[ES_JOBS_NET] Postdoc – Impact of wind turbines and wind farms on the microclimate, ForWind Oldenburg
Christine Wiedinmyer
christinew at ucar.edu
Tue Mar 3 15:04:47 MST 2026
Impact of wind turbines and wind farms on the microclimate
https://forwind.de/forwind-stellen/
Job description
The impact of wind turbines and wind farms on the microclimate, e.g., air
temperature and soil moisture, is timely research. It has practical
implications on the permitting process for new wind farms, and
uncertainties exist for the responsible authorities and the general
public. The objective of your project is to provide further scientific
understanding on how wind turbines influence the microclimate and to assist
in the dissemination of academic results into the approval procedures for
new onshore wind farms in Germany.
You will use the atmospheric large-eddy simulation (LES) model PALM and
meteorological measurement equipment to study the interaction between wind
turbines and the microclimate.
Among others, your stepwise tasks will comprise:
- performing a LES validation study for the specific measurement site,
- jointly preparing and executing a measurement campaign on the impact
of wind turbines and wind farms on, e.g. temperature and humidity,
- extending the LES studies to cover typical weather, soil and
vegetation conditions and the dispersion of pollutants,
- providing results from the LES studies to support the validation of
mesoscale simulations done by Fraunhofer IWES,
- extending your specific network by presenting scientific results at
international conferences, through peer-reviewed publications, to
stakeholders and the general public,
- cooperating closely with the researchers at ForWind and other
industrial and scientific partners.
You will have access to our new high-performance computing system. You will
conduct your research in a team that has over two decades of experience in
simulations of atmospheric flows using the LES model PALM and
meteorological measurements.
We offer
We offer you the opportunity to develop your scientific career in a young
and lively academic environment. You will be working in the WindLab – one
of the university’s most modern office and lab spaces – while you will also
have the opportunity to do flexible and mobile work. Your pathway as a
researcher is actively supported by, e.g.,
- multidisciplinary cooperation with other researchers at ForWind and
Fraunhofer IWES located in WindLab building in Oldenburg,
- direct collaboration with industry while maintaining the links with
our national and international partners in academia, including scientific
networks (e.g., EAWE, IEA),
- optional secondment at an international research institute
- development of personal, scientific, and teaching skills through an
individual training programme and selected teaching tasks,
- opportunities to present scientific results at international
conferences and through peer-reviewed publications to extend your specific
network.
Further, the university fosters a family-friendly working environment and
offers a family service centre and on-campus children’s daycare.
The employment is initially limited to three years. The payment is based on
the collective agreement for the public service in the German federal
states, TV-L E13, for a 100% position.
Your profile
Requirements for employment include:
- PhD degree in Meteorology, Physical or Geophysical Sciences,
Mechanical Engineering or in a similar field,
- a qualifying university master’s degree in Meteorology,
Geoecology/Environmental Science, Physical Science, Mechanical or Aerospace
Engineering, Renewable Energy or equivalent,
- profound knowledge and experience in the simulation of atmospheric
flows,
- extensive experience in Python for processing huge amounts of data,
- high motivation and the ability to work jointly on a complex research
topic, which combines numerical modelling and site observations,
- fluency in communicating and reporting in English.
Desired (but not mandatory) qualifications are:
- skills in micrometeorological measurement techniques,
- experience abroad of several months during the school, study period or
employment after graduation.
Our standards
- The Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg is dedicated to increase
the percentage of female employees in the field of science. Therefore,
female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. In accordance to § 21
Section 3 NHG, female candidates with equal qualifications will be
preferentially considered.
- Applicants with disabilities will be given preference in case of equal
qualification.
Further benefits
- Secure remuneration according to collective agreement
- 30 days vacation
- Company pension scheme
- Further training opportunities
- Flexible working hours
- Health management
- Mobile working
- Compatibility of career and family
Further information on the research environment
Wind energy research at the Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg has
gained international recognition by its integration into ForWind – Center
for Wind Energy Research of the Universities of Oldenburg, Hannover and
Bremen and the national Wind Energy Research Alliance of the German
Aerospace Center (DLR), Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES)
and ForWind.
At ForWind, we value and maintain collaboration between our research groups
and partner institutions, including members of the European Academy of Wind
Energy. In Oldenburg, our 50 researchers from physics, meteorology, and
engineering are collaborating at the »Research Laboratory for Turbulence
and Wind Energy Systems«, which is centred on wind physics. Our mission is
to develop a deeper understanding of the atmospheric and wind power plant
flow physics required to meet the global demand for clean, affordable
electricity. Therefore, we conduct laboratory experiments, free-field
measurements and HPC-based numerical simulations. The main topics include
the description and modelling of wind turbulence, the analysis of
interactions of turbulent atmospheric wind flow and wind energy systems, as
well as the control of wind turbines and wind farms. The covered scales
range from small-scale turbulence up to meteorological phenomena. Our
research facilities comprise three turbulent wind tunnels, various
equipment for free-field measurements at on- and offshore wind farms and a
high-performance computing cluster. Almost all our projects combine
analyses at more than one of these infrastructures. For instance, virtual
lidar measurements can be performed in simulated three-dimensional flow
fields to verify the analysis algorithms. Our multi-lidar systems, equipped
with up to three scanning lidars, are particularly important for the
abovementioned research.
Further information is available at www.forwind.de/en/ and.
*https://uol.de/en/physics/research/we-sys*
<https://uol.de/en/physics/research/we-sys>.
For questions regarding this job opportunity, please contact Dr. Gerald
Steinfeld at +49(0)441/798-5073 or preferably by email at
gerald.steinfeld at uni-oldenburg.de.
Contact
Please submit your application via email by 08.03.2026 to
application.wesys at uni-oldenburg.de
Please submit your application electronically as one PDF file to the
University of Oldenburg, Faculty V, Institute of Physics, ForWind – Center
for Wind Energy Research, Research Group Wind Energy Systems, Dr. Gerald
Steinfeld, Küpkersweg 70, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany and include reference
#WEB126.
The PDF file must include either in English or German:
- A letter motivating your application for this particular position
(cover letter).
- Curriculum vitae
- Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc and PhD diplomas
- Employment references (in case of previous employments)
A second PDF file containing your PhD Thesis and relevant research papers
(if available) is an optional attachment.
We are looking forward to receiving your application.
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