Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon Funded PhD Position in Materials Science and AI 2027

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon is inviting applications for a three-year PhD position focused on developing advanced chemical coatings that protect lightweight metals, such as aluminium and magnesium, against corrosion. The research combines automated laboratory experiments, high-throughput testing and machine learning to accelerate the discovery of more effective and sustainable coating technologies.

The successful candidate will work with advanced robotic laboratory systems, collaborate with computational scientists and pursue a doctorate awarded by Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH).

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineNovember 3, 2026
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorHelmholtz-Zentrum Hereon ((HHZ)
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• 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

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

Check also:
2026 Fully Funded Humboldt Research Fellowship
2026 Eutopia PhD Co-tutelle Call

Application Deadline

How To Apply

For more information, kindly visit the HHZ webpage.