Technical Assistant Position in Plant Perturbation Atlas (PPA) in the Cluster of Excellence GreenRobust

Your tasks will be:

• Experimental planning and horticultural activities in close interaction with the gardener team of the Phytotechnikum. This includes, among other things, independent experimental planning, preparation of seeds, pricking out, watering, monitoring of plants, phenotyping, as well as the independent handling and maintenance of sensor technology and data loggers. Preventive measures against pests and, if necessary, initiation of control measures in consultation with the gardener team.
• Ensuring the availability of working materials (e.g. pots, labels, seeds) and consumables in the laboratory (e.g. reaction tubes, chemicals).
• Application of drought stress and optimisation of experimental conditions for nine plant species.
• Preparation and execution of harvests; setup of the workflow/processing line.
• Processing of plant material: this includes recording biomass, as well as drying, grinding and homogenising (mortar/grinding) the harvested material. Organisation of the labelling system and storage of samples.
• Preparation of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Keeping an electronic lab notebook, e.g. eLabFTW, and other electronic LIMS systems after appropriate training.

Different analyses will be carried out on the harvested plant material. In this context, the following options for specialisation are available:

• Biochemical processing (proteomics): protein extraction from frozen plant material and preparation of the extracts for protein mass spectrometry using a pipetting robot.
• Extraction of DNA and RNA from plant material frozen at harvest and processing in preparation for modern sequencing methods.
• Microscopy: preparation of fresh plant material for microscopy on cleared plant samples. Performance of microscopy according to standardised protocols using a confocal microscope.
• Recording of physiological parameters and biomass: during the greenhouse experiment, various physiological parameters will be measured directly on the plants, and biomass will be estimated via image-based acquisition.

YOUR PROFILE
You have completed training as a technical assistant (with state certification) or as a state-certified technician, or you have an equivalent vocational qualification. You are looking forward to a varied range of tasks in an international team. We expect basic knowledge of plant anatomy and stress physiology. You enjoy working with and on plants in scientific greenhouse experiments and, ideally, already have experience in growing plants under controlled conditions. You are resilient and enjoy working on a variety of tasks, which can partly be tailored to your skills (see options for specialisation). Knowledge of basic laboratory techniques and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) is an advantage.

In the research environment, we generally expect a high degree of personal responsibility and independent, well-structured work, as well as the ability to learn new and challenging methods and to optimise them when necessary. You are expected to be able to operate complex technical equipment (environmental sensors, and optionally also a pipetting robot and confocal microscope) independently after appropriate training.

Application deadline : 25.03.2026

Please attach the following documents to your application:

WHAT SETS US APART

• Top 3 of the most attractive employers in the region
• A lively and innovative working environment on a green, compact campus
• Secure employment and excellent work–life balance
• Flexible working hours and mobile working
• Diverse training and professional development opportunities, plus modern HR and organizational development
• Job ticket and JobBike, canteen, health promotion offers, and university sports

The University of Hohenheim is committed to equal opportunities and diversity. What counts for us are your knowledge, skills and strengths, regardless of age, gender, origin or religion. Applications from women are expressly encouraged. Persons with severe disabilities and those with equivalent status are also particularly invited to apply and will be given preferential consideration in cases of essentially equal qualification.

We look forward to receiving your application including cover letter, CV, and certificates, which you are kindly asked to submit via our online portal by 25 March 2026. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the PPA team at PPA@uni-hohenheim.de.