ETH Zurich Jobs for PhD, Postdoc, Research and Scientist Roles in Switzerland

Overview

ETH Zurich jobs for PhD, postdoc, research and scientist roles in Switzerland attract strong global interest because ETH is one of Europe’s most respected science and technology institutions. For researchers, the university offers more than a prestigious name. It provides access to advanced laboratories, international research groups, interdisciplinary projects and structured academic career pathways.

The official ETH Zurich jobs portal lists current openings across doctoral, postdoctoral, scientific, technical, administrative and support categories. The portal also allows applicants to filter roles by job type, workload and workplace.

Why ETH Zurich Research Careers Matter

ETH Zurich is a major study, research and workplace environment with a highly international community. Therefore, it offers a strong academic ecosystem for early-career and experienced researchers.

For PhD applicants, ETH can be attractive because doctoral research is closely linked with active research groups. For postdoctoral researchers, it offers project-based roles in fields such as machine learning, environmental systems, quantum science, materials, architecture, engineering, climate science, bioinformatics and artificial intelligence.

Moreover, scientist and research staff roles can suit candidates who want to remain close to research without following a conventional faculty track.

Types of ETH Zurich Jobs Available

PhD and Doctoral Research Positions

ETH Zurich mainly follows an individual doctorate model. This means a professor must agree to supervise the dissertation. Unlike some universities with one central doctoral school, many doctoral positions arise directly through research groups and supervisors.

Recent examples on the ETH jobs portal include doctoral roles in environmental science, quantum computing, crop phenotyping, applied machine learning, law, seismicity, synthetic biology, food processing and sustainability assessment. These roles are usually project-specific and may require a strong match between the candidate’s academic background and the research topic.

Postdoctoral Research Positions

Postdoc openings at ETH Zurich are typically designed for candidates who already hold a PhD. These roles often require publication experience, technical independence and the ability to contribute to research proposals, mentoring and scientific writing.

Postdoctoral positions may be available in areas such as machine learning, plant science, membrane separations, satellite navigation, cellular systems, forest dynamics modelling, materials science and nano-optomechanics.

Research Scientist and Scientific Staff Roles

Scientific staff positions may include research assistants, machine learning scientists, technical directors, group leaders and project coordinators. These roles can be suitable for candidates with strong applied expertise, laboratory management experience, computational skills or project leadership ability.

In addition, ETH lists different workload options, including part-time and full-time roles. This makes the portal useful for candidates seeking both academic and applied research pathways.

PhD / Doctoral Openings

1. 1. Doctoral position on PFAS Pathways: Tracking “Forever Chemicals” through Soil–Groundwater Interfaces for Safer Drinking Water
   2. PhD position on quantum computing
   3. PhD Researcher – PDTx
   4. PhD Researcher – tenoexo
   5. PhD candidate for developing multi-physics models of high-power medium frequency transformers
   6. PhD Student Position in Climate Extremes and Migration Research
   7. PhD position on high-order harmonic generation spectroscopy in noble-gas liquids
   8. PhD Position: Agro-Economic Analysis of Legume-Cereal Mixtures
   9. PhD position in light controlled variable stiffness for soft robotics
   10. PhD Student in Applied ML and NLP
   11. PhD Student in Law
   12. PhD Position: Optimization of shut-in strategies to reduce induced seismicity
   13. Doctoral student in induced and natural seismicity forecasting
   14. PhD position in Crop Phenotyping
   15. PhD Researcher – AI TokCart
   16. Two doctoral students in plant ecophysiology and ecosystem services of crop mixtures
   17. PhD Position: Seismic Detection, Localization and Characterization of Explosion Events in Underground Ammunition Storage Facilities
   18. PhD Position: Order-from-Disorder in Frustrated Quantum Magnets
   19. Doctoral Student in Forest Management Effects on Water Quality
   20. PhD Position in Advanced Bioelectronic & Electrical Conversion Research
   21. PhD Position for Synthetic Biology-Inspired Therapies
   22. PhD Position in Management and Organization Research: AI in Strategic Management
   23. PhD position: Examining thresholds in past Atlantic Ocean circulation using stalagmite geochemistry
   24. Doctoral researcher in Conversational AI for Customer and Employee Interactions
   25. PhD position: Source tracking for bioaerosol
   26. Doctoral position in history and philosophy of mathematical sciences
   27. PhD position in numerical and experimental studies of non-spherical and deformable granular systems
   28. PhD position: Structure-activity relationships for CO₂ capture materials
   29. Doctoral student position: Evaluating novel mineral sources for treatment of micronutrient deficiencies in humans
   30. PhD Position in Human–Computer Interaction and Extended Reality in Architectural Design and Fabrication
   31. Doctoral Researcher in Food Processing for Planetary and Human Health
   32. Doctoral Researcher in Sustainability Assessment for Evaluating Future Global Food Systems
   33. PhD position: Modeling friction in colloidal suspensions

