The Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht is one of the 19 national institutions of the Hermann von Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres e.V. (HGF). Around 1000 employees carry out basic research and development work in close cooperation with national and international research institutions, research-oriented clinics and economic and public institutions.

At the Institute of Polymer Research around 50 scientists research membranes for applications in material separation. With its interdisciplinary materials and engineering research the institute covers the entire spectrum from basic research to industrial application.

2 PhD Positions (m/f/d)

Reference code: 50027160_2 - 2020/PM 2
Commencement date: as soon as possible‍

The Institute of Polymer Research develops materials and processes for novel polymer membranes for gas and liquid phase separation. In our research, we combine experiments with digital models with the goal of accelerating membrane design and process improvement. We invite applications for two PhD positions, as soon as possible, in the field of nanofiltration membranes for the project “NanoMem”. The principal aim of the project “NanoMem” is to investigate the selective ion transport mechanism through the prepared membranes via experiment and simulation. The position is limited to 3 years.‍

Your tasks

• The task of the PhD students will be to fabricate nanofiltration membranes for water and wastewater treatment. The students will be responsible for preparation of thin film composite membranes and post modification of the membranes to generate functional groups.
• Permeance of water and ions through the membranes has to be determined experimentally.
• NanoMem aims to develop fundamental knowledge of mass transport and separation mechanisms of the membranes. An important task of the PhD students will be to identify a valid model for the transport of ions through the membranes prepared by a given chemistry under controlled fabrication conditions.
• Both of the PhD students will work on experiment and simulation.

Your profile

• Master degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Nano Science, Material Science, Physics or related disciplines.
• good knowledge of polymer synthesis
• knowledge of numerical analytic methods
• capacity for teamwork in an interdisciplinary environment
• fluency in English is mandatory (spoken and written)
• German language skills are desirable
• background knowledge in computer programming will be an advantage (not mandatory)

We offer you

• multinational work environment with over 1,000 colleagues from more than 50 nations
• extensive options of vocational training (i.a. expert seminars, language courses or leadership seminars)
• flexible working hours and various models to ensure the compatibility of family and career
• excellent infrastructure, including a scientific in-house library as well as modern work spaces
• an appropriate salary related to the German public tariff (TV-AVH) plus the usual social benefits for the public employment sector

The promotion of equal rights is a matter of course for us. Severely disabled persons and those equaling severely disabled persons who are equally suitable for the position will be considered preferentially within the framework of legal requirements.

For inquiries, please contact

Dr. Md. Mushfequr Rahman ([email protected]).

Interested? Then we are looking forward to receiving your comprehensive application documents (cover letter, CV, transcripts, certificates etc.) indicating the reference number 2020/PM 2.

Please start the online application process for this offered position via http://www.hzg.de category Career & Campus.

Closing date: August 31st, 2020
Contact: Ms. Erika Krüger
[email protected]