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PhD position: High-Throughput Development of Chemical Conversion Treatment for Light Metals

Posted Oct 23, 2026

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Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon GmbH

Geesthacht

EnglishFixed-term contractGerman is a plus

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Salary (estimate)

Broad estimate: about €50,000/year

About this job

Aluminium and magnesium alloys are key to lighter vehicles, aircraft, drones and consumer goods but only if they are safe and durable, reliably protected against corrosion. Chemical conversion coatings are one of the most effective and commercially successful ways to do this. They protect the metal and help paint adhere to it. Yet finding better, environmentally friendly formulations is still largely a matter of trial and error. The number of possible formulations is virtually infinite, so we do not test them one by one. At the Department of Electrochemistry and Big Data, we run a robotic high-throughput testing platform combined with machine learning for AI-assisted discoveries.

We are offering a 3‑year position, as soon as possible, as a PhD student in the quicky developing field of high-throughput and robotic experimentation in materials science. The position is part-time (19,5 h/week) and will be located in Hereon's main campus, in Geesthacht (near Hamburg).

We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly encourage qualified women to apply.

*Your tasks**
Develop and validate experimental methods for the accelerated screening of chemical conversion treatment formulations
Translate these methods into automated high-throughput workflows on our existing robotic testing platform

Work side by side with our computational scientists to build large, machine-readable datasets for AI-assisted discovery

Uncover the mechanisms behind effective adhesion promotion and corrosion protection, and turn them into design rules for next-generation coatings

Publish your results in leading journals, present at international conferences, write project reports, and contribute to open, FAIR datasets

A completed master's degree in chemistry, electrochemistry, materials science, computational materials science or a related field

Solid experimental skills in chemical laboratories and confidence in quantitative data analysis using appropriate software

Experience with corrosion protection, including chemical conversion coatings for light alloys (Mg, Al or Zn)

Experience with electronic lab notebooks, FAIR data, databases or machine learning

Curiosity about automation and AI, and motivation to work at the interface of experiment and computation

Very good English, knowledge of the German language is preferred but not mandatory, we support language learning

Content-related enquiries regarding this position can be directed to Sviatlana.Lamaka(at)hereon.de.

*Our offer**
A research topic with real industrial relevance, at the frontier of lab automation and AI-driven materials discovery
A doctorate awarded by Hamburg University of Technology, TUHH, our partner university
Access to state-of-the-art (robotic) labs, unique scientific and technical infrastructure
Access to a large international research and industrial network
Funding for conferences, summer schools and courses needed or research stays
An exciting job in a research center with around 1,000 employees from more than 60 nations
International Welcome Office with guest accommodation
6 weeks holiday per year; company holidays between Christmas and New Year's Day
Social benefits according to the collective agreement of the public service and remuneration up to EG 13 (according to EntgO Bund)
Very good work-life balance; options for mobile and flexible work
A green campus on the Elbe River, well-connected with Hamburg (public transport), subsidy for the Deutschlandticket if certain conditions are met (job ticket), charging facilities for electric vehicles
PhD Buddy Program
Family-friendly company policy with childcare facilities, e.g. nursery/kindergarten close to the company
Operational Health Management, e.g. Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Corporate Benefits
a varied offer in the canteen on campus

Schwerbehinderte und diesen gleichgestellte behinderte Personen werden bei gleicher Qualifikation und Eignung im Rahmen der gesetzlichen Bestimmungen bevorzugt berücksichtigt.

Bitte bewerben Sie sich mit Ihrem vollständigen Bewerbungsprofil (Lebenslauf, Motivationsschreiben, sonstige Referenzen) über unsere Karriereseite.

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Job facts

Employer: Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon GmbH
Role: PhD position: High-Throughput Development of Chemical Conversion Treatment for Light Metals
City: Geesthacht
Work mode: not stated
Language: English
Seniority: not stated
Posted: Oct 23, 2026
Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit

Company rating

Glassdoor 3.9
20 reviews
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Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), table; dl-de/by-2-0; StarIn's calculation