PhD position – Drought Tolerance of European beech

Geographisches Institut

PhD position – Drought Tolerance of European beech 80 %

Start of employment The employment should start in 2026 as early in the year as possible by mutual agreement.

We invite applications for a 4-year PhD position working on drought tolerance of European beech using a variety of methodological approaches from remote sensing to genomics and metabolomics.

Your responsibilities

We are looking for a motivated, creative, solution-oriented and independent PhD candidate with an interest in fieldwork, labwork and computational work and a passion for tackling environmental science problems with high societal impact. The successful candidate will:

• Develop and implement research questions.
• Plan and execute drought experiments in beech sapling common gardens including collection of spectral data and data on volatile organic compounds.
• Analyse complex multi-source datasets from experimental ecology, remote sensing and metabolomics.
• Present research results at conferences and publish results in peer-reviewed journals.
• Contribute to the teaching of remote sensing, earth system science and chemical ecology courses.
• Project leadership and strong collaborations with other project members and research partners.

Your profile

The ideal candidate will have a Master's degree in biology, ecology, environmental sciences, remote sensing, earth systems science, or related fields.

Very good skills in processing and analysing data, and advanced programming and computational skills (e.g. R, Python) are required. A strong interest and possibly some experience in fieldwork and labwork are expected. Excellent writing and communication skills in English are essential, as is a strong interest in working in a team-oriented, interdisciplinary environment.

What we offer:

We offer a 4-year full-time PhD position (with internal evaluation after one year). All PhD students will be members of the UZH Graduate Programme and will benefit from a comprehensive training and support programme including additional funding opportunities. We offer excellent working conditions, a high quality of life in Zurich, and a flexible working environment that encourages collaboration and teamwork.

Salary is according to cantonal guidelines.

Our team is built on the values of collaboration, diversity, respect, initiative and open science. The drivers of the research group are to share experiences, ideas and approaches, to learn from each other, and to bring back what we have learned to the group and the community. Within the research group, the candidate will learn from peers about population genomics, ecology, remote sensing and metabolomics.

Information on your application

If you are interested in this position and meet the requirements, we look forward to receiving your online application consisting of

• Cover letter (what excites you about this position, the work you have done and where you see your career going) (max one page)
• Names and contact details (email) of two referees
• Curriculum vitae (max three pages) with list of publications (if any)
• Master's certificate
• Weblink to Master Thesis

Application deadline: 8. December 2025

What we offer

Work-Life Balance

• Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
• Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH

Learning and Development

• Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
• Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich

Food

• Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
• Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution

Healthcare

• Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
• Free seasonal flu vaccinations
• Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower

Discounts

• Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
• Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions
• Special conditions on hotel reservations

Conditions of Employment

• Policies of the UZH
• Most UZH staff are employed according to public law

International Services

• Support for people from outside Switzerland

Campuses

• Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
• Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg

Location
Geographisches Institut

Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland

Further information
Questions about the job

Sofia van Moorsel

Group Leader

Working at UZH

The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer

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