Doctoral Researcher in plant functional biodiversity

Job advertisement

Vacancy ID: 210/2026

Closing date: 2026-09-01

The Friedrich Schiller University Jena is a dynamic and innovation-driven university centrally located in Germany. With a broad range of disciplines, it shapes the future through excellent research and teaching. Its scientific excellence is reflected in the profile areas Light – Life – Liberty, which provide pioneering insights and sustainable solutions for the society of tomorrow. Through close collaborations with leading research institutions, innovative companies, and renowned cultural organizations, it advances interdisciplinary developments. With around 17,000 students and approximately 10,000 employees, it defines Jena as a vibrant, internationally connected city of science and innovation.

The Plant Biodiversity Group, Institute of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution (Faculty of Biological Sciences) invites applications for the position of a

Doctoral Researcher in plant functional biodiversity

commencing on November 1, 2026 or at the earliest possible date.

We offer a 50% position (20 hours per week), limited to 3 years. The place of work will be Jena – City of Science.

The Plant Biodiversity Group studies the impact of environmental changes such as land-use and climate on the (functional) plant diversity on various temporal and spatial scales. Mainly we study processes, which impact species-occurrences and plant species performance in different environments and consequences of change on the (functional) composition of (mainly grassland) plant communities. Within the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig we coordinate the PhenObs project focussing on developing a deeper understanding of variations in plant phenology and their ecological consequences using a functional approach ( ). Furthermore, the working group is part of the new Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function (SIP) Jena. Here we set the focus on analysing functional changes of plants and plant communities in the Anthropocene, also using collection-based approaches. The Plant Biodiversity Group contributes to teaching in the BSc Biology, BSc Biogeoscience and MSc Evolution, Ecology and Systematics focussing on geobotany, vegetation ecology as well as functional biodiversity.

Your responsibilities:

The successful candidate will work on a PhD thesis in the field of plant functional biodiversity, with a specific focus on understanding changes in grassland communities in response to changes in management and climate and including collection-based approaches

Writing and publishing scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals

Teaching (2 LVS per semester): field courses in geobotany including data analysis, courses on functional plant diversity and vegetation ecology

Your profile:

completed MSc degree in biology or related fields with expertise in plant biodiversity, plant ecology, and geobotany

solid knowledge in vegetation ecology including plant species identification skills

experience in doing vegetation relevés, measuring functional traits and the application of modern statistical analyses are needed for teaching

Excellent German communication skills, both written and spoken are required for basic teaching in BSc Biology and BSc Biogeosciences

Excellent English communication skills, both written and spoken

Enthusiasm to play an active role in the working group

Drivers license would be very advantageous

We offer:

The possibility to work on a PhD thesis in the fi