Research Associate (PostDoc) - 2nd qualification period (for the initial appointment to a full professorship)

Your responsibility

• Develop and validate a first-principles and AI-enabled computational platform for predicting quantum-sensor performance from atomic-scale defect structure.

• Develop workflows that connect defect-level materials properties to experimentally relevant sensor performance metrics.

• Create machine-learning methods for accelerated exploration of large quantum-material design spaces.

• Perform high-throughput screening and optimization of host–defect systems for quantum sensing.

• Apply the platform to biomedical and quantum-technology sensing challenges.

• Collaborate closely with experimental researchers in materials growth, device fabrication, quantum characterization and biomedical sensing.

• Publish high-impact research and present results at leading international conferences.

• Participation in teaching, advising students

Your profile

• Successfully completed university degree (Master, Diplom or equivalent) and PhD, or equivalent, in Materials Science, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, Condensed Matter Physics, Physical Chemistry, Computational Physics or a related field.

• Strong background in first-principles computational materials science including DFT simulations using tools such as Quantum ESPRESSO, VASP, GPAW, CP2K or related packages.

• Research experience in at least two of the following areas: a) Spin physics of point defects in semiconductors, including spin-phonon coupling, zero-field splitting, hyperfine interactions or spin relaxation and coherence. b) Multi-scale simulation methods such as DFPT, EPW, molecular dynamics, cluster correlation expansion (CCE), constrained DFT, DMFT, QMC or related approaches. c) Quantum chemistry methods (CASSCF, multi-reference CI) for excited-state calculations of point defects. d) Machine learning for scientific discovery, materials informatics or AI-assisted materials design.

• Evidence of independent, high-quality research and publication.

• Strong programming skills (Python, Fortran, C/C++ or related languages).

• The ability to teach in German and/or in English is required; willingness to acquire the respective missing language skills.

• Experience with high-performance computing and workflow automation is desirable.

• Strong communication, leadership and collaborative skills is desirable.

What we offer

• A young, ambitious and highly international research team with a collaborative culture.

• Freedom to shape an emerging research direction at the intersection of quantum sensing, computational materials discovery and scientific AI.

• Opportunity to build a computational platform with broad impact across quantum sensing and quantum technologies.

• Access to state-of-the-art high-performance computing resources.

• Close collaborations with leading research groups at Berlin Quantum Group, TU Delft, Institute of Neuroinformatics Zurich, EPFL Lausanne, UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

• Exposure to a multidisciplinary program spanning quantum sensing, materials discovery, biomedical technology and scientific AI.