Doctoral student (m/f/d) Tropical Ecohydrology

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Doctoral student (m/f/d) Tropical Ecohydrology

The position is part of the externally funded project "Galapagos ecosystems under climate change: Investigating current and future water fluxes of mixed native-invasive plant communities (DFG Research Unit GArua, Subproject C3)" at the Chair of Landscape, Water and Biogeochemical Cycles, Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management at Faculty Agricultural Sciences, Nutritional Sciences, and Environmental Management. The salary is in accordance with the collective labour agreement of the State of Hessen (E 13 TV-H).

About GArua

GArua is a DFG-funded research unit investigating how climate change and biological invasions are reshaping the water cycle of the Galápagos highlands, where fog intercepted by the forest canopy and its epiphytes provides a critical freshwater input known as cloud-water interception (CWI). By altering fog regimes and canopy structure, climate change and invasive species threaten this input, with largely unquantified consequences for soil moisture and groundwater recharge. Subproject C3 combines novel lysimeter-based field experiments on epiphyte interception with process-based hydrological modelling to quantify future CWI. C3 represents a particularly interdisciplinary and international research environment, being part of an international consortium spanning climate, plant, biodiversity, and soil research.

Your tasks at a glance

• Further development and testing of a mobile epiphyte lysimeter to capture CWI
• Setting up a monitoring system for CWI and soil moisture on the Galápagos Islands
• Maintaining the data acquisition platform
• Statistical data analysis
• Development, parametrisation, calibration, and validation of a process-based CWI module as an extension of the Catchment Modelling Framework (CMF)
• Supporting the development of a water balance model using CMF for GArua
• Presenting project results at scientific conferences and in academic journals

Your qualifications and competences

• Completed Master's or equivalent university degree in Hydrology, Environmental Sciences, Geoecology, or a related discipline
• Experience with hydrometeorological fieldwork
• Willingness to carry out extended field campaigns on the Galápagos Islands
• Knowledge of hydrological modelling and programming (preferably Python or C++)
• Very good written and spoken English (equivalent to CEFR level B2)

Our offer to you

• A varied job with flexible working hours
• The opportunity to join an internationally and interdisciplinarily oriented DFG research group (GArua), including hands-on fieldwork in the Galápagos Islands
• Free use of local public transport (LandesTicket Hessen)
• More than 100 training seminars, workshops and e-learning opportunities per year for personal development, as well as a wide range of health and sports activities
• Remuneration according to TV-H, company pension scheme, child allowance and special payments
• Good compatibility of family and career (certificate "audit familiengerechte hochschule")

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. David Windhorst by e-mail ( ).

JLU welcomes qualified applications regardless of biological and social gender, disability, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, ideology, age as well as sexual orientation and identity. The JLU aims for a higher proportion of women in accordance with the women's promotion plan. We therefore particularly encourage qualified female candidates to apply. JLU is certified as a family-friendly university. Applications from disabled people of equal aptitude will be given preference.

You want to break new ground with us?

Apply via our online form by August 15 th , 2026 , indicating reference number 293/09. We look forward to receiving your application.