PhD Researcher Positions (f/m/d) | Quantitative Past Urban Studies

Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology; Jena; On-site; EUR 42,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

31 days annual leave

Remote work options

Flexitime

Employer job ticket subsidy

Training opportunities

Job summary

The Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Jena invites applications for PhD Researcher positions in quantitative, historical, and archaeological urban studies, focusing on the URBank initiative.

Candidates will work with multidisciplinary datasets and contribute to publications, data syntheses, and policy-relevant outputs within a leading research center.

The position is 3 years with possible extension, starting March 2027, with 31 days leave, flextime and remote-work options.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Archaeology, History, Urban Studies or similar.
• Hands-on experience analyzing diverse urban datasets across time and space.
• Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to work in a team and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Integrate multidisciplinary research outputs into urban studies debates.
• Collaborate with archaeology, history, urban studies, and data science teams.
• Prepare publications, data syntheses and policy-relevant contributions.

Skills

Urban history / urban studies

Computational analysis

Data analysis

Public outreach

Education

Master's degree in Archaeology

Master's degree in History

Master's degree in Urban Studies

Job description

PhD Researcher Positions (f/m/d) | Quantitative Past Urban Studies

Young Researchers Jena Developmental and Evolutionary Biology & Genetics Immunobiology and Infection Biology & Medicine Earth Sciences and Climate Research Social Sciences Linguistics

Job Code: GEA-DLU

Job Offer from August 13, 2026

The Department of Coevolution of Land Use and Urbanization, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany, is pleased to announce vacancies for PhD Researcher positions in the area of quantitative, historical and archaeological urban research. The particular focus of the position will be on analyzing urban patterns and processes across large past datasets within the URBank (https://urbank.earth) initiative. The full-time position will be for a period of 3 years, with the possibility of a 1-year extension, and based in Jena, Germany.

The Department of Coevolution of Land Use and Urbanization studies the long-term interaction between cities (and their non-urban counterparts), land use, and the Earth system. Through state-of-the-art fieldwork, computational analysis, and laboratory research, as well as data compilation, it connects observations from the deep past to present planning and future predictions and explores urbanisation as a non-linear, dynamic process, answering questions such as:

• Is human urbanisation unique or part of general human evolutionary processes of social aggregation and connectivity?
• Are there corollaries of these processes in other social species and biological systems?

Candidate tasks

The successful candidate will play a central role in the Department and its outputs (e.g. publications, data synthesis, policy contributions). They will integrate multidisciplinary research (including archaeology, history, urban studies, social theory, anthropology) and datasets into current debates in Urban Studies. The candidate should have a background in computational analyses of archaeological or historical urban data and an interest in comparative urban research. An interest in the integration of historical, archaeological, and palaeoenvironmental datasets of different temporal and spatial scales, with complicated uncertainties, is also essential.

The candidate will work in a leading global centre for deep time and contemporary social and Earth system research at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, an institute combining archaeological, anthropological, geochemical, and Earth system expertise in computational modelling, social theory, and fieldwork and laboratory methodologies. They will also work closely with key project partners and will be expected to work within the framework of ongoing international research initiatives to ensure maximum reach of results.

Candidate qualifications

The ideal applicant will have a background in urban history, history, urban studies and a record of having applied computational methods to studying these areas. Other prerequisites include evidence of strong oral and written communication skills, including, ideally, experience with publications, commensurate with career stage and care duties. Willingness to work as part of a team, travel to field sites, a strong work ethic, and the ability to complete tasks in a timely and structured fashion are also necessities.

Essential:

• Master's degree in Archaeology, History, Urban Studies, or a similar discipline or specialism.
• Hands-on, practical experience analysing diverse urban datasets and behaviour across diverse temporal and spatial scales.

Advantageous:

• Experience in computational approaches to studying urban dynamics and patterns.
• Enthusiasm for comparative research across different temporal and spatial scales.
• Experience and skills in public outreach and science communication.

About the offer

The position offers a unique opportunity to develop cutting-edge research in the city of Jena that is renowned for its position at the intersection of Biogeochemical, Ecological, and Archaeological research. The Max Planck Society promotes these multidisciplinary connections and this position offers the candidate the possibility of making the most of such networks and becoming a leader in novel approaches to study human-Earth system dynamics across space and time.

The position will begin on the 1st of March 2027, though some flexibility in the start date is possible. Remuneration will follow the standard PhD salaries given in the Max Planck Society, which correspond to 65% of EG 13 TvöD (Bund).

• The position includes 31 days of annual leave.
• We also offer attractive and family-friendly flextime and options for remote work.
• Additional benefits include an employer subsidy for a job ticket, access to training opportunities within the Max Planck Society, as well as language and health courses.

The Max Planck Society is committed to employing more individuals with disabilities and especially encourages them to apply. We are also committed to encouraging diversity and actively challenging biases based on gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion and other components of identity. We were honored with the TOTAL E-QUALITY award for the first time in 2023 for our commitment.

The Max Planck Society supports the compatibility of family and career and is certified according to the "berufundfamilie" ("job and family") audit.

Contact for more information

Prof. Patrick Roberts

Email: [e-mail]