Our Offer

Comprehensive onboarding, professional development and further training opportunities

Diverse and varied tasks in an international work environment

Renumeration according to TVöDBund, based on qualifications and experience, annual bonus and additional pension scheme (VBL)

30 days of vacation plus 4 additional days off

Full-time and part-time employment; flexible working time and possibility of mobile work

In-house cafeteria

Collaboration with local bilingual Montessori child care center

Good connection by public transport

Corporate health management

The Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Göttingen is one of the world's leading research institutions in the field of solar physics and planetary research with around 300 employees. The interdisciplinary research focus is the investigation of the development, diversity and dynamics of planets, moons, small bodies, the sun and solar-like stars. The MPS develops and operates scientific instruments for current and future space missions (e.g. ESA, NASA), and carries out cosmochemical laboratory investigations of meteorites as well as numerical modeling on state-of-the-art supercomputers.

The Planetary Science Department at MPS invites applications for the position of a

Postdoctoral researcher (f/m/d) in Cosmochemistry

As part of the Planetary Materials research group the postdoc will investigate the history of the Solar System and the formation and differentiation of planets through laboratory analyses of extraterrestrial samples. Projects may focus on the chronology of events using short-lived and long-lived radiogenic isotope systems, the genetic relationships of planetary materials recorded in isotope anomalies, or on nebular and planetary fractionation processes recorded in mass-dependent isotope variations. The final project design will be developed according to the postdoc’s preferences. Own project ideas are explicitly encouraged.

Your Tasks

Conducting leading-edge research in isotope cosmochemistry
Obtaining and interpreting isotope data using state-of-the-art methods
Publication of the results in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences

Your Qualification

A PhD (or soon to be completed PhD) in cosmochemistry or closely related fields
Experience in operating mass-spectrometers and relevant data analysis
Ability to work in a team
Good command of spoken and written English

Additional Information

Position can be filled from September 2025, but later starting date is possible
Initial contract is for 2 years, extension may be possible depending on performance
Remuneration is according to EG 13 TVöD-Bund
Application deadline is July, 14 2025

We look forward to receiving your informative application documents (cover letter, CV, list of publications, a two page summary of scientific achievements and future research plans, names and contact information of three references, certificates). Please submit these via the digital application portal (https://www.mps.mpg.de/karriere/stellenangebote). If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Silvia Schirmer (schirmer@mps.mpg.de).

The Max Planck Society endeavours to achieve gender equality and diversity. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. 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.