PhD Student (f/m/d) for geochemistry of actinides

With cutting-edge research in the fields of ENERGY, HEALTH and MATTER, around 1,500 employees from more than 70 nations at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) are committed to mastering the great challenges facing society today.

The Institute of Resource Ecology performs research to protect humans and the environment from hazards caused by pollutants resulting from technical processes that produce energy and raw materials.

The Department of Thermodynamics of Actinides is looking for a PhD Student (f/m/d) for geochemistry of actinides. 

Our research in this basic-funded project aims to model the migration of elements in (crystalline) rock from the source to the surface over time and size scales. This knowledge is essential for the safety analysis of nuclear waste disposal in deep geological repositories and for understanding the shape and form of raw material deposits on the surface.

In the 2nd year there is the option of increasing the weekly working hours to 75%.

Your tasks

• Application and development of mathematical-geostatistical models for the description of (crystalline) rocks and their parameterization on the basis of measured data
• Application and adaptation of models for the (large-scale) transport of pollutants in fluids, with a focus on retention by sorption, precipitation and incorporation
• Investigating the influence of spatial heterogeneities in rocks, from the micro to the macro scale, on the reactive transport of elements
• Presentation of results in international peer-reviewed journals and at conferences

Your profile

• Completed university studies (Master) in the field of geosciences, chemistry, applied mathematics, environmental sciences or related
• Knowledge in one of the following areas: Geochemistry, petrology or geostatistics
• Experience with data science methods for processing and analyzing measurement data
• Experience and/or strong interest in mathematical-statistical methods
• Interest in programming and geochemical databases and modeling codes
• Structured and solution-oriented work, analytical thinking and high level of commitment
• Interest in and ability for interdisciplinary research and cross-institutional collaboration
• Good communication skills in written and spoken English

Our offer

• A vibrant research community in an open, diverse and international work environment
• Scientific excellence and extensive professional networking opportunities
• A structured PhD program with a comprehensive range of continuing education and networking opportunities - more information about the PhD program at the HZDR can be found here
• Salary and social benefits in accordance with the collective agreement for the public sector (TVöD-Bund) including 30 days of paid holiday leave, company pension scheme (VBL)
• We support a good work-life balance with the possibility of part-time employment, mobile working and flexible working hours
• Numerous company health management offerings
• Employee discounts with well-known providers via the platform Corporate Benefits
• An employer subsidy for the "Deutschland-Ticket Jobticket"

We look forward to receiving your application documents (including cover letter, CV, diplomas/transcripts, etc.), which you can submit via our online-application-system.