PostDoc Position / Research Assistant (f/m/d) Impact of wind turbines and wind farms on the mic[...]

PostDoc Position / Research Assistant (f/m/d): Impact of wind turbines and wind farms on the microclimate

The impact of wind turbines and wind farms on the microclimate, e.g., air temperature and soil moisture, is timely research. It has practical implications on the permitting process for new wind farms, and uncertainties exist for the responsible authorities and the general public. The objective of your project is to provide further scientific understanding on how wind turbines influence the microclimate and to assist in the dissemination of academic results into the approval procedures for new onshore wind farms in Germany.

Responsibilities

You will use the atmospheric large‑eddy simulation (LES) model PALM and meteorological measurement equipment to study the interaction between wind turbines and the microclimate.

• Performing a LES validation study for the specific measurement site
• Jointly preparing and executing a measurement campaign on the impact of wind turbines and wind farms on, e.g., temperature and humidity
• Extending the LES studies to cover typical weather, soil and vegetation conditions and the dispersion of pollutants
• Providing results from the LES studies to support the validation of mesoscale simulations done by Fraunhofer IWES
• Extending your specific network by presenting scientific results at international conferences, through peer‑reviewed publications, to stakeholders and the general public
• Cooperating closely with the researchers at ForWind and other industrial and scientific partners

You will have access to our new high‑performance computing system. You will conduct your research in a team that has over two decades of experience in simulations of atmospheric flows using the LES model PALM and meteorological measurements.

Qualifications

• PhD degree in Meteorology, Physical or Geophysical Sciences, Mechanical Engineering or in a similar field
• Qualifying university master’s degree in Meteorology, Geoecology/Environmental Science, Physical Science, Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, Renewable Energy or equivalent
• Profound knowledge and experience in the simulation of atmospheric flows
• Extensive experience in Python for processing huge amounts of data
• High motivation and the ability to work jointly on a complex research topic, which combines numerical modelling and site observations
• Fluency in communicating and reporting in English

Desired (but not mandatory) qualifications

• Skills in micrometeorological measurement techniques
• Experience abroad of several months during the school, study period or employment after graduation

Benefits

We offer you the opportunity to develop your scientific career in a young and lively academic environment. You will be working in the WindLab – one of the university's most modern office and lab spaces – while you will also have the opportunity to do flexible and mobile work. Your pathway as a researcher is actively supported by, for example:

• Multidisciplinary cooperation with other researchers at ForWind and Fraunhofer IWES located in WindLab building in Oldenburg
• Direct collaboration with industry while maintaining the links with our national and international partners in academia, including scientific networks (e.g., EAWE, IEA)
• Optional secondment at an international research institute
• Development of personal, scientific, and teaching skills through an individual training programme and selected teaching tasks
• Opportunities to present scientific results at international conferences and through peer‑reviewed publications to extend your specific network

Further, the university fosters a family‑friendly working environment and offers a family service centre and on‑campus children’s daycare.

The employment is initially limited to three years. The payment is based on the collective agreement for the public service in the German federal states, TV‑L E13, for a 100% position.

Our standards

• The Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg is dedicated to increase the percentage of female employees in the field of science. Therefore, female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. In accordance to § 21 Section 3 NHG, female candidates with equal qualifications will be preferentially considered.
• Applicants with disabilities will be given preference in case of equal qualification.

Further benefits

• Secure remuneration according to collective agreement
• 30 days vacation
• Company pension scheme
• Further training opportunities
• Flexible working hours
• Health management
• Mobile working
• Compatibility of career and family

Research environment

Wind energy research at the Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg has gained international recognition by its integration into ForWind – Center for Wind Energy Research of the Universities of Oldenburg, Hannover and Bremen and the national Wind Energy Research Alliance of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES) and ForWind. At ForWind, we value and maintain collaboration between our research groups and partner institutions, including members of the European Academy of Wind Energy. In Oldenburg, our 50 researchers from physics, meteorology, and engineering are collaborating at the Research Laboratory for Turbulence and Wind Energy Systems, which is centred on wind physics. Our mission is to develop a deeper understanding of the atmospheric and wind power plant flow physics required to meet the global demand for clean, affordable electricity. Therefore, we conduct laboratory experiments, free‑field measurements and HPC‑based numerical simulations. The main topics include the description and modelling of wind turbulence, the analysis of interactions between turbulent atmospheric wind flow and wind energy systems, and the control of wind turbines and wind farms. The covered scales range from small‑scale turbulence up to meteorological phenomena. Our research facilities comprise three turbulent wind tunnels, various equipment for free‑field measurements at on‑ and offshore wind farms and a high‑performance computing cluster. Almost all our projects combine analyses at more than one of these infrastructures.

Further information is available at and

Contact

For questions regarding this job opportunity, please contact Dr. Gerald Steinfeld at +49(0)441/ or preferably by email at

Apply now

Please submit your application via email by to Please submit your application electronically as one PDF file including the reference #ACA126.

The PDF file must include either in English or German:

• A letter motivating your application for this particular position (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc and PhD diplomas
• Employment references (in case of previous employments)

A second PDF file containing your PhD Thesis and relevant research papers (if available) is an optional attachment.

We are looking forward to receiving your application.