Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, is an internationally networked aquatic research institute within the ETH Domain (Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology). Eawag conducts research, education and expert consulting to achieve the dual goals of meeting direct human needs for water and maintaining the function and integrity of aquatic ecosystems.
This 2 (to 3) year position is funded by a Swiss National Science Foundation National Research Program 82 (SNSF NRP82), and will support the first “Swiss National Assessment of Lake Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services”.
Currently Switzerland does not have standard lake biodiversity sampling guidelines or methods, and no federal overview of the status of lake biodiversity or its value to society. In this project we will close this gap by developing standard sampling protocols and lake assessment methods, and we will implement these methods to generate a first baseline assessment of lake biodiversity and ecosystem services.
This position entails taking a leading role in a fieldwork campaign to sample 240 perialpine and alpine lakes in Switzerland over multiple years (April-Nov). You will evaluate sampling protocols, help to select and standardize methods, train groups of junior researchers, support the processing of field samples, and write peer-reviewed journal articles. Additionally, with the support of a project coordinator, you will support science communication and discussions with international, federal and cantonal stakeholders via the organization of work-shops, round-table discussions, and consensus-building processes (together with other project participants).
Your qualifications include a PhD degree in biology, aquatic ecology, limnology or other relevant fields. You have extensive taxonomic knowledge of lake biodiversity, and ideally skills in identifying phytoplankton and macrophytes. You have experience, proven ability and a contagious enthusiasm for conducting field work campaigns, including in challenging conditions (e.g. steep and uneven terrain, cold weather). It would be an asset if you have conducted research involving the use of bioindicators and/or species distribution modeling (or similar) approaches. You thrive as a member of a team, communicating openly and regularly with team members. You are a hard-working, adaptable, reliable and kind person, with good problem-solving skills. You have demonstrated organizational, time management and multi-tasking abilities. A valid driver’s license is required. An ability to communicate in French or German is beneficial. A boat driving license, scuba diving certification and safety training are all highly valued.
This position will be located in the Department of Aquatic Ecology in the research group of Anita Narwani (
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning) at Eawag’s Dübendorf campus, near Zürich, and will work closely with the group of Blake Matthews (
Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics) at Eawag’s Kastanienbaum campus, near Lucerne.
Eawag is a modern employer and offers an excellent working environment where staff can contribute their strengths, experience and ways of thinking. We promote gender equality and are committed to staff diversity and inclusion. The compatibility of career and family is of central importance to us. For more information about Eawag and our work conditions please consult
www.eawag.ch and
www.eawag.ch/en/aboutus/working/employment.
Deadline for application is 15 Nov 2025, but applications will continue to be considered until the position is filled. The application should include cover letter with a concise statement about your interest in the project, and your previous relevant experience; curriculum vitae; academic qualifications (including course transcripts); names and contact information of up to 3 references (please do not include letters with the application).
The latest start date would be 1 March 2026.For further information, please contact
Anita Narwani or
Blake Matthews by email.
We look forward to receiving your application. Please send it through this webpage, as any other way of applying will not be considered. A click on the button below will take you directly to the application form.