Postdoctoral position in tropical ecology, with a focus in nutrient cycling in the Amazon Rainforest

The Professorship for Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions at TUM School of Life Sciences is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to work in the Amazon-FLUX project (E13 TV-L, 100 %, for 3 years).
Amazon-FLUX is a new project funded by the Bavarian State Chancellery, which aims to investigate how climate change influences soil-vegetation interactions in the most extensive tropical forest of the world, the Amazon rainforest. We are particularly interested in “plant functional strategies” and questions such as how water regulation and nutrient uptake strategies differ across space and time. Can plants with winning strategies contribute more to carbon storage in the Amazon in the future?

The successful candidate will be responsible for filling some of the data/knowledge gaps we currently face regarding nutrient cycling by conducting critical measurements from the Amazon, and increasing our mechanistic understanding of complex soil-vegetation processes and fluxes. The project requires analytical and methodological skills for data analysis. Funding for fieldwork in the Amazon rainforest is available. The candidate is expected to communicate the project results to the scientific and non-scientific community and to our funders. The candidate is free and encouraged to bring own research ideas/questions and methods. We offer a friendly and stimulating working environment within an interdisciplinary research team. Learn more about our lab, projects, and the team at: https://www.lsai.wzw.tum.de/

Your profile

• University degree (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) in ecology, biology, forestry, biogeochemistry, environmental sciences or comparable fields of study;
• Experience with field work in tropical forests;
• Knowledge of biogeochemical processes governing carbon and nutrient cycles;
• Experience with data analysis using R or Python;
• Willingness to travel and independently carry out field studies;
• Willingness to reach out the project results to the wider public;
• Excellent communication skills (English);
• Proven ability to write scientific publications.

Our offer
We offer a stimulating working environment in an interdisciplinary research team with the opportunity to contribute to existing projects (see www.lsai.wzw.tum.de) and to develop your own research agenda. Participation in teaching activities and supervision of students is not mandatory but possible if desired. The position is full-time and conditions of employment follow the rules of the German tariffs of public services (TV-L). TUM is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified women are therefore particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants with disabilities are treated with preference given comparable qualification.

Contact
Please send your application as a single PDF file, including a cover letter, CV, a brief description of scientific achievements and interests, and contact information of 2 referees, if possible by June 5, 2021 (open until filled) to Tatiana Reichert (tatiana.reichert@tum.de). The planned starting date of the position is negotiable, but latest by January 1st, 2022. For further inquiries, please contact Tatiana Reichert or Prof. Dr. Anja Rammig.
For more information on our group and current projects, please see www.lsai.wzw.tum.de.

Contact: tatiana.reichert@tum.de