StepStone

Job Description

The Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (MPI-BI) is one of more than 80 independent insti­tutes of the Max Planck Society dedi­cated to basic research. With about 500 employees from more than 50 nations, we investi­gate the principles of “biological intelli­gence”. Our goal is to under­stand the strategies which animals employ to solve problems, pursue goals, and exploit eco­logical niches – across all time scales and levels of bio­logical organization. To this end, we use and develop state-of-the-art methods, inclu­ding gene­tics, molecular bio­logy, evolu­tionary ecology, imaging, data science, and physiology. The MPI-BI has two locations: on the Life Science Campus Martinsried, in the south­west of Munich, and in Seewiesen, in the district of Starnberg.

To support the institute's communications team, we are looking for a

Science Writer (m/f/div)
part-time position or as freelancer


  • Transform scientific publications into exciting and engaging press releases and stories for a general audience of non-specialists
  • Contact scientists and incorporate expert feedback in your texts
  • Help to develop and improve online and printed texts
  • Stay in close contact and exchange with the rest of the communications team

  • Native English speaker or excellent language skills in English at native-speaker level with excellent skills in scientific story­telling and a respec­tive track record (know­ledge of German would be nice, but is not a require­ment)
  • Ability to communicate scientific findings in concise, engaging, and comprehen­sible written texts, even under time constraints
  • Ability to quickly and thoroughly familiarize your­self with the broad field of our scientific topics
  • A good measure of curiosity, accuracy, humor, and team spirit

  • Be part of communicating the cutting-edge research that expands our know­ledge in the emerging field of bio­logical intelligence
  • Have an impact by making scientific facts accessible to a non-specialist audience
  • Join a great team of people who are passio­nate about science communication
  • Remuneration depends on qualifi­cations, activity, and expe­rience accor­ding to the TVöD Bund
  • Social benefits of the public sector (company pension scheme [VBL], annual special payment, subsidy for MVV job ticket, group accident insurance)
  • Modern workplaces and active company health manage­ment with health and sports programs
  • Work-life balance (cooperation with a family service, flexible working hours)
  • Diversity is an important strategic goal at our insti­tute, which is why we are actively committed to equal opportunities and diversity

The position is initially limited to two years. If suitable, per­manent employment is possible and highly desirable.

The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diver­sity. Further­more, the Max Planck Society aims to increase the propor­tion of women in areas where they are under­represented. Women are therefore expressly encouraged to apply.

The Max Planck Society has set itself the goal of employing more severely disabled people. Applica­tions from severely disabled persons are expressly encouraged.

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