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 a:

The Career Center is part of the team Talentmanagement 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, organisation, and  facilitation of career-related formats (e.g. Career Coffee Chats) for individuals at different career stages (e.g. postdocs, leaders/executives), involving external speakers
• Identifing and engaging external speakers on career development within and beyond academia
• Support and development of the professional alumi network of the Career Center (GFZ alumni and external organisations)
• Contribution in Helmholtz networks on career-related topics, including occasional business travel (1–2 times per year)
• Documentation of career development events and support in preparing reports
• Development of sustainable strategic communication channels and formats for the Career Center’s services
• Creation of professional content for Career Center promotional materials, website design, and other reporting formats (newsletter)
• Conducting structured career counselling sessions
• Collaboration within the talentmanagement working group (e.g. Graduate Programme, Welcome Center) on joint projects
• Occasional support of other areas within the talentmanagement team, e.g. in the organisation and delivery of events

Your qualifications:

Essential Qualifications:

• Completed Master’s degree in the natural sciences (e.g., with a focus on geosciences) or social sciences (e.g., with a focus on work and organisational psychology, business psychology, adult education, human resource management, or business administration)
• Confidence in networking within (and outside) the GFZ, the Helmholtz Association, and the German research community
• Substantial experience in career counselling or support for early-career researchers
• Strong expertise 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 event management
• Proven experience in scientific research or in an academic teaching context
• A sound understanding of the German higher education and non-university research system
• A well-established network within the Helmholtz Association and/or in industry sectors relevant to the GFZ
• Strong communication skills in dealing with diverse stakeholders (e.g., postdoctoral researchers, principal investigators, research group leaders, HR departments)
• Excellent knowledge of the administration and use of Indico for event management and participant administration
• Very good command of German as well as fluent English skills (written and spoken)
• Proficient use of social media (e.g. LinkedIn)

 
Desirable Qualifications:

• Additional qualifications, e.g., a PhD and/or a coaching or trainer certification
• Experience in conducting qualitative and/or quantitative evaluations (e.g., online questionnaires) using relevant tools (e.g., LimeSurvey)
• Proficiency in design software (e.g., for creating promotional materials)