THE POSITION

We are now opening a 3-year position for PhD | Doctoral Candidate (W-0052 | all genders)

The successful candidate will be part of the International Max Planck Research School on Earth System Modeling (IMPRS), in the Director’s Research Group of the Department of Climate Dynamics (CDY). The CDY employs a hierarchy of models and principle-based theories to investigate the multi-scale processes that shape global climate dynamics and drive large-scale patterns of climate change across regions from the tropics to the poles.

YOUR TASKS

Global climate is modulated by the zonal gradient of sea surface temperature (SST) across the equatorial Pacific ocean. Intuitive explanations of this zonal SST gradient typically invoke the direction of the easterly trade winds and the presence of continents. Such arguments imagine east-intensified ocean upwelling as the result of wind-driven surface currents moving away from South America and towards the Indonesian Archipelago. However, this reasoning falls apart under scrutiny: the region of maximum equatorial upwelling is thousands of kilometers away from the South American coast, and upwelling can persist at the western end of the basin. Your task will be to use theory and a hierarchy of idealized simulations to explain why the equatorial Pacific cold tongue is on the eastern half of the basin. You will perform and analyze a series of numerical experiments designed to test whether the thermal structure of the equatorial Pacific is dictated by the spatial distribution of land mass, or of atmospheric forcing.

YOUR PROFILE

  • A strong interest in global climate dynamics, particularly in ocean-atmosphere interactions and large-scale climate variability
  • Strong analytic and programming skills
  • Self-motivated with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team
  • Very good spoken and written English for effective communication within the group and with project partners, as well as for presenting scientific results in international conferences and journals
  • A M.Sc. degree (or equivalent; with written thesis) in meteorology, physics, mathematics, geosciences, or related fields (including the engineering sciences

OUR OFFER

  • Participation in a challenging part of science in an international, intellectually stimulating environment
  • Access to complex highest standard computing technology, as well as working for and with an open-source community
  • Very good opportunities for self-realization, freedom in and influence upon the decisions what to do, and how to do it
  • A network of very experienced and innovative colleagues within the institute, and at project partner institutions with a long-proven tradition of sharing knowledge and information
  • Attractive subsidy for job ticket in Hamburg (Deutschland-JobTicket)

EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

  • The position is to be filled immediately, the latest start date is December 1st, 2025
  • Candidates will be evaluated based on their qualifications and ability to fulfill the responsibilities as outlined for this project
  • Payment will be in accordance with German public service positions depending on qualification (E13 TVöD, 65%), including extensive social security plans. The position is in principle full time
  • The conditions of employment, including upgrades and duration, follow the rules of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science and those of the German civil service
  • The Max Planck Society strives for gender and diversity equality. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds
  • The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals

INTERESTED?

We look forward to receiving your online application by September 24th, 2025 (17:00 CEST). »> https://jobs.mpimet.mpg.de/jobposting/97cb078a4bff5005b476d919a6a1cf06a030f0610

Interviews are expected to take place on October 2nd, 2025.

CONTACT

For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Sarah Kang, sarah.kang@mpimet.mpg.de

Please do not forward your application to this email address. The application documents should include a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae, relevant certificates, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of two referees. All documents (PDF only) need to be submitted through the online application system.