PhD Student in Chemical Analysis of Environmental Pollutants 100%

"As Switzerland's incubator for innovation, Empa's research provides answers to the most pressing challenges facing industry." Prof. Dr. Katharina Maniura, Biointerfaces "Empa's research on the highest international level plays a leading role in the advancement of technology." Prof. Dr. Ayodhya Nath Tiwari, Thin Films and Photovoltaics "Empa's materials science and technology research is of great benefit to society in the fields of energy, mobility, environment, construction and health." Prof. Dr. Bernd Nowack, Technology and Society "For my research projects I use first-class equipment. This is extremely important in dynamic 3D radiography." Dr. Ameet Aiyangar, Mechanical Systems Engineering "Empa offers good employment conditions and supports equal opportunities. I consider this very important." Irene Ferretto, Advanced Materials Processing "Empa has sites in three attractive regions in Switzerland. This also ensures a good quality of life." Dr. Shanyu Zhao, Building Energy Materials and Components "We enjoy working in a team. For us it is important that Empa pursues topics like sustainability and innovation." Michael Levy and Nikola Tatalovic, Finances/Controlling "My work is exciting and highly diverse – and I am right there when research projects are being implemented in NEST, Empa's research and innovation building." Yannic Trüb, Real Estate Management "At Empa I value the good work environment and international collaboration." Subas Scheibler, Particles-Biology Interactions PhD Student in Chemical Analysis of Environmental Pollutants Share Apply now Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research institution of the ETH Domain.Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a complex class of thousands of chemicals. They are of increasing concern due to their persistence, potential toxicity and ubiquitous abundance in the environment. Understanding and evaluating their emission pathways is essential to plan and implement effective measures to reduce emission of PFASs. In this project, funded by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the occurrence of PFASs in ambient air will be investigated. Sampling a broad range of PFASs simultaneously is challenging, as is their subsequent simultaneous analysis. This project aims at overcoming these challenges to reliably measure atmospheric levels of PFASs and model their respective emission strengths in Switzerland. The results are directly relevant to the FOEN and will support regulatory decisions regarding PFASs. Your tasks – Develop and validate methods to sample and analyze various PFASs in ambient air – Conduct sampling campaigns in the city of Zürich and other locations in Switzerland – Model and evaluate atmospheric emissions of PFASs in Switzerland – Publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences. Your profile – Master’s degree in analytical chemistry, environmental science or related fields – Hands-on experience with mass spectrometry (LC-MS or GC-MS) – Experience with programming (Python or R) is a plus – Fluent in written and oral English. – Self-motivated, critical-thinking, open-minded and communicative team player – Willingness to work at night for short periods of time during critical sampling campaigns (one to two weeks per year) – Holder of a valid car driving license Our offer We offer a fully funded PhD student position (3 years, full time) at Empa, the Swiss research institute for materials science and technology. The project offers the opportunity to work closely with the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and to collaborate with experts from various Swiss research institutions. The working place will be in Dübendorf ZH and the PhD candidate will be enrolled at ETH Zurich. The position is available immediately or upon agreement.We live a culture of inclusion and respect. We welcome all people who are interested in innovative, sustainable and meaningful activities – that's what counts.We look forward to receiving your complete online application including a letter of motivation, CV, certificates, diplomas and contact details of two reference persons. Please submit these exclusively via our job portal. Applications by e-mail and by post will not be considered.DavidHeusser, Bereichspersonalleiter / HR Partner Questions? MarkusZennegg Leiter Analytikzentrum https://www.empa.ch/web/s510 Your future place of work Empa Ueberlandstrasse 129 8600Dübendorf Empa as an employer Innovative, sustainable, meaningful activities Creating added value for society International, multicultural working environment Freedom to create and develop Culture of inclusion and respect Excellent balance between different areas of life Multiple award-winning and certified employer Benefits for rail, mobile, childcare, catering, etc. Good to know Empa website Working in Switzerland Employment process Conditions of employment Apply now