The mission of the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) as a nationally and internationally active research institute is to deliver solutions for an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable agriculture – together with society. ZALF is a member of the Leibniz Association and is located in Müncheberg (approx. 35 minutes by regional train from Berlin-Lichtenberg). The institute maintains further locations in Brandenburg (Dedelow, Paulinenaue) as well as in Hesse (Giessen, Witzenhausen, and Geisenheim).

The working group “Co-designed Value Networks for New Products” examines how new products and ecosystem services from sustainable land use can be recognised, rewarded and supported through viable, regionally embedded value networks. It brings together farmers, processors, technology and service providers, retailers, consumers, policy actors and financiers.

A particular focus of the working group is on the role of companies in financing biodiversity and other ecosystem services. We investigate how corporate biodiversity commitments, supply-chain initiatives, certification schemes, emerging nature-credit schemes and other private-finance approaches can create credible and lasting incentives for sustainable land management. Our research considers how these approaches can generate measurable and trustworthy environmental outcomes, while creating economic opportunities for farmers and regional actors.

We are offering a temporary six month Student Assistant position (up to 40 hours per month) at our location in Müncheberg as

• Support research on corporate biodiversity action, private finance, nature credits, certification and sustainable supply chains;
• Assist with stakeholder mapping, workshops, surveys and interviews;
• Support the organization and documentation of research and stakeholder-engagement activities.

• Enrolled in a relevant degree programme, such as agricultural or environmental sciences, sustainability, economics, business, social sciences or geography;
• Interest in biodiversity, sustainable land use, corporate sustainability or environmental finance;
• Good communication skills in German and English;
• Motivation to work actively and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team.

• Insight into research on private biodiversity finance, nature credits and sustainable land use;
• Work in an interdisciplinary and international team with links to companies and practice partners;
• Developing research, stakeholder-engagement and science-communication skills;
• Opportunity to develop a related master thesis in collaboration with the working group;
• Remuneration is based on the usual hourly rates for student/scientific assistants in the state of Brandenburg;
• Flexible hours and partial remote working.

ZALF promotes equality among all employees and welcomes applications regardless of ethnic, cultural, or social background, age, religion, ideology, disability, gender, or sexual identity. The filling of the position in part-time is possible in principle. Please send your application preferably online (see button online application below). For e-mail applications, create a PDF document (one PDF file, max. 5 MB; packed PDF documents, archive files like zip, rar etc. Word documents cannot be processed and therefore cannot be considered!) with the usual documents, in particular CV, proof of qualification and certificates, stating the reference number 39-2026 until 15 September 2026 to (see button e-mail application below).

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: Dr. Cheng Chen, cheng.chen@zalf.de, Tel. +49 (0) 33432/82-404.

For cost reasons, application documents or extensive publications can only be returned if an adequately stamped envelope is attached.

If you apply, we collect and process your personal data in accordance with Articles 5 and 6 of the EU GDPR only for the processing of your application and for purposes that result from possible future employment with the ZALF. Your data will be deleted after six months.