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

About the Position

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

Job ID: 1077

Location: Geesthacht, Germany

Application deadline: 11/03/2026

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 quickly 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.

Responsibilities

• 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

Requirements

• 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

We 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

About the Company

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon conducts cutting-edge international research for a changing world: Around 1,000 employees contribute to the tackling of climate change, the sustainable use of the world's coastal systems, and the resource-compatible enhancement of the quality of life. From fundamental research to practical applications, the interdisciplinary research spectrum covers a unique range.

Institute of Surface Science

The Institute of Surface Science specializes in the development of corrosion protection concepts and functional coatings that meet the requirements of future applications from the fields of structural lightweight construction, energy research, and medical technology. The experimental development is closely accompanied by modeling approaches and artificial intelligence methods.

Max-Planck-Straße 1

21502 Geesthacht

www.hereon.de

Interested? We are looking forward to receiving your application.

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

Severely disabled persons and those equaling severely disabled persons who are equally suitable for the position will be considered preferentially within the framework of legal requirements.