Student Assistant (f/m/d)

Müncheberg

Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung (ZALF) e.V.

The mission of the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) as a nationally and internationally active research institute is to deliver solutions for an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable agriculture – together with society. ZALF is a member of the Leibniz Association and is located in Müncheberg (approx. 35 minutes by regional train from Berlin-Lichtenberg). It also maintains a research station with further locations in Dedelow and Paulinenaue.

The Working Group for Land Use Decisions in a Spatial and System Context (DSC) studies landscape transformation as a co-evolutionary process between people and landscapes. To do so, we use the lens of food systems to connect agriculture, biodiversity, people and landscapes. Together with non-scientific practitioners, we co-develop visions for landscapes and agricultural and food systems. This is complemented by co-defining strategies to move towards those visions.  Strategies that the working group focuses on include biodiversity-friendly farming, agroecology, regional value-chains, access to land and shifting diets. Attention is placed upon thinking of biophysical, socio-cultural (e.g. values, practice, agency), and governance aspects together, in how far  that they shape the development and outcomes of these strategies. Drawing on methodologies from across disciplines, the working group develops novel method combinations to describe and redesign spatial relationships connecting human and non-human systems.

We are offering a part-time student position (40 or 80 hours/month) for at least 12 months at our location in Müncheberg as

Student Assistant (f/m/d)
78-2025

Your tasks:

• Support data collection, management, and simple qualitative or statistical analyses in different projects within the group, including, among others, FarmBioNet, Agroecology Partnership, RegBio2B, Agroecology4Climate, SWITCH, FoodCityBoost, TAELabs and cross-project syntheses
• Support diverse activities and data in the DSC working group
• Potentially create and maintain a working group website

Your qualifications:

• Highly committed and reliable
• Structured and organized way of working
• Dedicated to clear communication and a positive work environment, particularly by being at ZALF in person during most work hours, in both English and German
• Experience with diverse social (i.e. qualitative, ethnographic) or ecological data collection, data management and preliminary analyses, ideally some spatial analysis skills (i.e. GIS)
• You are studying and have experience related to food systems, agriculture, or landscapes

What we offer:

• an interdisciplinary working environment that encourages independence and self-reliance
• an international network of like-minded colleagues and peers working within and beyond research dedicated to agroecology, sustainable food systems, and landscapes through social, ecological and cultural ways
• salary according to the hourly rates for student or scientific assistants in Brandenburg
• opportunities to learn about diverse scientific methodologies in a reflexive and inclusive environment
• a collegial and open-minded working atmosphere in a dynamic research institution
• company ticket

ZALF promotes equality among all employees and welcomes applications regardless of ethnic, cultural, or social background, age, religion, ideology, disability, gender, or sexual identity. It is generally possible to work in the position on a part-time basis. Please send your application preferably online (see button online application below). For e-mail applications, create a PDF document (one PDF file, max. 5 MB; packed PDF documents, archive files like zip, rar etc. Word documents cannot be processed and therefore cannot be considered!) with the usual documents, in particular Cover letter, CV, proof of qualification and certificates, stating the reference number 78-2025 until  January 18, 2026 to (see button e-mail application below).

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: Maria Kernecker, Tel. +49 (0) 33432/82-448, or via email maria.kernecker@zalf.de.

For cost reasons, application documents or extensive publications can only be returned if an adequately stamped envelope is attached.

If you apply, we collect and process your personal data in accordance with Articles 5 and 6 of the EU GDPR only for the processing of your application and for purposes that result from possible future employment with the ZALF. Your data will be deleted after six months.