Scientific Programmer (m/f/d): Climate Modelling, Data Infrastructure and Online Tools

Max Planck Society; Jena; Hybrid; EUR 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

31 days holiday

Remote work

Pension scheme

Transport subsidy

Training programs

Language courses

Health courses

Job summary

The Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Jena is seeking a Scientist to develop and deploy a real-time online tool detecting global extreme weather events, build climate models on MPI-GEA's HPC systems, and create a scalable climate data database with reproducible workflows.

You will contribute to analytical tools and shared code libraries, co-author publications, and present at workshops, while supporting colleagues with data workflows and good software practices.

Qualifications

• PhD in climate, physics, math, data science, or related fields.
• Experience with climate model data and gridded climate data tools/libraries (xarray, Dask, CDO).
• Experience with ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX).
• Experience setting up climate/weather model simulations and HPC environments.
• Experience in web development and deploying interactive data platforms (web mapping, dashboards, containers, APIs).
• Good command of written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Develop, deploy and maintain real-time online tool to detect and visualize extreme weather events as they occur.
• Set up, operate and maintain climate models and AI/ML modelling experiments on HPC systems.
• Build and maintain a climate database with reproducible workflows.
• Develop and maintain analytical tools and shared code libraries for the research group.
• Co-author scientific publications and present research at workshops and conferences.
• Support group members in data handling, ML workflows and good software practice (version control, testing, documentation).
• Ensure data, code and tools are documented and available for the wider community.

Skills

Climate model data tools

Machine-learning frameworks

Web development and dashboards

HPC environments

English proficiency

Education

PhD in climate/physics/maths/data science or related field

Tools

xarray

Dask

CDO

PyTorch

TensorFlow

JAX

Job description

Scientist Jena

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

Job Offer from October 23, 2026

The Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA) was founded in summer 2022 and is a dynamically growing, highly-interdisciplinary and international research institution. The research focuses on modeling and analyzing the interrelationships between biophysical and human-made systems, looking from the deep past to the future. The institute examines how humanity has driven the emergence of the Anthropocene – the period in which human activities began significantly impacting our planet’s climate and ecosystems – and identifying potential intervention points towards a more sustainable future.

The Carl Zeiss Stiftung Independent Research Group on High-End Climate Risks (CZS-HECR) at MPI-GEA works towards an end-to-end understanding of worst-case climate outcomes, from unprecedented and compounding extremes to their societal impacts. The group combines fundamental physical process understanding rooted in climate physics and Earth System analyses, targeted climate model experiments, advanced statistics, including machine-learning- and explainable AI to deliver usable climate risk estimates under current and future climates for core societal sectors such as health, food, energy and finance.

Candidate tasks

• Develop, deploy and maintain the real-time online tool that detects and visualizes global record-breaking and compounding extreme weather events as they occur.
• Set up, operate and maintain numerical and AI/ML-based climate models and aid in the setup of modeling experiments on MPI-GEA’s HPC systems
• Build and maintain a climate database, including reanalysis, observational, model and impact data, with reproducible workflows
• Develop and maintain analytical tools and shared code libraries for the research group
• (Co-)author scientific publications and present research at workshops and conferences
• Support group members in efficient data handling, machine learning workflows and good software practice (version control, testing, documentation)
• Ensure that data, code and tools are documented, and available for use by the wider community

Your qualification

Essential

• PhD in climate, physics, math, data science, or related fields
• Experience with climate model data and gridded climate data tools and libraries (e.g. xarray, Dask, CDO)
• Experience with machine-learning frameworks (e.g. PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX)
• Experience with setting up climate or weather model simulations and with HPC environments
• Experience in web development and deploying interactive data platforms (e.g. web mapping and dashboards, containers, APIs)
• Good command of written and spoken English

Our offer

The full-time or part-time position with at least 34 hours/week will begin on the 1st of January, 2027, though some flexibility in start date is possible. The term is five years. Renumeration will follow the public service pay scale (TVöD Bund) up to paygroup 13, according to the candidate’s qualifications and experience.

• You are entitled to an annual bonus, 31 days' holiday and time off on 24th and 31st December.
• We also offer attractive, family-friendly flexi-time and remote-working arrangements.
• A company pension scheme (VBL), an employer subsidy for public transport, the opportunity for further training, and language and health courses complete our offer.

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.

Position remains open until filled.

Dr. Kai Kornhuber

Email: [e-mail]