PostDoc or Scientist on material dynamics in view of a carbon-binding society (80 - 100%)

St. Gallen, Switzerland

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.

Stabilizing our climate requires to urgently phase out fossil fuels and clean up the atmosphere from excess CO2, which will induce a large demand for materials. Accelerating transitions therefore depends on the dynamic availability of materials. Furthermore, as geological storage of CO2 is limited and challenging, there is need to explore options for removing atmospheric CO2 and converting it into useful and valuable materials.

In this context, our Technology and Society Laboratory (TSL) is looking for a highly motivated PostDoc or Scientist to address the systemic aspects of transforming a society from carbon emitting to carbon binding on a planetary scale. TSL is dedicated to creating knowledge supporting the transformation to a sustainable society within planetary boundaries by analyzing and evaluating novel materials and technologies from a circularity, life cycle impacts and safety perspective, and to provide guidance for designing more sustainable materials, technologies and systems.

Your tasks

• Develop a model to investigate strategies to increase dynamic supply of secondary raw materials based on future sources and technologies and explore the possible effects on transition pathways
• Contribute to the collection, updating, and consolidation of data required to assess the secondary raw materials potential and characterize stocks and flows e.g. of end-of-life vehicles, waste batteries and waste electrical and electronic equipment
• Explore systemic effects of carbon-based materials in the existing socio-economic metabolism, in particular on replacing other primary materials and changing the demand for energy
• Couple material flows with energy systems to explore the complex interplay and feedback between energy and material systems
• Coordinate and manage Empa's contribution to the Horizon Europe project RawClic on this topic

Your profile

• PhD in environmental engineering, industrial ecology, or similar
• Experience in modelling and evaluating the socio-economic metabolism, for example with material flow analysis or life cycle assessment
• Deep understanding of engineering principles for evaluating novel technologies and provide guidance for their ecological design
• Interest in and comprehension of Earth system processes and environmental impacts
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills and fluency in English

Our offer

We offer a dynamic and stimulating academic environment in a laboratory with more than 50 scientists dedicated to sustainability transformations. The position will initially be limited to 2 years. Expected start date is 1 September 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

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.

Job details

Title: PostDoc or Scientist on material dynamics in view of a carbon-binding society (80 - 100%)

Employer: Empa

Location: Lerchenfeldstrasse 5 St. Gallen, Switzerland

Published: 2025-06-20

Application deadline: Unspecified

Job type: Postdoc

Field: Ecology, Energy Technology, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Engineering