At TUD Dresden University of Technology the Faculty of Environmental Sciences is looking for a Research Associate to work together in a larger project consortium with German partners (Chairs of Forest Botany and Forest Growth & Woody Biomass Production from TU Dresden and Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst) and partners from the Czech Republic (among others the Department of Forest Ecology at Czech University of Life Sciences Prague and Forests of the Czech Republic). The project is funded by the Interreg Sachsen – Tschechien 2021-2027 programme. As part of the European Territorial Cooperation objective, Interreg supports cross-border cooperation projects that promote the further development of the Saxon-Czech border region and encourage integration. The main objective of the project "The future of beech forests in the Ore Mountains in times of climate change" is to develop a strategy to promote biodiversity in beech forests and increase their resilience to climate change. For details, please refer to the Interreg project webpage ( https://www.sn-cz2027.eu/de/projekte/prioritat-2-klimawandel-und-nachhaltigkeit/100781629_beech ).

For TUD diversity is an essential feature and a quality criterion of an excellent university. Accordingly, we welcome all applicants who would like to commit themselves, their achievements and productivity to the success of the whole institution.

In this project, the Chair of Forest Botany at the Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology offers a project position as (subject to personal qualification employees are remunerated according to salary group E 13 TV-L) starting April 1, 2026. The position comprises 65 % of the full-time weekly hours and is currently limited until December 31, 2028, with the possibility for an extension to 3 years. The period of employment is governed by § 2 (2) Fixed Term Research Contracts Act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz - WissZeitVG). Tasks: Within this collaborative research project, the research associate will be responsible for the installation and maintenance of microclimatic sensors and automated dendrometers for monitoring the effect of different degrees of thinning (canopy release) and thus forest structure on the vitality of beech derived from high-resolution stem diameter variations. This experimental approach will be supported by dendroecological analyses from 50 beech sites across the border differing in structure and age, which will be established, sampled and processed as a team effort.

Requirements:

an excellent university degree in ecology, forestry, environmental sciences, or a related discipline with field and/or lab experience proven scientific publishing skills (see required documents) is essential, while advanced knowledge in statistical analyses with R is a plus proven experience in working in diverse teams, team-oriented and willing to learn and work independently a German driver’s license (class B) is mandatory advanced command of English is essential while basic knowledge of German is desirable

We offer:

joint scientific studies together with further PhD student in other projects working on the future of beech an inspiring, international and interdisciplinary working environment, specialized in forest ecology, dendroecology, ecophysiology and plant hydraulics attractive working conditions and opportunities for further professional development at TUD

For project-related questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schuldt ( bernhard.schuldt@tu-dresden.de ).

TUD strives to employ more women in academia and research. We therefore expressly encourage women to apply. The University is a certified family-friendly university. We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities. If multiple candidates prove to be equally qualified, those with disabilities or with equivalent status pursuant to the German Social Code IX (SGB IX) will receive priority for employment.

Please submit your detailed application with the usual documents (among others motivation letter, curriculum vitae, certificates and grades) by March 6, 2026 (stamped arrival date of the university central mail service or the time stamp on the email server of TUD applies), preferably via the TUD SecureMail Portal https://securemail.tu-dresden.de by sending it as a single pdf file to forstbotanik@tu-dresden.de or to:

TU Dresden, Chair of Forest Botany, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schuldt, Helmholtzstr. 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany.

Please submit copies only, as your application will not be returned to you. Expenses incurred in attending interviews cannot be reimbursed.

Reference to data protection: Your data protection rights, the purpose for which your data will be processed, as well as further information about data protection is available to you on the website: https://tu-dresden.de/karriere/datenschutzhinweis .