University Assistant postdoctoral in Soil Microbial Ecology Universität Wien

Job description:

The University of Vienna is a community of almost 11,000 individuals, including approximately 7,700 academic staff members, who passionately pursue answers to the profound questions that shape our future. Fueled by curiosity and a deep sense of duty, they contribute invaluable insights to research and teaching, enriching our society. Are you inspired and driven by the desire to make a meaningful impact? We are currently seeking a/an

University Assistant postdoctoral in Soil Microbial Ecology

Your personal sphere of influence:

The Division of Microbial Ecology (https://dome.univie.ac.at/) at the University of Vienna’s Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science is one of the world’s leading research institutes, focusing on understanding the structure and function of microbiomes with the goal to address current global challenges from human to planetary health.

The Woebken group investigates the survival strategies of soil microorganisms and environmental conditions that allow for their resuscitation and activity. A particular focus lays on drylands, where soil microorganisms must endure long periods of drought, interrupted by unpredictable and very short phases of hydration via rain or other water sources. Dormancy – a state of reduced metabolic activity – has long been regarded as a prerequisite for desert soil microorganisms to survive such drought periods. However, as dormancy cannot be sustained indefinitely, phases of resuscitation must also play an important role for long-term survival of desert soil microorganisms and thus for maintaining microbial diversity in one of the harshest environments on the planet.

The contract for this position is limited to 6 years.

Your future tasks:

This postdoctoral position will be associated with projects in which we study the capability of desert soil microbial communities to utilize different water sources for reactivation and their associated microbial activities. This is achieved by combining genome-resolved metatranscriptomics, single-cell activity assays (e.g. a recently developed heavy water-NanoSIMS assay) and process measurements with the goal to relate the obtained data to the ecosystem level.

This postdoctoral position centers on identifying the role of different water sources for the survival of microorganisms and thus for the maintenance of microbial diversity and function by setting up longterm experiments with differing hydration regimes. By applying the above-mentioned toolbox, the postdoctoral researcher will be assessing the consequences on microbial community composition and activities. These experiments will also include the effects of changes in the hydration regimes due to predicted climate change scenarios.

The position provides the opportunity for the candidate to be creative and innovative, and to work in a diverse, dynamic and interdisciplinary team – the Woebken group, together with national and international collaboration partners.

This is part of your profile:

• PhD degree in microbiology / biological sciences.
• A background in microbial ecology with experimental or fieldwork experience.
• Comprehensive understanding of microbial physiology.
• Bioinformatics skills such as working knowledge of R and scripting languages, as well as a solid knowledge of statistical data analysis.
• Experience in generating and interpreting metagenomic or metatranscriptomic data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative research team.

The position provides the opportunity for the candidate to be creative and innovative, and to work in a diverse, dynamic and interdisciplinary team – the Woebken group, together with national and international collaboration partners.

What we offer:

Highly topical research at the intersection of soil microbial ecology, microbial physiology and ecosystem research.

Combination of field work, lab-based experiments and omics-data analysis.

Access to diverse facilities for state-of-the-art analyses and unique instruments for single-cell activity assays such as NanoSIMS.

A diverse and stimulating work environment at the Centre for Microbiology & Environmental Systems Science, in the Division of Microbial Ecology.

Internal further training & Coaching: Opportunity to deepen your skills on an ongoing basis. There are over 600 courses to choose from – free of charge.

Fixed-term contract and fair salary: The basic salary of EUR 5.014,30 (gross salary on full-time basis,14 times a year) increases if we can credit professional experience.

Equal opportunities for all: We look forward to diverse personalities in the team.

It is that easy to apply:

Your application should consist of a letter of motivation (1-2 pages), your CV including a publication list, university certificate(s) including grades and contact information of two references. The letter of motivation should address the stated qualifications for the position, relevant experience and research interests.

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If you have any questions, please contact:

Dagmar Wöbken 

dagmar.woebken@univie.ac.at

We look forward to new personalities in our team! 
The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and attaches great importance to equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity. We place particular emphasis on enhancing women’s representation among the academic and general university staff, particularly in leadership roles, and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.

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​Application deadline: 06/15/2026 

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