Research Coordinator (m/f/d)

The Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin is an internationally oriented research institute. We want to understand how and why humans develop differently, which factors play a role in this, and how these factors influence each other. Driven by the conviction that we can shape our living conditions in such a way that all people can realize their personal potential throughout their lives, we study our behavior, our development, and our competencies in relation to our physical, social, and technological environment.

The to-be-established Center for Affective and Automatic Neuroscience (CAAN), led by Prof. Dr. Mara Mather at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, invites applications for a

Research Coordinator (m/f/d)

(EG 13 TVöD; 39 hours/week)

The position is initially a two-year fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension. It should be filled as soon as possible, as it will be critical for preparing the launch of this center.

The Center for Affective and Automatic Neuroscience (CAAN) will be established at the MPIB starting July 1, 2026. CAAN will investigate how the affective and autonomic changes of adulthood shape cognition, emotion, and the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease — and how safe, scalable physiological interventions can influence these trajectories. The program integrates four strands:
* Emotion–cognition interactions in aging: mapping the brain mechanisms that allow older adults to maintain emotional well-being despite the physiological changes of aging.
* Brainstem imaging methods: developing next-generation 7T multimodal measures of locus coeruleus structure and function, including pCASL blood-flow measurement in the brainstem.
* Autonomic trajectories from age 20–60: the first longitudinal study to track parasympathetic decline and sympathetic shifts across this age range alongside CSF amyloid-β and locus coeruleus measures, testing whether midlife autonomic changes trigger the earliest pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.
* Causal tests via breathing interventions: randomized trials using slow-paced and 4-7-8 breathing to influence autonomic balance and measure downstream effects on AD biomarkers, cerebrovascular reactivity, emotion, and cognition.

• The research coordinator’s main objective is to provide science-oriented administrative support to the director for functions that require closer familiarity with the scientific process. Among others, tasks will relate to budget planning and funding acquisition, organization of scientific conferences, workshops, visits and symposia, organization of ethics applications, and external liaison with collaborating partners. Furthermore, the research coordinator will collaborate with the institute’s administration regarding hiring freelances and negotiating service contracts for research purposes.

• Applicants should hold a university degree (PhD is a bonus) and have at least two years of management experience in scientific contexts including the organization of scientific events, preparation of ethics applications as well as research grant applications, and research progress reports. The job holder should have relevant knowledge in the acquisition and administration of research funds, excellent German and English knowledge in speech and writing, the ability to develop basic understanding of our research topics, and be able to work independently. Experience in clinical settings is a plus.