Research Assistant Sustainability Assessment and Circular Economy 80 %

Research Assistant Sustainability Assessment and Circular Economy 80 %

Get involved in the application and further development of sustainability assessment methods - from life cycle assessments and data analysis to modeling in interdisciplinary research projects.

School: School of Engineering

Starting date: 1 February 2026 (or by arrangement)

• Collaboration in interdisciplinary and (inter)national research projects and services, such as the IoT Sustainability Lab funded by Interreg and Netzwerkstelle Ostschweiz or ESAM funded by Innosuisse.
• Analysis of various issues in the fields of circular economy and digitalisation by applying sustainability assessment methodologies such as LCA for example in the field of smart buildings to increase the sustainability of and through IoT applications (IoT Sustainability Lab) or additive manufacturing as a measure for improving circular economy (ESAM), by means of research, modelling, expert interviews, data analyses, etc.
• Application of various software tools such as SimaPro®, Office, etc. for the collection, evaluation and visualisation of data
• Lecture preparation and support such as exercises in the area of sustainable development
• Preparation and reporting of research results, collaboration on reports and publications

We are looking for an open and winning personality with a completed (applied) university bachelor's degree in energy and environmental technology, environmental engineering or environmental sciences or comparable qualifications. You have gained initial experience with life cycle assessments (LCA), sustainability assessments (e.g. multi-criteria decision analysis, MCDA, sLCA or LCC), the application of scientific theories and methods and/or acquired initial practical experience in the field of sustainability and circular economy, e.g. in your bachelor thesis or an internship. High interest in working scientifically in an academic and research-related environment is a must-have. Good networking skills and interest in the topics of sustainability assessment, technology/ICT in general and circular economy, as well as good writing and presentation skills in English and ideally German complete your profile.

Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW is one of Switzerland's largest multidisciplinary universities of applied sciences, with over 14'000 students and 3'400 faculty and staff.

ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams in order to promote equality, diversity and innovation.

ZHAW's School of Engineering is a leading education and research institution in Switzerland with a focus on topics relevant for the future: 14 institutes and centers stand for a high-quality education as well as research and development around energy, mobility, information and health.

The interdisciplinary team of the Institute of Sustainable Development (INE) emphasizes technological, economic and societal developments from a sustainability perspective.

The team of the research focus "Risk Management and Technology Assessment" identifies topics relevant to the future, assesses the sustainability of technologies, conducts technology assessments and develops concepts for the sustainable use of energy and resources on this basis.

Wir bieten hochschulgerechte Arbeits- und Anstellungsbedingungen an und fördern aktiv die Personalentwicklung unserer Mitarbeitenden und Führungspersonen. Eine detaillierte Beschreibung der Vorteile ist auf der Webseite «Arbeiten an der ZHAW» zu finden. Hier die wichtigsten Eckpunkte:

Corinna Baumgartner

Lecturer & Senior Researcher Technology Assessment & Circular Economy

Jocelyn Schaad

Recruiting Manager