Working at the GMI

We are constantly looking for people with big ideas, who would enjoy and augment the intellectual freedom we provide. If this appeals to you, feel free to contact any group leader — and have a look at our currently listed open positions as well as our information for students and postdocs.

The GMI is an international institute that strives for a healthy work-life balance

The GMI currently hosts more than 120 employees from over 30 countries. The working language is English and German language courses are offered to employees for free. Employees have flexible working hours and we offer competitive salaries based on the Austrian Science Fund salary scheme (note that monthly salaries in Austria are paid 14 times per year), including full health and pension insurance and five weeks of paid annual leave. An on-site cafeteria and coffee bar offer full meals at lunch and snacks throughout the day, providing a place for scientists from the GMI and the other institutes and companies at the Vienna BioCenter to meet and discuss their work. This collaborative atmosphere is further enhanced by weekly social hours.

The administration of the GMI aims to let researchers focus on their research by assisting with the move to Austria and providing assistance in identifying and applying for grants and fellowships. One of the key benefits of working at the GMI are the core facilities. Mundane tasks like dishwashing and media prep are handled by core staff and essentially any piece of high-tech equipment one might need for specific experiments, as well as skilled technical support to use the equipment and design experiments, are available on-site.

For employees with children, Austria provides a monthly family allowance (starting from €114 per month) from birth through the age of 18 to help pay for the cost of raising children. The Vienna BioCenter offers an on-site child care center, which costs roughly €200 per month, and accepts children from 3 months onwards.  Children begin school at the age of 6, and Vienna offers excellent public schools, including bilingual English schools, as well as numerous private schools.  After-school care is offered in most schools at reasonable prices. A pregnancy lab for expecting mothers allows researchers to continue their lab work, and the Austrian health care system offers a year of paid maternity leave, or up to 14 months if the leave is split between both parents.

Finally, Vienna itself has a great deal to offer. It has been ranked the best city in the world to live in by the Mercer Quality of Living Index for nine years in a row, and was ranked number one this year by the Economist Intelligence Unit, for its excellent public transportation system, where a yearly ticket costs only €1 per day, low crime rates, reasonable rents, and numerous cultural and sports activities. The GMI is located 20 minutes by train from the airport, and 10 minutes by street-car from the city center.

The GMI is committed to providing a safe, productive, and inclusive work environment where all employees can flourish. This includes the promotion of equitable opportunities regarding professional development and support, representation in positions of responsibility and leadership, as well as equal pay and benefits for employees in similar positions.

Together, the Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology (GMI), the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), and the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) have created an action-based Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan covering the period from 2022 to 2025. The plan aims to bring equity, diversity, and inclusion to the foreground, fostering an environment in which any individual or group feels supported, respected, and valued, and monitor progress toward more equity and inclusion at our respective institutes.

The GMI aims to mainstream equity and inclusion and supports the activities of the volunteer Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) group on campus. The EDI group organises events such as seminars and social activities, but also advocates a work environment that is more inclusive of underrepresented groups.

View our action plan.