Postdoctoral Researcher (f/m/x) Food Web Ecology

The job

Food-web ecology provides detailed insight into how energy flows among organisms, while ecosystem metabolism captures whole-stream production and respiration but largely treats the biological community as a black box. MetaBoxWeb integrates these perspectives. Using existing datasets from streams and rivers across regions and environmental conditions, the project combines food-web ecology, biodiversity–ecosystem functioning theory, and stream biogeochemistry to address fundamental questions about how biodiversity regulates ecosystem functioning and how these relationships shift under human impacts. You will work closely with a second postdoctoral researcher specializing in ecosystem metabolism and with an international network of freshwater ecologists. Place of work

Magdeburg Working time

100% (39 h/week) The job position is available for full-time or part-time employment.

Contract limitations

limited contract / 24 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:

PD Dr. Mario Brauns

mario.brauns@ufz.de

Your application

To ensure a fair selection process, please submit your application (cover letter, CV, and relevant supporting documents) via our online portal without a photo, age information, or details about your marital status.

Diversity and Inclusion

The UFZ values diversity and is actively committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all employees, regardless of their origin, religion, beliefs, disability, age or sexual identity.

We welcome people who represent diverse backgrounds, identities and perspectives. We therefore particularly encourage people who are affected by structural discrimination to apply to us.

The UFZ

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) is a world-leading institution in environmental research and a member of the Helmholtz Association, Germany’s largest scientific organisation. With approximately 1,200 employees across Leipzig, Halle, and Magdeburg, we have been conducting research since 1991 using a transdisciplinary approach to address the most pressing challenges of our time: biodiversity loss, climate change, and environmental pollution. Our goal is to translate excellent research into practical solutions for policymakers, business, and society, and to serve as a reliable partner in supporting transformation processes toward a sustainable and just future for current and future generations. We foster a culture of collaboration, openness, and diversity within a work environment that actively promotes creativity and personal development.

The job

Food-web ecology provides detailed insight into how energy flows among organisms, while ecosystem metabolism captures whole-stream production and respiration but largely treats the biological community as a black box. MetaBoxWeb integrates these perspectives. Using existing datasets from streams and rivers across regions and environmental conditions, the project combines food-web ecology, biodiversity–ecosystem functioning theory, and stream biogeochemistry to address fundamental questions about how biodiversity regulates ecosystem functioning and how these relationships shift under human impacts. You will work closely with a second postdoctoral researcher specializing in ecosystem metabolism and with an international network of freshwater ecologists.

Your tasks

You will take a leading role in the food-web component of MetaBoxWeb and have substantial scope to develop your own ideas within the broader project framework. Your work will include:

• synthesizing existing macroinvertebrate and fish datasets spanning a broad range of streams, rivers and environmental conditions
• estimating secondary production from abundance, biomass and body-size data
• reconstructing quantitative food webs and energy fluxes using allometric approaches, feeding information, traits and food-web models such as fluxweb
• testing how horizontal and vertical food-web diversity, food-chain length and trophic structure relate to ecosystem productivity
• exploring the balance between bottom-up resource supply and top-down consumer control, including green and brown energy pathways
• working with the ecosystem-metabolism postdoc to connect consumer production and energy fluxes with gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER)
• leading peer-reviewed publications and presenting the work at international conferences

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

• PhD in ecology, biology or a closely related discipline
• A strong background in freshwater ecology, food-web ecology, community ecology or ecosystem ecology
• Experience in working with ecological datasets and strong quantitative skills
• Proficiency in R and experience with statistical analysis and reproducible workflows
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research and publish scientific results in international peer-reviewed journals
• Excellent communication skills and enthusiasm for working across disciplinary boundaries in an international team

We are looking for an ecologist who enjoys working at the interface of organisms, food webs and ecosystem processes.

Application deadline: 18.10.2026

More information about jobs at the UFZ:

www.ufz.de/career

LinkedIn @UFZ

Family Support

International Office

Accessibility

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion