PROJECT RESEARCHER (PhD) INVERTEBRATES/COLLECTION ASSISTANT (M/F/D)
The OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Conduct morphological investigations of deep-sea holothurians using macrophotography, SEM, and micro-CT
- Perform molecular laboratory work and phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses
- Develop and train AI models for automated species recognition from image datasets
- Prepare and publish scientific manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals
- Present research findings at national and international conferences
- Manage project related collections (marine invertebrates) in consulation with the collection director
- Collaborate closely with project partners and contribute to joint publications
WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU:
- Master's degree in Systematics, Marine Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Zoology, or a closely related discipline
- Strong interest in echinoderm taxonomy and systematics
- Previous experience with echinoderms, particularly holothurians, is considered an asset
- Willingness and physical ability to participate in scientific research cruises when opportunities arise
- Experience with imaging systems such as SEM and microCT and phylogenetic methods including both computational assembly and genetic-lab techniques
- Willingness to undertake international travel for museum visits, project meetings, conferences, and research stays
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to an international research team
- Excellent written and spoken English
WE OFFER YOU:
- A stimulating research environment within one of Austria's leading natural history institutions
- Collaboration with internationally recognised research groups
- Opportunities to participate in scientific expeditions and international conferences
- Comprehensive training in integrative taxonomy, phylogenetics, and AI-assisted biodiversity research
- Support for obtaining a PhD through the University of Oldenburg
- Project-based employment for 36 months
- Part time employment (30 hours/week)
- An annual gross salary corresponding to at least EUR 3.575,70 gross per month (calculated for 40 hours/week) with remuneration in accordance with the applicable salary scheme
Additional information:
This position is funded through the BNP Paribas Foundation project "Resilience of Abyssal Seascape Biodiversity to Climate Change (AbyScapes)". The project investigates the biodiversity and resilience of deep-sea ecosystems in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ), a region of increasing interest due to prospective deep-sea mining.
The successful candidate will investigate the diversity and systematics of deep-sea holothurians using an integrative taxonomic approach that combines morphology (including macrophotography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT)) with molecular phylogenetics. The project also aims to develop an AI-based image recognition system capable of identifying holothurian species from extensive ROV and AUV image datasets provided by project partners.
The project is carried out in collaboration with the German Centre for Marine Biodiversity (Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven), the National Oceanography Centre (Southampton, UK), and the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain).
The successful candidate will be employed at the Upper Austria Biodiversity Centre in Linz while pursuing a PhD through the University of Oldenburg, Germany. The position offers opportunities to participate in international research collaborations, museum visits, a scientific expedition, and interdisciplinary research spanning taxonomy, phylogenetics, biogeography, and AI-assisted species recognition. Extended research visits to collaborating institutions are expected during the project.
If you have any questions, please contact:
