At Heidelberg University, Department of Geography, Physical Geography Division, the following position is to be filled:

Research Associate / PhD Student (f/m/d)

Pay Group 13 TV-L, 75%

The position is limited to 3 years.

Desired start date is November 1, 2026.

Tasks:

Research within the project "Testing the Al-Hajar Refugium Hypothesis (TARGYT) – Karst depressions in the northern Oman Mountains as environmental and archeological archives", funded under the bilateral WEAVE program by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Czech Science Foundation (GACR). The TARGYT project investigates the role of the central Al-Hajar Mountains in Oman as a potential refuge for prehistoric cultures during dry climate phases by examining sediment-filled karst depressions as geo-bio-archives in combination with prehistoric artifacts. The tasks associated with the position advertised here include geomorphological mapping using remote sensing methods and verification through fieldwork. Fieldwork comprises geophysical prospection (ERT), sediment sampling to determine soil physical parameters, drilling, and the establishment of test pits for pedostratigraphic documentation and sampling. Additional tasks include sedimentological (grain size distribution), geochemical (XRF, ICP-OES, C/N), and soil physical (density, pore volume, water conductivity) analyses in the laboratory, multivariate statistical evaluation of the data, supporting luminescence dating, presenting results at conferences, and publishing in international scientific literature.

Requirements for Employment:

• Excellent Master’s degree in Geography (with a focus on Physical Geography), Geoarchaeology, Geology/Earth Sciences, Prehistory and Early History (with a geoscientific component), Environmental Sciences, Geoecology, or another related discipline
• Strong interest in scientific research at the intersection of Earth Sciences, Archaeology, and Prehistory
• Fieldwork experience in geoscientific and/or archeological research projects
• Basic knowledge of GIS (ArcGIS and/or QGIS)
• Very good English language skills, both written and spoken
• Basic knowledge of the German language or the willingness to acquire it for the purpose of knowledge transfer
• Openness, creativity, and the ability to work independently
• Communication skills and teamwork ability, also in an international and intercultural context

Ideally, you have:

• Experience in one or more of the methodological approaches mentioned in the task description
• Experience in organizing geoscientific/archaeological fieldwork
• Experience in laboratory work

We offer you:

• Participation in an exciting and well-connected research project
• Opportunities to gain first-hand research experience
• Collaborative work in an interdisciplinary team that values equal opportunities
• Extensive opportunities for scientific collaboration within the faculty (e. g., geosciences) as well as beyond (e. g., prehistoric and early history, environmental physics)
• Training programs
• Opportunities for partial remote work and flexible working hours
• Access to heiDOCS, the integral quality program supporting doctoral candidates and early postdocs at Heidelberg University

How to apply:

Please submit in a combined PDF document:

(1) Motivation letter

(2) Curriculum vitae (including a list of publications, scientific presentations, and outreach activities, if available)

(3) PDF of or link to the thesis

Application deadline: October 2, 2026

Applications should be sent by e-mail to the secretary of the Department of Physical Geography: ilka.wegehenkel@uni-heidelberg.de

For any questions, please contact: Dr. Max Engel: max.engel@uni-heidelberg.de

Heidelberg University stands for equal opportunities and diversity. Persons with severe disabilities will be given preference if they are equally qualified. Information on job advertisements and the collection of personal data is available at www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/job-market.