Scientist / PostDoc position (m/f/x) in data science and FAIR standards

/ 01.08.2025-15.06.2027

Salary

Contact

Your contact for any questions you may have about the job:Dr. Riccardo Massei [email protected]

Your application

Please submit your application via our online portal with your cover letter, CV (please omit your photo, age, or marital status) and relevant attachments.

Diversity and Inclusion

The UFZ has a strong commitment to diversity and actively supports equal opportunities for all employees regardless of their origin, religion, ideology, disability, age or sexual identity. We look forward to applications from people who are open-minded and enjoy working in diverse teams.

The UFZ

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with its 1,100 employees has gained an excellent reputation as an international competence centre for environmental sciences. We are part of the largest scientific organisation in Germany, the Helmholtz association. Our mission: Our research seeks to find a balance between social development and the long-term protection of our natural resources.

The job

Are you passionate about developing standardized metadata schemas and harmonized reporting procedures for video tracking assays (VTAs)? Do you want to contribute to improving the reproducibility and consistency of research findings in life sciences? If so, we invite you to apply for a Scientist/PostDoc position in our dynamic research team!

Your tasks

As part of the BeStMeta project, this position aims to refine metadata standards and reporting schemas for VTAs, increase the FAIRness of analysis protocols and algorithm training, and develop web-based pipelines and semi-automatic procedures for VTAs metadata enrichment. You will join a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the Helmholtz programs "Earth and Environment" and "Health" to develop unified metadata standards and harmonized reporting procedures for VTAs. Main tasks are: Refine metadata standards and reporting schemas for VTAs based on existing efforts Ensure that training data, protocols, and tracking models for VTAs are interoperable and reusable Develop automated, user-friendly, and shareable metadata enrichment pipelines that can handle the complexity and variability of video data Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of researchers to develop and implement novel metadata concepts and schemasPublish your findings in high-impact journals and present at international conferences

We offer

• The freedom to master even the most demanding challenges between basic research and practical application
• The chance to work in interdisciplinary, international teams and benefit from a variety of perspectives
• Firstclass integration into national and international research networks to work together on global challenges
• Excellent research infrastructure and research data management to optimally support your work
• Flexible working hours and a wide range of options for balancing work and care responsibilities through our family office
• Competent support and advice for international colleagues arriving at the UFZ from the 'International Office'
• Special annual payment, capital-forming benefits and subsidised Germany Job Ticket
• A workplace in a vibrant region with a high life quality and social and cultural diversity

Your profile

• A highly motivated candidate with a Master or PhD degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Life Sciences, Environmental Sciences, or a related field
• Strong programming skills (Python is mandatory, skills in R are an add-on) 
• Knowledge on version control systems (Git) 
• Experience with Galaxy EU is a plus Experience or interest in metadata standards, data analysis, and big data 
• A background in behavioral analysis, toxicology, or life sciences is a plus but not required 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English

LinkedIn @UFZ

Family Support

International Office

Accessibility

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion