Research Assistant (m/f/d) for Research Information Management

As the German National Library of Science and Technology, our future-oriented services ensure the infrastructural requirements for a high-quality supply of information and literature for research in science and industry. With the Open Research Knowledge Graph (ORKG), we are working to revolutionise the exchange and use of scientific knowledge in the digital age.

The Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB) – Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology – Program Area C, Research and Development, is looking to employ a

Research Assistant (m/f/d) for Research Information Management – Ontologies, Metadata and Knowledge Graphs

to join the Lab Group Open Research Information at the earliest possible opportunity.

The position is initially limited to 2 years. The regular weekly working time is 39.8 hours (full-time). The position is generally suitable for part-time work. The remuneration is based on pay scale group 13 TV-L.

Your challenge

The TIB’s Lab Group Open Research Information aims to make information about research activities interoperable, discoverable, reusable and accessible via open infrastructures. It promotes the transition towards a digital, open and collaborative science and supports academic institutions and communities by working with them to develop and test methods and software tools that are useful for research activities. To expand the Open Science Lab’s activities in the field of Open Research Information, we are seeking a communicative and entrepreneurial individual with a strong background in information science.

As part of the ‘Seamless Integration and Reuse of KDSF-Compliant Data for Reporting and Evaluation – LINK-DAT’ project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), you will develop and implement ontologies to semantically integrate data from research information systems (RIS) and research data management systems (RDMS) and to create a consistent, KDSF-compliant knowledge base. In doing so, you will ensure interoperability with the VIVO ontology and the KDSF, and contribute to the creation of a verifiable, value-adding and linked information infrastructure for reporting and evaluation.

Your tasks include

• Mapping of metadata schemas, and the further development and adjustment of ontologies
• Development and implementation of tools and processes for collaborative ontology management in open-source communities
• Conceptualisation and execution of the evaluation of the artefacts created within the project in a living lab, in collaboration with the project partners
• Development of requirements for software adaptations and implementation of these adaptations
• Participation in scientific communication, as well as the presentation and dissemination of project results

Your profile

• You have a completed scientific university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Computer Science, Library and Information Science or a related field; or, alternatively, a completed scientific university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) and at least two years’ relevant professional experience in the field of metadata schema or ontology development.
• You have proven experience in metadata schema modelling, semantic knowledge modelling or ontology engineering.
• You have knowledge of common semantic technologies such as SPARQL or RDF.
• You have a good understanding of software development processes and the ability to act as a conceptual bridge between domain experts and developers.
• You work independently, reliably and in a structured manner, demonstrating a high standard of self-organisation.
• You have very good written and spoken English skills.

Desirable additions to your profile

• You are passionate about working together with engineers and scientists as partners to define requirements and translate them into semantically sound, interoperable solutions.
• You have knowledge of the research information landscape, including common standards such as KDSF and CERIF, as well as major digital research infrastructures in this field.
• You have programming skills, preferably in Java and Python.
• You have the ability to help conceptually design technical systems such as research information systems, electronic laboratory journals or knowledge graphs.
• You have experience with version control (Git) and CI/CD workflows.
• You are interested in working in a research and library environment.
• You are motivated to participate in national and global (open-source) communities.
• You have good written and spoken German skills.

What we offer

Our mission is to keep rethinking and innovating the provision and use of research data and information. In TIB’s Research and Development Department you have the opportunity to advance your career in a sizable, dynamic and excellent environment. We provide a scientifically and intellectually inspiring environment with an entrepreneurial mindset, embedded in a leading technical university and one of the largest technical information centers being part of the Leibniz Association. There is close cooperation with Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts as part of the Leibniz Joint Lab Future Libraries & Research Data.

Last but not least, we attach great importance to an open, creative and fun work atmosphere.

Furthermore, we offer

• a job in the public service oriented towards the common good on the basis of the collective agreement for the public service of the German states (TV-L) with a salary in pay scale group 13 TV-L, provided that the requirements are met.
• a flexible workplace in terms of time and space with offers to reconcile work and family life, such as mobile and remote work options as well as flexible working time models (flexitime).
• a special annual payment at the end of the year and 30 days of vacation per year with a five-day working week as well as additional days off on Christmas Eve (December 24^th) and New Year's Eve (December 31^st).
• a modern workplace in a central location of Hannover with a collegial, attractive and versatile working environment.
• an employer with a wide range of internal and external further education and training measures, workplace health promotion and a supplementary pension scheme for the public sector (VBL).
• employee discount in the canteens of the Studentenwerk Hannover as well as the possibility to use the various offers of the University Sports Hannover at a discount.
• independent and future-oriented activities that offer variety and room for personal development.
• funding for necessary equipment, conference and research visit travel.
• to work in the context of a national, European or international research and innovation project.

If you are interested, questions regarding the position can be addressed to Mr. Christian Hauschke, head of the Lab Group Open Research Information, by mail at Christian.Hauschke(at)tib.eu.

How to apply

We look forward to receiving your application. To submit your application, please click here.

Paper applications are also possible on an equal basis. In this case, please send your complete application documents with the subject 36/2026 before September 20, 2026 addressed to

Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB)

Personalservice

Frau Jana Meyer

Welfengarten 1 B

30167 Hannover

Germany

or alternatively as a single PDF document file to bewerbung(at)tib.eu. For applications in digital from, please send a PDF file with a maximum size of 10 MB.

We invite you to include an indication of your annual salary expectations with your application.

In the case of foreign university degrees, it is mandatory to submit a Statement of Comparability from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) for the final assessment of the hiring requirements during the hiring process (link for more information). A fee will be charged for this. This obligation does not apply if the foreign university degree has already been assessed by an expert and is listed in the ANABIN database of the ZAB as an equivalent university degree (link to ANABIN database).

Who we are

TIB, being part of the Leibniz Research Association, is with around 600 employees one of the largest technical information centres in Germany, having three main functions:

1. Acting in the capacity of the Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology, our forward-looking services secure the infrastructural requirements for providing researchers in science and industry with high-quality information and literature.
2. Carrying out cutting edge research to further expand TIB’s role as a German information centre for the digitisation of science and technology.
3. Offer library services for the Leibniz University Hannover.

TIB is an equal opportunity employer, providing ideal working conditions, and continuously taking action to enable its employees to combine career interests with family life. It wants to promote equal career opportunities for women and men in particular and therefore urges qualified women to apply.

Severely disabled candidates and those with equivalent status will be given preferential consideration in the event of equal suitability. If you would like your rights as a person with a severe disability, or as a person with equivalent status, to be taken into account in the selection procedure, we kindly ask you to indicate this voluntarily at an appropriate place in your application (e.g. in the cover letter, in your CV, or in another clearly highlighted section) and to include the relevant documentation (e.g. a copy of the disability identification card).

Equal opportunity is one of our core organizational values. We therefore welcome applications regardless of nationality, ethnic and social origin, gender identity, gender expression and/or gender characteristics, religion and worldview, age, sexual orientation, and identity.

Please indicate in the subject of your application which job exchange brought our offer to your attention. Please note that your application documents will not be returned, and application and travel costs cannot be reimbursed. For more information about the TIB, please visit: www.tib.eu/en/