the job number 2026-06 in your application.

Finally, it should be noted that we are not allowed to reimburse application or travel expenses in connection with the application. By submitting your application, you consent to the processing of your personal data for the purpose of the application procedure.

For more information about the FBN, please visit us online:

**www.fbn-dummerstorf.de. **