Postdoctoral Position | Center for Lifespan Psychology

At the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, we study how and why people develop differently over the course of their lives, and how physical, societal, and technological aspects of the environment shape this process. Working across disciplines such as psychology, neuroscience, computer science, economics, and sociology, we do research within a context that fosters academic freedom, curiosity, and collaborative work to generate insights that help shape living conditions for individuals and societies to thrive. We combine pioneering interdisciplinary research infrastructures with local and inter-national collaboration to generate knowledge that strengthens individuals and society. Our vision is that of a healthy environment and an open society that allows individuals to realize their potential.

The Center for Lifespan Psychology at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin seeks applicants for 1 Postdoctoral Position (EG 13 TVöD; 39 hours/week)

The position is for an initial period of two years. Starting date is October 1, 2026, or until the position is filled.

The Position

The successful candidate will join the research project, Mechanisms and Sequential Progression of Plasticity, at the Center for Lifespan Psychology of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.

The postdoctoral researcher will play a central role in designing and conducting behavioral and neuroimaging studies aimed at testing the EESR theory of learning-related plastic brain changes. Key responsibilities include designing neuroimaging studies of motor skill learning, overviewing empirical studies, conducting behavioral and neuroimaging analyses using advanced statistical methods, writing and revising manuscripts, and presenting findings at international conferences.

Your Profile

We seek highly motivated candidates with strong quantitative and analytical expertise and a genuine interest in human learning and brain plasticity.

Successful applicants hold a doctoral degree in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, or related fields.

Essential qualifications include:

• Interest in neural mechanisms of experience-dependent behavioral change
• Readiness to contribute to task development (e.g., scanner-compatible hardware)
• Experience in conducting and analyzing cognitive neuroscience experiments
• Knowledge and skills in multivariate statistics and the measurement of change
• Familiarity with one or more of the following neuroimaging methods and modalities: functional connectivity, representational similarity analysis, decoding techniques;
• structural connectivity, magnetic resonance spectroscopy; quantitative MRI
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment
• Excellent written and spoken English-language skills

Interest in other aspects of the planned series of EESR-related studies, such as computational modeling of sensorimotor learning, and in other areas of the project, such as music-related plasticity or species-comparative research, are desirable. A commitment to transparent, rigorous, and responsible research is expected.

Our Offer

The Max Planck Institute for Human Development offers a collaborative working atmosphere and an excellent research infrastructure. It provides an international research environment, with English as working language.

In addition, the following benefits are available:

• Access to the training programs offered by the Planck Academy of the MPG
• Flexible working hours
• Possibility to work remotely (as a rule, up to 40%, depending on work processes)
• Annual bonus payment in accordance with the TVöD (German public sector pay scale); 30 days of vacation, plus December 24 and 31 off
• Daycare partnerships with dedicated places; a parent-child room at the institute
• Excellent public transport connections (U3 Breitenbachplatz, barrier-free)
• Jobticket
• Institute canteen and biodiverse institute garden
• Various offers related to “health in the workplace” (e.g., fitness room, massage services, yoga classes)
• Extensive support services, e.g., International Office, Representatives for Employees with Disabilities, Gender Equality Office, mental health suppor
• Diversity-sensitive working environment (e.g., meetups, networking, accessible and gender-neutral toilets)

Diversity and Inclusion

The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity. Diversity, equity, and inclusion enrich our society and foster scientific excellence. We are committed to increasing the number of women in areas in which they are underrepresented and employing more people with disabilities. We welcome applications from people who belong to groups that are often underrepresented in the workplace due to, among other factors, age, disability/chronic illness, ethnicity, gender identity, and religion. You can find out more about our commitment to diversity and the accommodations available to meet your individual needs by visiting our website:

www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/diversitaet

Your application

Your application should include the following documents: cover letter describing your research interests; CV with publication list; relevant certificates; 1 preprint or publication. Please submit your application, without a photo, as one single PDF-document via our recruitment platform.

Consideration of applications received after August 14, 2026, cannot be guaranteed.