Full Professorship (W3) in Marine Experimental Benthic Ecology

Kiel University and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel aim to attract more qualified women to professorship positions.

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Kiel University, Germany and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel jointly invite applications for a 

Full Professorship (W3)
in Marine Experimental Benthic Ecology

to start at the earliest possible date. The position is immediately tenured.

The professorship is located at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (www.geomar.de) and will lead the Research Unit „Experimental Ecology“, within the Research Division „Marine Ecology“.

Marine benthic communities are subject to increasing levels of combined human perturbations, such as heat waves, upwelling of oxygen deficient waters, pollution, fisheries, or ocean acidification. A key question is thus how marine benthic species adapt to spatially or temporarily challenging conditions, how communities are restructured driven by climate change and which functional implications such community change entails. The successful candidate will already have established a successful and internationally visible research program including third-party funding that addresses adaptation of benthic ecosystems in its broadest sense to natural and anthropogenic perturbations. 

Possible topics may include (but are not meant to be exclusive):

• organismal biology and eco-physiological responses of marine species to human perturbation
• population level: the analysis of contemporary or past evolutionary adaptation of benthic organisms and populations, projections into the future
• community level: the restructuring of benthic communities and populations and its functional consequences for energy flow and food webs
• macroecology: large-scale biogeographic analyses of contemporary and future community change, any of a variety of tools from eDNA, remote sensing, underwater photography, mapping, or others.

We seek candidates whose track record already demonstrates the successful integration of two or more of the above levels of biological organization into their research concept. We welcome applications from researchers using a diverse portfolio of approaches, encompassing laboratory and mesocosm-based experimentation, omics and bioinformatics, expeditions, field observations or modeling. We are especially interested in research lines that bridge the divide between biogeochemistry and marine biology, in any benthic ecosystem ranging from coastal, shelf to deep sea. Target species and communities should focus on multicellular organisms (plants, algae, animals) while acknowledging their close association with microbial species (the microbiome). Previous leadership experience and experience in leading larger research consortia are expected, while experience with knowledge transfer and outreach is highly welcome.

Through the Kiel Marine Organism Culture Center KIMOCC at GEOMAR (http://www.futureocean.org/de/kimocc/) high-level cultivation facilities are available that allow experimental work at the physiological, population and community level. Through access to the fleet of German research vessels field surveys in all ocean regions can be conducted. Preferred access to high-performance computing and to the Competence Center for Genomic Analysis at Kiel University (https://ccga.uni-kiel.de) is provided. 

The advertised post is a central professorship within the research program “Changing Earth - Sustaining our Future“, specifically addressing topic: “Adaptation of Marine Life: from Genes to Ecosystems“ of the Helmholtz-Society division „Earth and Environment“. We are expecting strong teamwork skills, and a willingness to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration with other research units at GEOMAR, Kiel University and other Helmholtz Research Centres is desirable.

The teaching obligations are based on the current state regulation on teaching obligations at universities (LVVO) of the state of Schleswig-Holstein and currently amount to 4 semester hours (approx. one - two courses or course modules per semester). Teaching is mainly envisaged within the MSc-curriculum “Biological Oceanography” carried out jointly by GEOMAR and Kiel University.

Attention is drawn to the employment requirements of § 64 of the Higher Education Act of the State of Schleswig-Holstein. Further information can be found under www.berufungen.uni-kiel.de. Information about the vacant position and the research unit can be obtained from Prof. Dr. Thorsten Reusch (treusch(at)geomar.de). 

Kiel Universität is a modern and internationally oriented employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of age, gender, cultural or social background, religion, beliefs, disability, or sexual identity. We are committed to promoting gender equality. Further information on our values can be found in our Code of Conduct (https://www.uni-kiel.de/gf-praesidium/de/recht/interne-richtlinien/verhaltenskodex).

The University is committed to increasing the employment of people with disabilities. Applications from individuals with severe disabilities or those with equivalent status will be given preferential consideration where qualifications are substantially equal. We also expressly encourage applications from individuals with a migration background.

As part of its commitment to increasing the representation of women in research and teaching, GEOMAR and Kiel University strongly encourage suitably qualified women to apply. Where qualifications, aptitude, and professional achievements are substantially equal, women will be given preferential consideration in accordance with applicable legal provisions.

Please note that the University does not require or consider application photographs. Applicants are therefore requested not to include a photograph with their application.

Written applications in English should include a curriculum vitae, copies of academic degree certificates, a full list of publications, as well as a 2-page research perspective, a 1-page teaching concept and a 1-page statement on scientific leadership. Documents should be sent to the Dean, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Kiel University, 24098 Kiel, Germany, stating your private and institutional address with telephone number and e-mail by 15. September 2026 (in electronic form in a single PDF file to berufungen(at)mnf.uni-kiel.de).