The climate needs bright minds. The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) addresses crucial scientific questions in the fields of global change, climate impacts and sustainable development. It is one of the world‘s leading research institutions in its field and offers natural and social scientists from around the world an inspiring environment for excellent interdisciplinary research.

For a project convened under the International Climate Initiative (IKI), PIK is offering a

Post-Doctoral Position

in the field of Climate Migration
(Position number: EPICC-Postdoc-12-2018)

The envisaged starting date for this position is as soon as possible and subject to approval of funding. The position is expected to terminate on the 31rd December 2020. Remuneration is in accordance with German public tariff scheme (TV-L Brandenburg), salary group E 13. This is a full-time position with a weekly working time of 40 hours per week. Appointment is conditional on approval by the funding agency. Alternatively, the position can be filled on a part-time basis.

Key responsibilities The complex relationships between climate change and human mobility (migration, displacement, planned relocation, and entrapment/immobility) have received increasing attention in policy and planning, underpinned by more and more robust scientific knowledge. Yet the science-policy gap is still tangible in the subject area, and much can be done to improve institutional frameworks as well as local capacities to address the phenomenon comprehensively.

In this context, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) is looking for a Post-doctoral Researcher to conduct and supervise research activities on climate migration and engage with policy solutions and capacity development. Candidates should have a background in migration studies, international relations, political science, international development, sociology, human geography, or a related field.

The position is part of an international, multi-year project with several fellow researchers at PIK and beyond. The project offers a special opportunity to transform scientific research into user-oriented climate services and policy, working together with the governments of India, Tanzania and Peru, as well as several research institutes and non-governmental and inter-governmental institutions. As an applied research project, it seeks to enable each country to better adapt to climate change in the complementary fields Climate, Hydrology and Water Resources, Agriculture, and Migration. The project, which will be named EPICC, is funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI), a program of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety of Germany (BMUB).

The Postdoctoral Researcher, by leading the migration module with scientific rigor and applied experience in stakeholder engagement, will be a key contributor to this project. The position is located in the field of climate change-induced migration, and research should focus on migration flows under the different climate impact scenarios developed in the project.

We are looking for a researcher who is excited to actively engage in crossdisciplinary research, dialogue and team work, collaborate with social and natural scientists across all project components, and work in cooperation with three PhD students that also investigate dimensions of climate migration dynamics in the three partner countries, respectively. Beyond the research and collabortion opportunities, the candidate should also be well-experienced in stakeholder engagement and enthusiastic to transfer the scientific results to application in policy and planning through active collaboration with governmental and private partners in the target countries.

Requirements

• PhD in Migration Studies, International Relations, Political Science, International Development, Sociology, Human Geography, Demography or a related field
• At least two years experience working on the nexus of climate change and migration, ideally both in research and policy
• Substantial knowledge on physical climate change impacts as well as their interaction with livelihoods and social systems
• Fluent in English. Candidates proficient in one other language spoken in the project partner countries (India, Peru, Tanzania) will be strongly preferred
• Devoted to cooperate with three PhD students, manage projects, engage with partner institutions, and transfer results to the policy level

We expect

• the ability to work independently and on your own initiative
• a methodical and systematic approach
• structured and goal-oriented thinking
• capacity to familiarise quickly yourself with new topics
• creativity and openness to new approaches
• a high level of competence in oral and written English
• reliability, the ability to cope with stress and a high level of motivation
• willingness to travel for work (project meetings, workshops etc.) and take part in further training
• capacity for teamwork
• organisational talent

We offer

• the chance to be part of a creative, interdisciplinary team
• a stimulating working environment in an internationally recognised research institute on Potsdam‘s beautiful, historic Telegrafenberg campus, a short commuting distance from Berlin
• a collective pay scheme and associated benefits

PIK seeks to increase the share of women in scientific positions and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. In cases of equal qualification and within the given legal scope, women will be given preference. Applications by persons with a migration background, provided they fulfill the conditions for appointment, are expressly encouraged. Applications of disabled persons with equal qualifications will be regarded favourably. PIK is also encouraging applications by parents returning from parental leave within the availability of financial resources.

Application Please send your full application as a single PDF document (not more than 15 MB) by Email to the Project Coordinator Claudia Meintzinger (meintzinger@pik-potsdam.de), using the the reference subject: EPICC-Postdoc-12-2018 and mentioning where you read about the position by 31.03.2018 at the latest.