PhD Position in Coleoptera Phylogenomics and Morphological Evolution

About the role

The Senckenberg German Entomological Institute (SDEI) in Müncheberg, Brandenburg is hiring a PhD student (ref. REF.09-26002) to work on phylogenomics and morphological evolution of Neotropical net-winged beetles (family Lycidae, superfamily Elateroidea). The position is 65% (approximately 26 hours/week) on a fixed-term contract of 36 months. Start date is October 2026. Deadline: 15 July 2026.

The SDEI is part of the Senckenberg Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research, one of Germany’s leading natural history research networks, with extensive entomological collections and molecular laboratories.

Responsibilities

• Reconstruct phylogenomic trees for Neotropical Lycidae using target-capture enrichment or ultraconserved element (UCE) sequencing approaches.
• Integrate morphological character matrices with molecular data to address classification problems in net-winged beetles.
• Conduct fieldwork in the West Indies to collect specimens for morphological and molecular study.
• Curate and digitise entomological specimens to support the SDEI collection.
• Contribute to publications in peer-reviewed systematic entomology journals.
• Present findings at international entomological and systematic biology meetings.

Requirements

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in biology, zoology, systematic biology, or a closely related field.
• Sound knowledge of insect morphology and/or molecular phylogenetics.
• Willingness and ability to conduct fieldwork in tropical environments.
• Strong written English for scientific publication.
• Motivation to work in a collection-based research environment.

Nice to have

• Prior experience with target-enrichment library preparation or bioinformatic phylogenomic pipelines.
• Familiarity with Coleoptera or Elateroidea systematics.
• Experience with geometric morphometrics or 3D imaging.
• Basic German language skills.

How to apply

Apply via the Senckenberg open positions portal at the link above (search for REF.09-26002). Submit a single PDF including a motivation letter describing your research interests, CV with publication list, copies of academic transcripts, and contact details for two academic references. Applications must be received by 15 July 2026. Salary is according to TV-H E13, 65%.