Lead Scientist for Synthesis Hub within the “Excellence Cluster OCEAN FLOOR - Earth's Uncharted Interface”

Lead Scientist for Synthesis Hub within the “Excellence Cluster OCEAN FLOOR - Earth's Uncharted Interface”

Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg

Oldenburg, Germany

Your tasks

Ocean Floor is a joint cluster by the University Bremen and the University of Oldenburg, entering its second and final phase in 2026. As part of this 7-year cycle, the Cluster establishes a SYNTHESIS HUB for interdisciplinary generalizations of the properties, fluxes and ecosystems at, above and within the ocean floor. The international research community has amassed biogeochemical, (paleo)climate and biological data, but the empirical information in Earth and environmental sciences are fundamentally context-dependent. Thus, generalizations require synthesis efforts that enable a quantitative and qualitative comparison across locations, processes, organism groups, and spatial as well as temporal scales.

SYNTHESIS HUB consists of two scientific modules and one teaching module, and this position is the key researcher for these endeavors. The main task is to perform own research in form of method-oriented projects (MOPs), modules that enable targeted approaches for synthesis towards cluster objectives and advance the tool set for meta-analyses. The SYNTHESIS HUB lead scientist will self-reliantly develop these projects, publish the results, and invite collaborating contributions from within and external to the Cluster. In the second module, the SYNTHESIS HUB lead scientist also plays a role in selecting and collaborating with Synthesis working groups (SWGs) that bring together data, models and concepts in a bottom-up generated outcome-oriented process. The lead scientist is part of the evaluation committee for the proposed SWGs, and can – based on demand and availability – be part of the SWG team. The lead scientist will also develop the training module and conduct training on synthesis methods online and on-site for early careers in the Ocean Floor Cluster as well as participants in SWGs.

Your profile

Required skills and experience:

• University degree (diploma or master, not from a University of Applied Sciences) in marine or environmental sciences or a related field;
• Excellent PhD in a marine or environmental field, preferentially with a focus on biogeochemistry, biodiversity, ecosystems or the Earth sciences;
• Own scientific standing exemplified by published articles in peer-reviewed journals and presentation in international conferences;
• Professional experience in successfully conducting quantitative research efforts, e.g. through the publication of synthesis data sets or peer-reviewed meta-analyses or through leading synthesis efforts;
• Demonstrated interest in developing new approaches to research synthesis, e.g. through methodological advances, statistical approaches, or the combination of modeling and data;
• Excellent proficiency in English, both spoken and in writing.

Additional skills preferred:

• Experience in teaching statistical methods for scientific audiences on environmental sciences;
• Experience in communicating research to scientific and non-scientific audiences (verbal and written, through presentations at conferences and to stakeholders, other forms of stakeholder engagement).