The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) is one of Europe’s leading institutions in environmental science, renowned globally for its interdisciplinary research and commitment to sustainable development. With more than 1,100 employees and membership in the prestigious Helmholtz Association, UFZ focuses on advancing scientific solutions that balance societal progress with the long-term protection of natural resources. As part of its new junior research group, “navigate – water sensitive urban-rural development for resilience in scarcity crises” (2026–2030), UFZ is recruiting highly motivated early-career researchers for three positions with PhD tracks. These roles contribute to cutting-edge research on water scarcity, climate extremes, and sustainable water governance in the rapidly growing Leipzig-Halle region, with international collaboration spanning Stanford University, Universidad de los Andes, and INRAE Paris. Each position offers first-class supervision, integration into national and international research networks, excellent research infrastructure, flexible working arrangements, and comprehensive support for international researchers and those with families. Applications are encouraged from individuals who value diversity, are open-minded, and enjoy working in interdisciplinary teams. 1. PhD Researcher (f/m/x): Urban Water Demand Peaks and Water Saving Behavior This PhD position investigates how droughts, heatwaves, and compound climatic events drive peaks in urban drinking water demand. It also examines how individual incentives, collective identity, and scarcity awareness influence water-saving behavior among households and businesses. Using advanced methods—including econometrics, behavioral science, and natural language processing—the researcher will work closely with survey institutes, stakeholders, and international partners. Key Responsibilities Analyze the impacts of heatwaves, droughts, and compound events on peak water demand. Estimate the role of water scarcity awareness among private and commercial users. Assess how individual incentives and collective identity influence water-saving decisions. Conduct household surveys and collaborate with stakeholders across the region. Participate in a research stay at a partner institute abroad. Eligibility and Key Requirements Master’s degree in behavioral science, econometrics, computational social science, or a related discipline. Strong knowledge of statistical methods and data handling (preferably in R). Experience with household surveys or behavioral experiments is advantageous. Familiarity with natural language processing or machine learning is beneficial. Excellent written and spoken English; German proficiency at B2 or higher. Ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary, international team. Commitment to applied behavioral science research in sustainability contexts. Contract and Location 65% position (25.35 hours/week), 36-month contract, with possible extension. Based in Leipzig; partial remote work possible. 2. Research Associate (f/m/x) with PhD Track: Adaptive and Sustainable Water Resource Management This position focuses on developing resilient and sustainable water supply planning strategies under climate uncertainty. Integrating data science, modeling, and participatory approaches, the researcher will investigate how extreme events, population growth, and competing water demands shape decision-making in urban and rural areas. The role includes analyzing current water management practices, exploring future scenarios, and designing adaptive governance solutions. Key Responsibilities Investigate decision-making and planning practices under hydrological uncertainty. Evaluate the impacts of climate extremes on water availability. Develop adaptive and sustainable water supply strategies for urban-rural systems. Engage stakeholders in participatory scenario processes. Complete a research stay with an international partner institution. Eligibility and Key Requirements Master’s degree in environmental sciences, water resources, earth system sciences, computational social sciences, or similar fields. Strong analytical skills and experience with statistical tools; familiarity with Python or R is advantageous. Interest or experience in machine learning, NLP, or data-driven methods is beneficial. Strong ability to work independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary settings. Excellent written and spoken English. Demonstrated interest in sustainability, resilience, and societal challenges. Contract and Location 65% position, initially 9-month contract, followed by a 36-month PhD contract upon successful evaluation. Based in Leipzig; partial remote work possible. 3. Research Associate (f/m/x) with PhD Track: Trade-offs Between Rural and Urban Water Uses This position explores trade-offs between agricultural, industrial, residential, and ecological water uses during droughts, heatwaves, and compound events. Using hydro-economic modeling, remote sensing, and scenario simulations, the researcher will support the development of governance instruments that promote water-sensitive development across rural and urban systems. Key Responsibilities Estimate spatial trends in sectoral water demand during climate extremes. Model trade-offs among residential, agricultural, industrial, and ecological water needs. Assess governance solutions across multiple hydro-climatic and socio-economic scenarios. Extend an existing hydro-economic multi-agent model with high-resolution hydrological and remote sensing data. Collaborate with stakeholders and undertake a research stay at an international partner institute. Eligibility and Key Requirements Master’s degree in Environmental Economics, Hydrology, or a closely related field. Experience with programming in Python, Julia, R, Stata, or GAMS. Knowledge of water resource economics, water management, or agricultural economics. Experience with hydrologic or economic simulation modeling is beneficial. Familiarity with remote sensing is advantageous but not required. Excellent written and spoken English; German proficiency at B2 or higher. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary, international team. Contract and Location 65% position, initial 9-month contract, followed by a 36-month PhD contract upon positive evaluation. Based in Leipzig; partial remote work possible. Application Process Applicants should submit their cover letter, CV (without photo, age, or marital status) and relevant attachments via UFZ’s online portal. The deadline for all positions is 26 November 2025. UFZ is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Individuals of all backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the hiring organization. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.