Research Associate (EG 13 TV-H) - Department of Agricultural Engineering

Part-time with half of the regular working hours of a full-time employee. The position is initially limited until 31.12.2020 within the international project "Smart Apiculture Management Services (SAMS)" (§ 2 Abs. 2 WissZeitVG). The possibility to do a PhD is given.

Tasks:

For the SAMS project we are looking for reinforcement for the development and construction in the field of sensor and monitoring systems. SAMS shall enable an active monitoring of bee health as well as beekeeping, by developing a suitable ICT solution that supports the management of bee health and bee productivity.

In detail

• You have successfully completed a degree in engineering and a major in agriculture, preferably a university science degree in organic agricultural sciences. Relevant experience in the use of sensors and single board computers or microcontrollers as well as their self-sufficient power supply are the basis for the work in the project and therefore mandatory and to be proven in detail.

• The main focus is the further development of a self-sufficient monitoring system for bee colonies. Your tasks are project driven, therefore we expect a high level of innovation and technical understanding. In the context of international cooperation, beekeeping systems must be assessed and evaluated, if necessary also on site, in non-European countries, in order to be able to develop adapted ICT solutions. Experience in project-related work abroad and sound knowledge in dealing with bee colonies are prerequisites. The willingness for stays in non-European countries and in tropical countries even under most difficult conditions is expected.

• As a scientist. As a researcher, your responsibilities will include data collection, analysis, development and design, as well as communication and networking within the team, within the project partners, and beyond. Therefore, distinctive communicative and social skills, initiative and the ability to work in a team are expected. Good written and spoken German and English skills are required (project language is English).

Requirements:

• Completed scientific university studies in the field of engineering and specialization in the agricultural sector. A scientific university degree in the field of ecological agricultural sciences is preferred.
• High technical understanding esp. in the fields of electrical engineering and computer science.
• Sound knowledge of single board computers and microcontrollers
• Relevant experience in the field of photovoltaics and self-sufficient energy systems
• Experience in working with programming and scripting languages such as C and Python
• Experience in the field of sound and acoustics
• Very good knowledge in processing data (databases, Word, Excel, VBA)
• Adept handling and practical experience in keeping honey bees
• Theoretical knowledge in the field of beekeeping and apiculture
• International experience, preferably in research and development
• Open-mindedness and distinct communicative and social skills
• Project-oriented and independent work as well as working in a team
• High degree of networking skills and interdisciplinarity
• Good written and spoken German and English (project language is English)
• High willingness to travel to tropical countries even under most difficult conditions

For further inquiries, please contact Prof. Dr. Oliver Hensel, Tel.: 0561-804-1225, E-Mail: agrartechnik[at]uni-kassel[dot]de.

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In the interest of equal opportunities, the University of Kassel strives to offer women and men the same development opportunities and to counteract existing disadvantages. The aim is to significantly increase the proportion of women in research and teaching. Qualified women are therefore expressly encouraged to apply. Severely disabled applicants will be given preference if they are equally qualified and qualified. Full-time positions are generally divisible. Please submit only copies of your application documents (no folders), as these cannot be returned after the selection process has been completed; they will be destroyed in compliance with data protection regulations. Applications with informative documents should be sent to the President of the University of Kassel, 34109 Kassel or bewerbungen[at]uni-kassel[dot]de, quoting the reference number, and preferably also in electronic form.