Student Research Assistant – Climate Policy Evaluation (m/f/d)

The climate needs bright minds. The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) addresses crucial scientific questions in the fields of global change, climate impacts and sustainable development. It is one of the world's leading research institutions in its field and offers natural and social scientists from around the world an inspiring environment for excellent interdisciplinary research.

For the What Works Climate Solutions Project in the Evidence for Climate Solutions Group,located at EUREF Campus in Berlin-Schöneberg, PIK is offering a position as

Student Research Assistant – Climate Policy Evaluation  (m/f/d)

(Position number: 25-2026 SHK EVIDENCE)

starting in October 2026.

The position is funded for up to 12 months, with the possibility of extension, and for 10 to 20 hours per week. The remuneration is determined according to the guidelines of the TdL. The hourly rate for student assistants with a Bachelor's degree is set to be 15,20 € under collective bargaining agreement (without a Bachelor's degree 13,98 €).

Key responsibilities:

• supporting the development and curation of the What Works Climate Solutions (WWCS) evidence bank which will house a comprehensive, global body of literature on the evaluation of climate mitigation and adaption policies
• contributing to the systematic literature search by screening abstracts and identifying relevant empirical studies
• conducting full-text screening of eligible studies and extracting relevant quantitative and qualitative information covering emissions and broader socio-economic outcomes
• assessing the methodological quality and risk of bias of included studies
• support the team in establishing a WWCS Crowd platform and leveraging citizen-science to support the development of accessible evidence on climate solutions
• supporting coding, analysis, and visualization of data
• ad hoc support to the WWCS project team, including tasks related to the organization and promotion of the WWCS Summit in April 2027 and other associated events

You are a Bachelor or Master student, enrolled at a German university, and ideally meet the following requirements:

• successful student with a background in economics, quantitative social or political science, environmental science, geography, ecology or related fields
• good understanding of empirical research methods and causal inference
• ability and motivation to critically assess empirical studies and reflect on their methodological approaches
• interest in evidence-based policy evaluation and climate policy research
• prior knowledge of climate change mitigation approaches and climate policy
• previous experience in systematic literature reviews and/or meta-analyses, or a strong interest in developing knowledge in this area, is desirable
• experience with data analysis and coding in programs such as R and/or Python is an asset

We expect:

• the ability to work independently and on your own initiative
• a methodical and systematic approach
• structured and goal-oriented thinking
• capacity to familiarise yourself quickly with new topics
• creativity and openness to new approaches
• a high level of competence in oral and written English
• reliability, engagement, and a high level of motivation
• high willingness to work collaboratively in an international and diverse working group

We offer:

• writing a thesis as part of the research project might be possible, depending on your interests and our availabilities
• the chance to be part of an engaged, interdisciplinary team
• an attractive working space at the EUREF-Campus in Berlin Schöneberg
• flexi-time and mobile working (up to 50% of your hours)
• a subsidized travel card or Deutschland-Ticket Job

PIK values equality and diversity. We encourage applications without photo. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of ethnic and social origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, care responsibilities, or age. PIK seeks to increase the share of women in scientific positions and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. In cases of equal qualification and within the given legal scope, women will be given preference. PIK also encourages applications by parents returning from parental leave.

Please apply by 12.08.2026 directly via our application form below this job advertisement on our website.

For further information or to discuss the position please contact Harry Fearnehough.