Job offer

GFZ is Germany's national centre for solid Earth research. We advance the understanding of dynamic processes to address global challenges, from mitigating the impacts of natural hazards and sustaining our habitat amid global change to responsibly managing georesources. We are part of the Helmholtz Association, the largest German scientific organisation. With around 1,200 employees as well as ca. 500 guest researchers, we contribute to the Helmholtz Research Field Earth and Environment, aligning cutting-edge research with societal relevance and international collaboration. Our work integrates multidisciplinary studies across Earth's system components, leveraging advanced technologies and infrastructure to research solutions and to transfer our knowledge to society. We are doing this according to our vision: “Taking the pulse of our Earth to safeguard a habitable planet”.

For the Talentmanagement team as part of the Human Resources department we are looking for an:

The Career Center is part of the Talentmanagement team at the GFZ and actively promotes the professional development of all postdocs at GFZ. We provide support for systematic career planning, offer advice on career-related issues, and promote networking within and outside academia. 

We are looking for a dedicated and motivated individual to join our talent management working group within the Human Resources department. You can expect a dynamic working environment where innovation, teamwork, and personal development are key priorities.

Your responsibilities:

• Conceptual development and independent delivery of workshops, trainings, and other formats on career development topics for individuals at different career stages (e.g., postdocs, supervisors)
• Conduct structured career coaching sessions
• Analyse the training, coaching, and networking needs of early-career researchers using qualitative and quantitative methods
• Organisation and facilitation of career-related formats featuring external speakers
• Strategic identification and engagement of external speakers on career development within and beyond academia
• Strategic development and maintenance of the professional alumni network of the Career Center (from GFZ and external organisations)
• Coordination of larger career development programs from application to evaluation (e.g., Compass Mentoring Program, LeapIn Job Shadowing Program)
• Documentation of career development events and support in preparing reports
• Inspiring collaboration and active involvement in Helmholtz networks on career-related topics, including occasional business travel (1–2 times per year)
• Occasional creation of subject-specific content for Career Center promotional materials, website design, and newsletters
• Collaboration within the Talentmanagement working group (e.g., Graduate Programme, Welcome Center) on joint projects
• Occasional work on third-party funding applications
• Occasional representation of other areas of the Talentmanagement working group, e.g., in the organisation and delivery of events

Your qualifications:

Essential Qualifications: 

• A completed master’s degree and a PhD in social sciences (e.g., with an emphasis on Work and Organisational Psychology, Business Psychology, Adult Education, Human Resource Management, or Business Administration) or natural sciences (e.g., with a focus in Geosciences)
• Additional qualification, e.g., a coaching/trainer certification 
• Proven experience in scientific research or in the academic teaching context
• Demonstrated experience in the conceptual design and independent delivery of workshops or training programmes in relevant areas of career development and/or the development of social, methodological, or personal competencies
• Strong expert knowledge in strategic career development (e.g., academic appointment procedures), self-presentation skills (e.g., preparing professional application documents and interviews), and networking (e.g., use of LinkedIn)
• Solid experience in career coaching or career counselling for early-career researchers
• Experience in conducting qualitative and/or quantitative evaluations (e.g., online questionnaires) using relevant tools (e.g., LimeSurvey)
• Excellent communication skills in working with diverse stakeholders (e.g., postdocs, principal investigators, research group leaders, and HR departments)
• In-depth understanding of the German university and non-university research system
• Advanced proficiency in German and fluent proficiency in English

Desirable Qualifications:

• Confidence in networking, e.g., within (and outside) the GFZ, the Helmholtz Association, and the German research landscape
• Experience in preparing and working on external funding proposals
• Experience in event management and the use of relevant software (e.g., Indico)
• Proficient use of social media (e.g., LinkedIn)