Postdoctoral Openings

1. 1. Postdoctoral Position in Machine Learning for Automated Plant Phenotyping
   2. Postdoctoral position: Co-evaluating bio-inputs for Smallholder Farmers in Kenya
   3. Postdoctoral Researcher at Construction Heritage and Preservation
   4. Postdoc position in light multiplexed, fiber-based artificial sensorimotor network
   5. Postdoc position in soft optical fiber-based artificial muscle for biomedical applications
   6. Postdoctoral Position in Climate Science
   7. Postdoc position in Phenotyping of Crop Mixtures
   8. Postdoc position: Production-induced seismicity in fractured reservoirs
   9. Postdoctoral Researcher: Hydraulic stimulation and proppant behaviour in crystalline rock
   10. Postdoc in Direct Ink Writing of Thermo-Electric Materials
   11. Postdoc in Resilient Satellite Navigation
   12. Postdoctoral Researcher in AI for Climate Information Inference
   13. Postdoctoral Researcher – OCCL
   14. Postdoctoral Position: Mechanotyping of Complex Cellular Systems
   15. Postdoc Position for Synthetic Biology-Inspired Therapies
   16. Postdoc Position in Advanced Bioelectronic & Electrical Conversion Research
   17. Postdoctoral Researcher on hybrid AI-optimization modelling
   18. Postdoctoral Researcher – Bioinformatics
   19. Post-doctoral position in history and philosophy of mathematical sciences
   20. Post-Doctoral Research in Comparative Fungal Genomics and Transposon Diversity
   21. Postdoctoral researcher in nano-optomechanics
   22. Postdoctoral Fellow in Volcanology and Magmatic Processes
   23. Postdoctoral Researcher in Robot Learning
   24. Postdoc Position in Experimental Quantum Engineering

Research / Scientist / Scientific Staff Openings

1. 1. Research Assistant in Development Economics
   2. Scientific Project Lead / Coordination: Pilot Project “PolyCenter”
   3. Student Assistant: Interdisciplinary Research in Urban Design, Data and Platforms
   4. Student Research Assistant in Environmental Economics
   5. Scientific Staff: Construction Heritage and Preservation
   6. Academic Programs Lead – ETH AI Center
   7. Scientific Assistant: Construction Heritage and Preservation
   8. Research Assistants in Law, Computer Science or related fields
   9. Student Research Assistant: Unity Frontend Development for Digital Einstein
   10. Student Research Assistant: Development and assembly of instruments for atmospheric research
   11. Machine Learning Scientist: AI-based Weather Forecasting
   12. Technical Director, Environmental Chemical Analysis Facility
   13. Software Engineer for Extended Reality applications in Architecture and Civil Engineering
   14. Group Leader in Observational Atmospheric Chemistry
   15. Earth Systems Data Manager: Petabyte-Scale Infrastructure
   16. Group Leader Systems Operations
   17. Group Leader Clinical Bioinformatics

Other Relevant Academic / Technical Openings

1. 1. Software Engineer – Singapore-ETH Centre
   2. Laboratory Technician in RNA Biology and Disease Mechanisms
   3. Technical Director, Environmental Chemical Analysis Facility
   4. Polymechanic: Prototype Construction and Research Support
   5. Intern Position: Fabrication and Robotic Construction Development
   6. Systems Engineer: Cloud and Platform Services
   7. Technical / laboratory support roles in physics, chemistry, biosystems and environmental science

Eligibility and Candidate Profile

Eligibility varies by position. However, most PhD roles require a relevant master’s degree or equivalent academic preparation. In contrast, postdoctoral roles normally require a completed PhD in a closely related field.

Strong applicants usually show:

• • Clear research alignment with the advertised project

  • Evidence of technical competence

  • Publications, preprints or thesis outputs where relevant

  • Strong academic references

  • A focused motivation letter

  • Ability to work in an international research environment

For Indian and other international applicants, the most important step is not sending generic emails. Instead, applicants should study the advertised project and connect their background to the exact research problem.

Funding, Salary and Work Conditions

Many ETH doctoral and postdoctoral roles are employment-based positions rather than traditional scholarships. Doctoral students and scientific assistants generally receive structured salaries according to institutional rules.

Postdoctoral researchers and scientific assistants may also receive fixed-rate salaries, with progression depending on role type, experience and contract conditions. However, candidates should check each advertisement because funding duration, workload and contract type vary by project.

Some job advertisements mention full-time employment, fixed-term contracts and salary according to ETH Zurich rules. Therefore, applicants should read each role carefully before applying.

How to Apply for ETH Zurich Jobs

Step 1: Search the Official ETH Jobs Portal

Start with the official ETH Zurich jobs portal. Use filters such as “doctoral,” “postdoctoral,” “scientific staff,” “Zurich,” “Basel” or “100%” workload. This saves time and helps you avoid irrelevant listings.

Step 2: Read the Project Description Carefully

Do not apply after reading only the title. Instead, review the project background, required profile, documents, starting date and contact details. Many ETH roles are highly specialized. Therefore, a general CV may not work.

Step 3: Prepare Position-Specific Documents

Most research roles require a CV, motivation letter, academic certificates, transcripts and reference details. Some positions may also request a publication list, writing sample, research statement or portfolio.

A strong motivation letter should answer three questions clearly:

• • Why this research project?

  • Why this group at ETH Zurich?

  • Why are you technically prepared for the role?

Step 4: Apply Through the Online Portal

ETH job advertisements generally direct candidates to apply through the online portal. Applicants should avoid email applications unless the advertisement explicitly allows them.

If the portal shows a temporary technical notice or application-system disruption, applicants should follow the latest instructions displayed on the official jobs page and revisit the portal when access resumes.

Conclusion

ETH Zurich jobs for PhD, postdoc, research and scientist roles in Switzerland offer serious opportunities for candidates with strong academic preparation and clear research direction. However, ETH applications require more than a good CV. Applicants must demonstrate project fit, technical readiness and a mature understanding of the research problem.

Therefore, candidates should track the official ETH Zurich jobs portal regularly, prepare role-specific documents and apply through the correct channel. A carefully targeted application can stand out far more than a broad, generic submission.

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Frequently Asked Questions