The post holder will become part of a multidisciplinary team in the Interface Geochemistry section at the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam, Germany and closely interface with members of the Cryo-Microbiology group at Aarhus University in Denmark. The prime goal of the work will be to elucidate microbial processes on the Greenland Ice Sheet in the framework of the European Research Council (ERC) Synergy grant "Deep Purple". 

She/he/they will join the international and diverse team of researchers led by Liane G. Benning, who is very committed to fostering a fully inclusive research environment. Non-discrimination and equal treatment are integral parts of our group policy.

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic bioinformatic focussed scientist who wants to develop her/his/their skills in a complementary research environment, where different disciplines work closely together to obtain a holistic understanding of cryogenic microbial processes and interactions in snow and ice environments.

The focus will be on eukaryotes and bioinformatic analyses of sequencing data from various 'omic' approaches that target the interactions between algae and other cryophillic microbes. The aim is to derive variation in functionality and pathways of gene expression related to algal blooms both during melting in the summer and the consequences of re-freezing in the winter. Fieldwork, including camping on the Greenland Ice Sheet under harsh conditions is an integral part of the project. Further information about the science, the team and our fieldwork can be found on the DeepPurple website.

Your responsibilities:

• Carry out original bioinformatic focussed research related to genomes, metagenomes, and in particular metatranscriptomes of cryophillic eukaryotic dominated samples from Greenland and other polar settings
• Provide bioinformatics support to other projects within the team
• Publish in international peer-reviewed journals; present research results at scientific meetings 
• Lead and/or considerably contribute to writing proposals for third party funding opportunities 
• Help co-supervise Masters and PhD students 

Your qualifications:

• MSc and PhD in bioinformatics, geobiology, molecular microbiology, geoecology or equivalent in all cases with a strong computational focus
• Specialized knowledge in next-generation sequencing data evaluation - ideally with a focus on eukaryotes
• Documented record in developing and applying bioinformatic algorithms and pipelines to complex environmental samples
• Capacity for interdisciplinary and international teamwork and excellent communication skills 
• Documentable excellent publication and 3rd party funding records 
• Polar fieldwork is a part of the project, so willingness / experience in outdoor activities is a bonus 
• Proficiency in spoken and written English, German is an asset