THE POSITION

Subject to the ESA Grant Agreement, we invite applications for

Postdoctoral | Research Scientist Position on Convective Storm Dynamics (W-0060 | all genders)

to support the scientific team of the WIVERN satellite mission. WIVERN, the Wind Velocity Radar Nephoscope was chosen by the European Space Agency ESA as the next Earth Explorer Mission (EE 11) with planned launch in the early 2030s. WIVERN will deliver profiles of wind within clouds. This will, for the first time, provide insight into the dynamics of the wide variety of storms occurring on Earth.

YOUR TASK

Provide synthetic data by running km-scale simulations with the ICON model for testing the satellite retrievals developed for WIVERN
Develop a mesoscale vertical wind velocity product based on this synthetic data and quantify the errors arising from WIVERN sampling strategy
Investigate the importance of mesoscale vertical wind velocity for storm development

YOUR PROFILE

PhD degree in meteorology, oceanography, physics, mathematics, engineering, or a related field
Excellent programming skills in Python (or related languages)
Proven record of high-quality research, demonstrated through publications, presentations, and references
Strong written and oral communication skills, and the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively

OUR OFFER

Participation in a challenging part of science in an international, intellectually stimulating environment
Involvement in the development of a satellite mission and collaboration with mission partners, especially in Italy and France
Possibility for flexible time-management and measures to support work-life balance
Attractive benefits incl. subsidy for public transport across Germany (Deutschlandticket)

EMPLOYMENT CONDITION

The position shall start as soon as possible and is available for 18 months
Subject to continuous funding from ESA in the successive preparatory phases of the mission, the position may be extended
Payment will be in accordance with German public service positions depending on qualification (E14 TVöD), including extensive social security plans.

The conditions of employment, including upgrades and duration, follow the rules of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science and those of the German civil service

The Max Planck Society strives for gender and diversity equality. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds
The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals

INTERESTED?

We are looking forward to receiving your online application by May 10th, 2026 (23:59 CET)

The application documents should include:

a motivation letter
complete curriculum vitae that includes a list of publications
contact information of three references

ABOUT US

The Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) is a multidisciplinary center for climate and Earth system research located in Hamburg, Germany. It is one of the premier climate science research institutes in the world. Located in the heart of one of Europe’s most livable and vibrant cities, it provides a highly international and interdisciplinary environment to conduct scientific research as well as access to state-of-the-art scientific facilities. You can also have a virtual tour to our campus.

CONTACT

For further information, please contact Dr. Cathy Hohenegger

Please do not forward your application to this email address. The application documents (PDF only) need to be submitted through this online application system.

Deadline: May 10th, 2026

Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie

Bundesstraße 53

20146 Hamburg

Deutschland

mpimet.mpg.de

Mastodon:

@MPI_Meteo@wisskomm.social

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