Postdoctoral Researcher (f/m/x) From climate adaptation plans to action: Computational approaches to monitoring adaptation progress

Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung - UFZ

04318 Leipzig

Bewerbungsfrist: 2026-11-30

Overview

The job is a Postdoctoral Researcher position at UFZ in Leipzig.
Focus on developing an evidence-based framework to assess the transition from adaptation planning to implementation.
Join the Computational Social Science for Extreme Events group, working at the intersection of geography, climate research, and computational social science.
Place of work: Leipzig; 100% time (39h/week); full-time or part-time options.
Salary according to TVöD public-sector up to pay grade 13.

Develop and apply natural language processing (NLP) methods and/or large language models (LLMs) to identify and extract evidence on adaptation planning and implementation from text data
Link extracted information with independent sources of evidence on implementation, including city monitoring reports, public procurement records, and other administrative and policy datasets
Develop indicators for measuring adaptation implementation and progress
Investigate how implementation relates to climatic, socioeconomic, institutional, and urban characteristics
Disseminate results through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and interdisciplinary collaboration
Contribute to the development of the research group and, where appropriate, co-supervise students

PhD degree in computational social science, data science, digital humanities, geography, environmental sciences, computer science, urban studies, quantitative sociology, or a related field
Good command of scientific programming (e.g., Python or R)
Experience with NLP, machine learning, text mining, large language models, data mining, or statistical analysis
Good command of written and spoken English
Strong scientific writing and communication skills
Experience working with large and/or heterogeneous datasets is an advantage
Interest in topics related to climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and environmental policy

The freedom to master demanding challenges between basic research and practical application
Interdisciplinary, international teams and diverse perspectives
Strong integration into national and international research networks
Excellent research infrastructure and data management
Flexible working hours and family-office support for work–life balance
Support for international colleagues from the International Office
Special annual payment, capital-forming benefits and subsidised Germany Job Ticket
A workplace in a region with a high quality of life and social and cultural diversity

To ensure a fair selection process, please submit your application including: a short cover letter, a CV including grades, links to two most relevant publications, and the names and contact of two referees, and relevant supporting documents such as certificates and transcripts
Application deadline: 30.11.2026
Applications via online portal without the requested documents will not be considered