Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Potsdam

The Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB) is a pioneer and a driver of bioeconomy research. We create the scientific foundation to transform agricultural, food, industrial and energy systems into a sustainable bio-based circular economy. We develop and integrate techniques, processes and management strategies, effectively converging technologies to intelligently crosslink highly diverse bioeconomic production systems and to control them in a knowledge-based, adaptive and largely automated manner. We conduct research in dialogue with society, policymakers, industry and other stakeholders - knowledge-driven and application-inspired.

To support the subproject "Pretreatment and stabilization of lignocellulosic substrates for fungal composites” in the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) "MY-CO BUILD: Biomanufacturing, characterisation and sustainability assessment of fungal-based building materials" we are looking for a new member for our working group "Process Engineering for Fiber Plants” in the department "System Process Engineering”, starting on April 1, 2026.

Scientist (for PhD) (m/f/d)

In the DFG-SFB, coordinated by TU Berlin, pioneering basic research is being conducted to develop a new class of fungus-based materials from renewable raw materials from agriculture and forestry that are biologically produced and biodegradable. For the first time, the SFB brings together various disciplines in an interdisciplinary network that combines the biological, mechanical, physical, chemical, thermal, acoustic, and architectural property profiles of fungus-based materials depending on the genetic makeup of the fungal production organism used, the properties of the agricultural and forestry substrates, and the manufacturing and processing processes.

Your tasks

• Scientific management of the project
• Monitoring of field trials for the cultivation of industrial hemp
• Planning, realisation and supervision of trials for post-harvest treatment (field retting, wet preservation) of the harvested crop and its initial processing to obtain shives (core of woody stalk)
• Planning, realisation and supervision of laboratory trials on the pretreatment of shives and wood chips using cold atmospheric pressure plasma, ultrasound, isostatic high pressure, and high-voltage pulses
• Realisation and supervision of laboratory tests for the qualitative characterization of shives and wood chips (morphological, chemical, microbiological)
• Evaluation and assessment of the results
• Modeling of cause-and-effect relationships between raw material and product properties under the influence of different supply processes
• Active participation in conferences, project meetings, and workshops with stakeholders
• Preparation of scientific publications and project reports

Your qualifications

• Excellent university degree, preferably related to life sciences/ bioprocess engineering or comparable fields (e.g., plant-/ biochemistry, wood sciences) with relevant scientific expertise
• Knowledge and experience or willingness to learn methods, in particular the morphological, chemical, and microbiological characterization of plant samples
• Very good knowledge of statistical data analysis and data management
• Confident use of MS Office programs and statistical software (e.g., SAS, R, JMP)
• Ability to work in a team and willingness to cooperate, reliability, flexibility, personal commitment, and ability to work independently are required
• Confident command of written and spoken German and English
• Willingness to travel, EU driver's license class B

We offer

• Opportunity to pursue a doctorate / PhD and accompanying training courses
• An attractive, research-intensive, and interdisciplinary working environment
• A varied position at the interface of science and practice
• Excellent infrastructure for scientific work
• Training and further education opportunities
• Family-friendly working conditions to promote work-life balance
• Participation in the VBB company ticket or Deutschlandticket
• A workplace at the edge of a picturesque landscape, easily accessible by bike or public transport

The full-time position (40 hours per week) is limited to the duration of the project until December 31, 2029. Salary will be based on your qualifications and experience according to TV-L up to pay grade E 13.

For further information, please contact Dr. Hans-Jörg Gusovius (Tel: 0331/5699-316 oder E-Mail: hjgusovius(at)atb-potsdam.de) and visit our website at www.atb-potsdam.de.

Have we piqued your interest? Then apply by February 28, 2026 with your cover letter, CV (without photo), and employment references and/ or contact details of referees via our online application portal for this job posting, reference number 2026-SY-1, at https://www.atb-potsdam.de/en/career/vacancies. Applications received after the application deadline cannot be considered. We look forward to your application!

Interviews will take place on March 04, 2026, alternatively on March 6, 2026.

We are committed to equal opportunities. Applications from severely disabled candidates will be given preference if equally qualified.

By submitting your application, you agree that your documents may be stored for up to six months even in the case of an unsuccessful application. Further information on data protection can be found here: https://www.atb-potsdam.de/en/services/data-protection-declaration-for-the-application-process.