Research Assistant for Method Development for Nacelle LIDAR Measurements in Complex Terrain (all genders)

More than 3,000 students are enrolled in 20 degree programmes at Flensburg University of Applied Sciences (FUAS). At FUAS we research and teach in state-of-the-art laboratories and lecture halls located on a spacious and green campus. Flensburg’s maritime flair and its location right at the Baltic Sea make it a great place to live.

The Wind Energy Technology Institute at Flensburg University of Applied Sciences is seeking a

Research Assistant for Method Development for Nacelle LIDAR Measurements in Complex Terrain (all genders)

The contract for this part-time position (19,35 hours per week) is a fixed term contract ending on 31 July 2029. We seek to fill this position at the next possible starting date.

The position is part of the joint research project “ELISE – Development of nacelle-based methods for performance verification and yield enhancement of wind farms in complex terrain,” funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Increasing the power output of existing wind turbines is crucial for further boosting the share of wind power in Germany’s electricity mix. It is not uncommon – especially in complex terrain – for actual yields to deviate from predicted yields. To understand the reasons for these deviations and in how far counter measures can be taken is particularly important for wind parks with unexpectedly low yields. Currently, post-installation measurement in complex terrain requires site calibration using measurement masts. As this involves building permits, it is too time-consuming and too expensive. Therefore, the ELISE project aims to develop a nacelle lidar-based method for measuring power characteristics in complex terrain at a manageable cost and within a short amount of time. With its Wind Energy Technology Institute (WETI), Flensburg University of Applied Sciences is a funded partner in this joint project. WETI’s research focus here lies on wind field reconstruction in the induction zone in complex terrain and on the development of methods for estimating wind parameters. The focus is put on extending traditional wind field reconstruction methods and on the precise determination of wind shear and wind veer. A further sub-project goal is the validation, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty estimation of turbulence models.

As part of the ‘ELISE’ project, the Fraunhofer Institute is advertising an additional part-time position. (see: job ad here) Parallel employment at Flensburg University of Applied Sciences and at the Fraunhofer Institute is a desired option.

Your main duties and responsibilities will include:

• Contribution to the research project described above and implementation of your own ideas within the scope of the topic
• Analysis and processing of wind measurement data from various instruments
• Development and validation of a correction method for turbulence measurements using nacelle lidar
• Determination of sensitivities to atmospheric ambient conditions and uncertainties
• Further development of methods for determining wind shear and wind veer from nacelle lidar measurements and their evaluation in the context of power curve measurement
• Publication of research results
• The position is designed for further scientific development and is supported accordingly. This includes the opportunity to pursue your doctorate

Your qualifications and experience:

As our future colleague you must fulfil the following pre-requisites:

• You have successfully completed a postgraduate degree in the field of engineering, informatics or computer science, mathemnatics or natural sciences
• You are interested in working scientifically in the field of energy meteorology and wind energy, in particular the topics of turbulence and lidar
• You have thorough knowledge in one, or ideally several, of the following fields: meteorology, wind energy, flow simulations, turbulence research, signal processing, lidar, AI applications, mathematics, physics, control engineering, data science
• You have significant prior experience using a scripting or programming language – ideally Python and Matlab
• You think with a focus on a defined goal, have strong analytals skills and enjoy working in a team
• You are able to work independently and you want to contribute your own ideas; you are interested in working across disciplines
• You compose a cover letter demonstrating your suitability based on the requirements set out in this job posting
• Your German skills are good, i.e. level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or similar

It will be advantageous if you can provide:

• experience in data analysis and modelling, ideally with Python
• experience in the field of energy meteorology
• experience with atmospheric measurement technology – ideally in the context of wind energy
• experience in the field of turbulence measurement or modelling
• experience in the field of Large Eddy Simulation
• scientific publications – ideally in a field relevant to the position
• knowledge of wind conditions and turbulence
• knowledge of boundary layer meteorology
• knowledge in the field of planning, engineering, or operation of wind farms
• knowledge of control engineering If one or more of your qualifications were acquired outside Germany, the qualifications and certificates must be acknowledged in Germany. Please submit proof of this acknowledgement together with your application documents.

What we have to offer:

• depending on the successful candidate’s personal qualifications the post will be remunerated up to TV-L level 13 (TV-L = German Federal States’ Wage Agreement for Public Service Employees)
• 30 days of paid vacation per year and the opportunity to take up to five days of educational leave per calendar year
• The possibility to work from home
• a broad variety of courses offered by FUAS’ Learning, Teaching and Language Centre free of charge
• Occupational Health Care Management
• reduced charges at the sports centre
• The possibility to lease a bicycle
• Reduced price for the Deutschland job ticket or NAH.SH job ticket, i.e. public transport tickets for Germany or the Land of Schleswig-Holstein
• a good working atmosphere in a family-friendly environment and a dedicated, competent team
• close collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology (Fraunhofer IEE) as well as research and industry partners from the field of wind energy

FUAS encourages the inclusion of disabled people and will check whether vacant positions can be filled with disabled people, in particular with those registered as seeking work with the employment agency [Agentur für Arbeit]. Disabled applicants will therefore receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants.

We want to promote a broad range of biographies and skills at our university. Therefore, we welcome applications regardless of the applicants’ nationality, ethnic and social background, religious affiliation, age and sexual identity.

We welcome and encourage applications from all ethnic backgrounds. This also applies to applicants who speak Low German, Frisian or Danish.

We aim to create equal opportunities for women in all fields of employment. So in areas where there are fewer women employed than men, women will receive preference over equally qualified male applicants.

The position is advertised as part-time employment at 50% of the regular weekly working hours.

This job ad is directed at people already working for the Land Schleswig-Holstein as well as external applicants.

Please submit your application including all the necessary documents to our online application platform. If you are applying from a position in the public service, please include a current reference/assessment and a statement allowing us to review your personnel file. The application deadline is

10.09.2026

We explicitly ask all applicants not to include a photograph in your application.

Your personal data will be processed for the purpose of your application based on § 85 para. 1 of the Landesbeamtengesetz (Schleswig-Holstein’s law on civil servants) and § 15 para. 1 of the Landesdatenschutzgesetz (Schleswig-Holstein’s law on data protection). For more information please refer to the document “Datenschutzinformationen für Stellenbewerberinnen und Stellenbewerber“ (in German) on our website and our privacy statement.

For questions related to the salary and contract please contact the Head of Human Resources, Stefanie Karkossa, at +49 (0) 461 805 1256 or via e-mail at stefanie.karkossa@hs-flensburg.de. For questions related to the position itself and the tasks related to it, please contact Prof. Dr.-Ing. David Schlipf at +49 (0) 461 48161 443 or via e-mail at david.schlipf@hs-flensburg.de.

Please note that we can only consider applications including all necessary documents for the application process. An application is considered complete if it includes a cover letter, a current CV as well as all relevant reference letters and certificates.