PhD Researcher (f/m/x) Occurrence and fate of organic micropollutants in the urban environment

The job

Clean water resources are essential for both environmental sustainability and human health. However, chemical pollution poses a growing threat to water quality, safety, and reuse.

We offer a PhD position (f/m/x), in subject to the final approval of the third-party-funding project, to identify key pollutants and co-develop innovative solutions for clean water in close collaboration with project partners.

Place of work

Leipzig

Working time

65% (25,35 h/week)

Contract limitations

limited contract / 36 months

Salary

Remuneration according to the TVöD public-sector up to pay grade 13 including attractive public-sector social security benefits.

Contact

Your contact for any questions you may have about the job:
Dr. Qiuguo Fu
qiuguo.fu@ufz.de

Your application

Please submit your application via our online portal with your cover letter, CV (please omit your photo, age, or marital status) and relevant attachments.

Diversity and Inclusion

The UFZ has a strong commitment to diversity and actively supports equal opportunities for all employees regardless of their origin, religion, ideology, disability, age or sexual identity.
We look forward to applications from people who are open-minded and enjoy working in diverse teams.

The UFZ

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with its 1,100 employees has gained an excellent reputation as an international competence centre for environmental sciences. We are part of the largest scientific organisation in Germany, the Helmholtz association. Our mission: Our research seeks to find a balance between social development and the long-term protection of our natural resources.

The job

Clean water resources are essential for both environmental sustainability and human health. However, chemical pollution poses a growing threat to water quality, safety, and reuse.

We offer a PhD position (f/m/x), in subject to the final approval of the third-party-funding project, to identify key pollutants and co-develop innovative solutions for clean water in close collaboration with project partners.

Your tasks

• Develop and apply innovative analytical methods for various organic chemical analysis in the urban water and potential other environmental samples
• Quantify and identify emerging organic contaminants and transformation products
• Investigate the fate process of chemicals and identify transformation byproducts 
• Collaborate with project partners to co-develop remediation solutions for pollutant removal
• Analyze data, data interpretation, reporting and discussing with project partners
• Participate in the UFZ graduate school HIGRADE
• Participate and present results in the project meetings and (inter-)national conferences 
• Publish the results in peer-reviewed journals

We offer

• Excellent supervision and optimal professional and interdisciplinary qualification through our HIGRADE graduate programme
• The freedom to master even the most demanding challenges between basic research and practical application
• The opportunity to work in interdisciplinary, international teams and benefit from a wide range of perspectives
• Firstclass integration into national and international research networks to work together on global challenges
• Excellent research infrastructure and research data management to optimally support your work
• A wide range of options for balancing care responsibilities and work through our family office
• Competent support and advice for international colleagues arriving at the UFZ from the ‘International Office’
• Special annual payment, capital-forming benefits and subsidised Deutschland-Job-Ticket
• A workplace in a vibrant region with a high life quality and social and cultural diversity

Your profile

• Master degree or equivalent in analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry or related fields
• Knowledge and laboratory skills in analytical chemistry and mass spectrometers are advantageous e.g. LC-HRMS/MS
• Additional skills are of added value: big data analytics and machine learning/artificial intelligence
• Experimental creativity and hands-on problem-solving attitude is a prerequisite
• Strong self-motivation for independent scientific work in an interdisciplinary project and high reliability and resilience are required
• Proficient in English speaking and writing
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills

Apply now

Application deadline: 22.03.2026

More information about jobs at the UFZ:
www.ufz.de/career

LinkedIn @UFZ

Family Support

International Office

Accessibility

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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