Working Student as a Research Assistant – Atmospheric Science & Maritime Operations - Hamburg

We are looking for a Working Student as a Research Assistant in Atmospheric Science & Maritime Operations

Location: Hamburg, Germany
Job Type: Part-Time (up to 20 hours/week)
Format: On-site (with ad-hoc flexibility)
Starting Date: As soon as possible. While we are flexible with starting dates, we aim to fill the position until mid-August.

About Us & The Project:
Together, Oldendorff Carriers and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) are launching a 12-month joint research project focused on understanding how weather and climate variability could influence operations in dry bulk shipping. Oldendorff Carriers is one of the world's largest dry bulk shipping companies. The Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) is one of the world’s leading institutions in climate science research. In this position, you will conduct research that applies cutting-edge weather and climate sciences to real-world marine operational needs, bridging the gap between meteorology and dry bulk shipping. You will be directly employed by Oldendorff Carriers, and receive scientific mentorship by the Weather-Climate Interaction (WCI) group at the MPI-M. This position is designed for graduate students seeking research experience in a collaborative academic environment.

Your Responsibilities:

• Conduct scientific research to understand how certain weather/climate variabilities affects dry bulk operations and explore the associated predictability

• Develop understanding of underlying physical mechanisms that is actionable to help assess weather-based uncertainty in port operation

• Document the codes and the findings in a structure way and present the progress and result to the member of the team on a weekly basis

• Actively contribute to the WCI research group at MPI-M as a collaborative scientist

• Act as a collaboration bridge between an Oldendorff Carriers team with scientists at MPI-M

• Should the findings of this collaboration lead to results worth publishing, opportunity to co-author a scientific paper on the topic

Your Profile:

• You are enrolled in a Master’s degree program in Atmospheric Science, Meteorology, Climatology, or a related field at the starting time of the position (September or October, 2026. The earlier the better)

• You are familiar with subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) climate variability drivers, such as the MJO and ENSO, or willingness to develop this knowledge

• You have meteorology or climate data analysis experience with Python

• You are available to work 20 hours per week during the semester (with the option to increase hours during lecture-free periods)

• You are passionate in conducting theoretical research in meteorology/climatology and have the desire to apply your knowledge having an impact on real use-cases of practical relevance in the shipping industry

• You are fluent in English

• A good software engineering foundation and strong overall Python skills are highly valued

What We Offer:

• Research experience: hands-on experience in conducting atmospheric science research and work with industry proprietary data with access to high-performance computing

• Flexible working hours: We can design our schedules around your university lectures and exam periods

• Mentorship: being integrated as a member of the WCI group at MPI-M, your research will be advised by the group leader under a vibrant, dynamic research environment. Support and mentorship will also come from Oldendorff Carriers with its unparalleled domain expertise in dry bulk shipping

• Opportunity to contribute to a peer-reviewed publication

• Networking: Connect with a top tier academic institute (MPI-M) and industry professionals (Oldendorff) with the possibility of accessing opportunities for your future career or thesis

• Access to Oldendorff Carriers facilities, a beautiful office at the top floors of the Emporio Tower with a stunning view on the Alster

How to Apply:
Please send the following materials to this email address (wei-ting.hsiao@mpimet.mpg.de). Suitable applicants will be interviewed on a rolling basis.

The deadline to apply is August 7, 2026 (23:59 CEST). 

Requested application materials:

1. Your complete CV with relevant experience highlighted

2. A 1-page cover letter describing your interest for this position and experience in atmospheric science, relevant data analysis or projects, and coding.

3. Your current academic transcript of records (if available)