Scientific Assistant Sustainability Assessment and Circular Economy 80%

Scientific Assistant Sustainability Assessment and Circular Economy 80%

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

Department: School of Engineering

Start date: 01.02.2026 or by arrangement

• Collaboration in interdisciplinary and (inter)national research projects and service contracts, such as the IoT Sustainability Lab funded by Interreg and the Eastern Switzerland Network Office or
• ESAM, funded by Innosuisse.
• Analysis of various issues in the areas of circular economy and digitalization through the application of sustainability assessment methods such as life cycle assessments (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 to improve the circular economy (ESAM), through research, modeling, expert interviews, data analyses, etc.
• Application of various software tools such as SimaPro®, Office, etc. for data collection, evaluation, and visualization.
• Preparation and supervision of courses, e.g., exercises in sustainable development.
• Preparation and documentation of research results as well as collaboration on reports and scientific publications

We are looking for an open and engaging personality with a completed (technical) university degree (at least Bachelor) in energy and environmental engineering, environmental engineering, environmental sciences, or a comparable qualification. You have initial experience with life cycle analyses (LCA), sustainability assessments (e.g., multi-criteria decision analysis, MCDA, sLCA or LCC), the application of scientific theories and methods and/or initial practical experience in the field of sustainability and circular economy, e.g., in your bachelor thesis or an internship. A strong interest in scientific work in an academic and research-related environment is a must. Good networking skills as well as 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 also in German, complete your profile.

The ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, with over 14,000 students and over 11,000 continuing education participants as well as around 3,700 employees, is one of the largest multi-disciplinary universities of applied sciences in Switzerland.

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

The School of Engineering at ZHAW is a leading educational and research institution in Switzerland focusing on future-relevant topics. Fourteen institutes and centers stand for high-quality education as well as research and development in the fields of energy, mobility, information, and health.

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

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

We offer university-appropriate working and employment conditions and actively promote the personnel development of our employees and managers. A detailed description of the benefits can be found on the website «Working at ZHAW». Here are the main points:

Corinna Baumgartner

Lecturer & Senior Researcher Technology Assessment & Circular Economy

Jocelyn Schaad

Recruiting Manager