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About the Role

The Center for Affective and Autonomic Neuroscience (CAAN) at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow with expertise in sleep physiology. This role will lead the integration of polysomnography into their human research program and analyze multimodal sleep data. The position is initially for two years with a possibility of extension, starting between September 1, 2026, and the first half of 2027.

Responsibilities

Design and implement standard operating procedures for overnight ambulatory and/or in-lab polysomnography.
Establish quality assurance procedures for signal integrity, electrode application, and participant compliance in home-based recordings.
Score sleep stages and arousals using manual and automated approaches and supervise quality control.
Develop and apply quantitative EEG analyses, including slow-wave activity, spindle detection, slow-oscillation–spindle coupling, and spectral measures.
Analyze autonomic activity during sleep, including heart rate variability and breathing changes.
Link sleep metrics to primary outcomes such as LC structure and function, biomarkers, and cognitive/affective outcomes.
Incorporate sleep variables into reproducible, BIDS-compliant analysis pipelines and longitudinal models.
Lead first-author manuscripts on sleep findings and contribute to collaborative projects.
Present at international conferences and contribute to grant applications.
Mentor graduate students and research assistants on polysomnography methodology and sleep analysis.
Contribute to open-science efforts, including data sharing and code release.

Requirements

PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree) in neuroscience, sleep science, biomedical engineering, psychology, physiology, or a related field, completed within the last five years or expected before the start date.
Demonstrated expertise in human sleep research, including hands-on experience with overnight polysomnography (data collection, scoring, and analysis).
Strong programming skills in Python and/or MATLAB, including experience with sleep- and EEG-relevant toolboxes.
Experience with quantitative EEG analysis (e.g., spectral methods, event detection for spindles and slow oscillations).
Track record of peer-reviewed publications appropriate to career stage.
Excellent written and spoken English.
Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary, collaborative environment.

Skills

Polysomnography
Sleep data analysis
Quantitative EEG analysis
Python
MATLAB
MNE-Python
YASA
EEGLAB
FieldTrip
Autonomic activity analysis
BIDS-compliant analysis pipelines
Scientific leadership
Grant writing
Mentoring
Open-science practices

Location

Berlin

Work Type

Full-time
Fixed-term contract
Possibility to work remotely (up to 40%)

Experience Level

Postdoctoral

Education Level

Salary/Compensations

EG 13 TVöD

Benefits

Access to rich multimodal datasets
Collaboration with statisticians, data managers, and experts
Support from a data collection staff team
Dedicated support and mentoring for publications and career development
Access to training programs offered by the Planck Academy
Flexible working hours
Annual bonus payment
30 days of vacation, plus December 24 and 31 off
Daycare partnerships with dedicated places
Parent-child room at the institute
Excellent public transport connections
Jobticket
Institute canteen
Biodiverse institute garden
Offers related to “health in the workplace” (e.g., fitness room, massage services, yoga classes)
Extensive support services (e.g., International Office, Disability Office, Gender Equality Office, mental health support)

About the Company

The Max Planck Institute for Human Development studies how and why people develop differently over their lives and how environmental aspects shape this process.
It fosters academic freedom, curiosity, and collaborative work across disciplines like psychology, neuroscience, computer science, economics, and sociology.
The institute combines interdisciplinary research infrastructures with local and international collaboration to generate knowledge that strengthens individuals and society.
Their vision is a healthy environment and an open society that allows individuals to realize their potential.

Equal Opportunity

The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion enrich society and foster scientific excellence.
Commitment to increasing the number of women in underrepresented areas and employing more people with disabilities.
Welcome applications from individuals belonging to groups often underrepresented in the workplace.
Diversity-sensitive working environment.