PhD position in fish palaeobiology and evolution (m/f/d) at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart

We are seeking to the earliest possible date a highly motivated student with
an interest in vertebrate palaeontology and palaeoecology to fill a PhD
position funded for a two-year period by the State Museum of Natural History
Stuttgart (SMNS). The museum is an internationally renowned research
institution, with extensive palaeontological and neontological collections.

Project:
The Early Jurassic Posidonia Shale is one of the classic European fossil
lagerstätten. It has been intensively sampled for both invertebrate and
vertebrate fossils for over 400 years, resulting in extensive museum
collections, one of the largest of which is housed at SMNS. The funded PhD
project will focus on the diversity, palaeoecology, and evolution of
pachycormid fishes from the Posidonia Shale with the goal of understanding the
early evolution of trophic disparity within this Mesozoic group. The project
will be supervised by Dr. Erin Maxwell (http://www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/
forschung/palaeontologie/maxwell) and Dr. Rainer Schoch (SMNS/ University of
Hohenheim).
Required qualifications:
  • M.Sc./Diploma or equivalent in biology or palaeontology by the time the
project starts
  • strong English language skills
  • research experience dealing with fossil fishes is an asset
Please note: Employment will be at the SMNS, Stuttgart. The successful
applicant expected to enroll in a doctoral program at the University of
Hohenheim to obtain the appropriate degree.
In turn we offer:
  • the opportunity to pursue your academic career in an internationally
renowned research museum with state-of-the-art facilities
  • intensive academic and personal mentoring in the course of the Phd-
project
  • exciting research projects in an international and multidisciplinary
environment
  • an attractive workplace in the centre of Stuttgart
  • flexible and family-friendly working hours
  • benefits from occupational health management
Salary corresponds to the German civil service salary scale E 13 TV-L, 50%.
The position needs to be filled by November 2020 and is funded for 2 years.
Your application should include a cover letter, CV including the contact
information of two academic references, relevant certificates, as well as a 1-
page statement of research interests detailing past research experience.
Please submit your electronic application exclusively online (in one file, max
5 MB) to phd-pachycormidae@smns-bw.de prior to September 23, 2020. Job
interviews are scheduled for September 29, 2020.

For further information, please contact Dr. Erin Maxwell: 0049-(0)711/8936-145
or  erin.maxwell@smns-bw.de   
The SMNS is an equal opportunity employer; disabled applicants will be
preferentially considered if equally qualified.
Please note that your incoming data will not be automatically encrypted. By
submitting your application documents, you agree to share them with members of
the selection committee in compliance with the provisions of the European
General Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO).

Further information on data protection law for applicants can be found on our
homepage under “Jobs” (in German).


Stuttgart, September 2, 2020


Teresa Windischbauer
Managing Director