Research Associate (m/f/d)

To strengthen our team in the department "Materials Chemistry" in Berlin‑Steglitz, at the next possible date, we are looking for one

Research Associate (m/f/d)
in the field of physics, chemistry, material science or a comparable subject area

Salary group 13 TVöD
Temporary contract until 29.02.2029
Full-time/​suitable as part-time employment

The Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und ‑prüfung (BAM) is a materials research organization in Germany. Our mission is to ensure safety in technology and chemistry. We perform research and testing in materials science, materials engineering and chemistry to improve the safety of products and processes. At BAM we do research that matters. Our work covers a broad array of topics in the focus areas of energy, infrastructure, environment, materials, and analytical sciences.

We are looking for talented people to join us.

Your responsibilities include:

This project aims to develop and establish methods for accelerating the search for materials using computational chemistry/​density functional theory. Material properties that are in the foreground are hardness, magnetism and thermal conductivity. The project aims to develop high-throughput methods based on density functional theory that enable large data sets to be created. These will be analyzed in detail in a next step. The understanding of chemical bonding will play a major role.
The position is a part of the ERC Starting Grant ‘Multibonds: Understanding and designing inorganic materials properties based on two- and multicentre bonds’, funded by the European Research Council (ERC).

Your qualifications:

• Successfully completed scientific university degree (diploma/​master's degree) in physics, chemistry, material science, or a comparable subject area
• A successfully completed doctorate in physics, chemistry, material science, or a related field is advantageous. Applicants in the final phase of their doctorate are also welcome
• Comprehensive knowledge of solid-state chemistry and physics
• Several years of experience in modeling, simulation and programming
• Very good programming skills (especially in Python)
• Comprehensive knowledge of quantum mechanics
• Comprehensive knowledge of density functional theory
• Several years of experience with density functional theory software (for example the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package)
• Publication experience
• Very good written and spoken English skills
• Experience in the field of orbital or density-based analysis of chemical bonds using quantum chemical methods is an advantage
• Experience in the field of automation of quantum chemical calculations (program packages such as pymatgen, atomate2) is an advantage
• Experience in machine learning (scikit-learn, PyTorch, PyTorch Geometric) and data analysis (pandas) is an advantage
• Research experience in the areas of thermal conductivity, magnetism or material hardness is an advantage
• Experience with version control systems (e.g. Git) is desirable
• Good communication and information behaviour, goal-oriented and structured way of working, ability to work in a team and willingness to cooperate, willingness to learn

We offer:

• A varied and challenging job within a high-caliber network from politics, science, business and society
• Work in national and international networks with universities, research institutions and industrial companies
• Scope for research and development for your own innovative ideas
• A responsible, interesting and varied job in a competent and collegial environment
• Good work-life balance (possibility of mobile working (up to 60%), flexible working hours, 30 days of vacation and up to 12 days of compensatory time off per year as well as part-time options

Your application:

We welcome applications via the online application form by 17.03.2025. Alternatively, you can also send your application by post, quoting the reference number 35/25-6.0 to:

Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung
Referat Z.3 – Personal
Unter den Eichen 87
12205 Berlin
GERMANY
www.bam.de

Dr. Janine George will be glad to answer any specific questions you may have. Please get in touch via the telephone number +49 30 8104‑3318 and/or by email at Janine.George@bam.de.

BAM promotes professional equality between women and men. We therefore particularly welcome applications from women. At the same time, we strive to reflect social diversity. Every application is therefore welcome, regardless of gender, cultural or social background, religion, ideology or sexual identity.

In addition, BAM has set itself the goal of promoting the professional participation of people with severe disabilities. The fulfillment of the job requirements is considered on an individual basis. Severely disabled persons or persons of equal status will be given preferential consideration if they are equally qualified.

The advertised position requires a low level of physical aptitude.

BAM actively supports the compatibility of work and family and has been certified as a family- and life-phase-conscious employer by the "audit berufundfamilie" since 2015.