Postdoc (m/f/d) for AI-driven Method Development for Collection-based Research

Employer

Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function, Jena, Germany

Description

Job announcement ref. #13-26007

Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research (SGN), headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, is seeking to fill the following position in the Research Group Digital Collectomics at the Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function starting as soon as possible

Postdoc (m/f/d) for AI-driven Method Development
for Collection-based Research

Location: Jena, Germany
Employment scope: Full-time (40 hours/ week) / part-time options are available
Type of contract: The contract shall start at the earliest possible date. The position is limited to 2 years
Remuneration: Collective agreement of the German Länder, TV-L E 13

Your Tasks
• Work in (team) projects by contributing, co-developing, executing, implementing and evaluating ideas for novel AI-driven image and data analysis approaches for collection data
• Establishment of own projects, research questions and approaches for image and data analysis of collection data with focus on broadly applicable methods able to deal with little available data (e.g., zero-shot, few-shot or weakly supervised approaches and foundation models)
• Publication and presentation of research results in high-ranked machine learning, computer vision and interdisciplinary venues
• Curation and archiving of datasets
• Keeping up with current developments in computer vision and machine learning research
• Support of funding acquisition and establishment of the new group at Senckenberg, including participation in outreach events
• Advising of colleagues and students, including supervision of bachelor’s and master’s theses

Candidate requirements

Your Profile
• A doctoral degree (or in the stage of its finalization) in Computer Science or a related subject with a focus on computer vision and/or deep learning, ideally with interdisciplinary experience, or a doctoral degree (or in the stage of its finalization) in Biology with strong computer vision and deep learning background (application or research)
• Experience with
• Current methods, tools, languages and frameworks in computer vision and deep learning (e.g., Linux, Bash, Python, Pytorch, Gradio, Numpy, Pandas, Huggingface, Ollama)
• LLMs and foundation models in general
• Good organizational abilities, reliability and efficiency
• An open mind-set, curiosity and a strong motivation to excel in science
• A collaborative attitude and good communication skills
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills in English

Desirable Skills:
• German language skills
• Experience with computing on clusters
• Experience with funding-acquisition

About the employer

The Senckenberg Society for Nature Research is a member of the Leibniz Association and has been investigating the “Earth System” worldwide for more than 200 years, examining the past, analysing the present, and developing projections for the future.
We conduct integrative geobiodiversity research with the aim of understanding nature in all its complexity and diversity in order to preserve it as the foundation of life for future generations and to ensure its sustainable use. Across eight institutes and five research stations throughout Germany, scientists from more than 40 countries conduct research at the highest international level.

The Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function at Friedrich Schiller University Jena is the eighth and most recently founded Senckenberg institute. Located in the vibrant university city of Jena in Thuringia and forming part of an international network, it brings together the renowned Herbarium Haussknecht with cutting-edge research on biodiversity change in the Anthropocene.

The Junior Research Group Digital Collectomics deals with the development of automated methods revolving around the extraction of information from collections, with a strong focus on herbaria, as well as the digitization process and public display thereof.
We leverage the latest developments in computer vision and AI research to create broadly applicable methods that can deal with small to no available training data. Therefore, our research focuses primarily on foundation models, few- and zero-shot methods and domain generalization. In interdisciplinary cooperation with the local Herbarium Haussknecht and other partners all over Senckenberg, we create cutting-edge approaches for publication in high-ranked computer vision, machine learning and interdisciplinary venues with the ambition to convert the novel methods into directly applicable tools usable in collection-based research at Senckenberg and beyond.

The selected candidate will research novel methods in the areas of foundation models, few- and zero-shot methods and domain generalization in established team projects and novel projects in order to advance collection-based research.

Further details

We offer

• An attractive, responsible and challenging position in a globally recognized research institution with motivated and professional colleagues
• A vibrant, international team of scientists in Jena and all of Senckenberg with collection-based research programs, focusing on understanding the Anthropocene Biodiversity Change
• Excellent infrastructure and collaboration opportunities at SIP embedded in a lively research environment in Senckenberg and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena
• Opportunities to participate in teaching and outreach activities, e.g. at Friedrich Schiller University Jena
• Flexible working hours – mobile working options – employee ID card with free admis-sion to the Senckenberg museums – annual special payment – collectively agreed vacation entitlement – company pension plan (ZVK)

Senckenberg is committed to diversity. We benefit from the different expertise, perspectives and personalities of our staff and welcome every application from qualified candidates, irrespective of age, gender, ethnic or cultural origin, religion and ideology, sexual orientation and identity or disability. Applicants with a severe disability will be given special consideration in case of equal suitability. Senckenberg actively supports the compatibility of work and family and places great emphasis on an equal and inclusive work culture.

Possible start of employment: Thursday, 01 October 2026.

Contract: Full-time, Fixed-term

Salary: TV-L E 13, https://oeffentlicher-dienst.info/c/t/rechner/tv-l/allg?id=tv-l-2026&matrix=1

Stats

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.

More jobs

• 
  AI Engineer (m/f/d) for Method Development and Digitization for Collection-based Research Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function
• 
  Research Scientist- Coloff Lab University of Illinois at Chicago
• 
  PhD researcher Department of Work and Organisation Studies (WOS) University of Leuven
• 
  PhD position on Frictions in Workers’ Career Decision Making Process (ref. BAP-2026-404) University of Leuven

See also

postdoc jobs in Germany, postdoc jobs in Jena, biology postdoc jobs, biology jobs in Germany, biology jobs in Jena, biology postdoc jobs in Germany, biology postdoc jobs in Jena, computer science postdoc jobs, computer science jobs in Germany, computer science jobs in Jena, computer science postdoc jobs in Germany, computer science postdoc jobs in Jena, all jobs