(W-0066) Scientific Programmer

ABOUT US

The Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI‑M) is a multidisciplinary center for climate and Earth system research located in Hamburg, Germany. It is one of the premier climate science research institutes in the world. Located in the heart of one of Europe’s most livable and vibrant cities, it provides a highly international and interdisciplinary environment to conduct scientific research as well as access to state-of-the-art scientific facilities. You can also have a virtual tour to our campus .

THE Position

The MPI-M is seeking to appoint a

Scientific Programmer
(W-0066 | all genders)

for a fixed term of three years in the Scientific Computing Laboratory.

Frontier exascale computers are unlocking scientific breakthroughs by enabling ultra-high-resolution, coupled earth system simulations. Furthermore, they are giving us new opportunities to advance the way we model physical climate processes. By using particle-based methods we can now fundamentally change the way we model certain components of the atmosphere and ocean, for example cloud droplets, plankton, or microplastics, to improve our understanding of Earth’s changing climate. To do this, we need to harness the capabilities of present and future heterogeneous HPC architectures, and ensure portability, maintainability of our code, as well as energy efficient simulations.

The successful applicant will become a member of the scientific computing group, led by Dr. Daniel Klocke , and with co-supervision by Dr. Clara Bayley .

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contribute to enabling large-scale ICON simulations coupled with the super-droplet model Cleo for cloud microphysics
• Generalise Cleo and its coupling to ICON for a broader range of particle-based use-cases
• Collaborate with European partners in the EU funded Lighthouse Code project, PHOENIX (Performance and Heterogeneous Optimised Earth-system modeling with Next-generation ICON eXecution)
• Support the model evaluation and development of ICON and Cleo

YOUR PROFILE

• A degree in computer science, software engineering, physics, or related fields
• Excellent programming skills, evidence of collaborative coding and ideally experience with C++ and Kokkos
• Experience in high-performance computing
• The ability to work independently as well as collaboratively
• Interest in working with particle methods and km-scale climate models
• Proficiency in English, German language skills are welcome but not required

OUR OFFER

• Participation in the European Lighthouse code project, developing the state-of-the-art earth-system model ICON and the super-droplet model Cleo
• Contribute to a challenging part of science in an international, interdisciplinary and intellectually stimulating environment
• Access to complex workflows on the cutting edge of what is technologically possible, as well as working for and with an open-source community
• Excellent opportunities for further (self‑)training and development, self-organized and/or in external courses and events
• A network of experienced and innovative colleagues within the institute, and at project partner institutions with a long-proven tradition of sharing knowledge and information
• Possibility for flexible time-management and measures to support work-life balance
• Attractive benefits including subsidy for public transport across Germany (Deutschlandticket)

EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

• Candidates will be assessed on the basis of their qualifications and ability to fulfil the responsibilities outlined for this project. Remuneration will be in line with the German civil service (E14 TVöD), including comprehensive social security benefits. The conditions of employment, including upgrading and duration, will follow the rules of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science and those of the German civil service. In principle, the position is full-time. However, part-time applications may be considered
• The position is for a period of 3 years and the starting date is as soon as possible
• The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of persons with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from qualified persons with disabilities. The Max Planck Society is committed to gender equality and diversity and seeks to increase the number of women in areas where they are underrepresented, and therefore strongly encourages women to apply

INTERESTED?

We are looking forward to receiving your online application by the first cut-off date of 15 September 2026 (23:59 CEST) .

For further information, please contact Dr. Daniel Klocke or Dr. Clara Bayley .

Please submit your application exclusively through our online application system . Applications sent by email cannot be considered.

Your application should include the following documents:

• a cover letter
• a detailed curriculum vitae
• relevant certificates
• the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of two referees

CONTACT

Deadline: September 15, 2026

Max Planck Institute for Meteorology
Bundesstraße 53
20146 Hamburg
Germany

Mastodon:
@[email protected]