Research Associate in Animal and Environmental Law 80 – 100% (permanent, hybrid)

Research Associate in Animal and Environmental Law 80 – 100% (permanent, hybrid)

Are you a committed individual with a passion for research and teaching in the field of animal law? Join us in shaping an innovative teaching and research center at the interface of animal and environmental law.

Department: School of Management and Law

Start date: Immediately or by arrangement

• You actively shape the development and operation of the Center for Animal Rights and the Environment (CARE) and take on leadership support tasks.
• You teach public law, especially in the areas of constitutional law, administrative law, and animal law in bachelor, master, and continuing education courses.
• You participate in CARE research projects and develop and implement your own research projects in the field of animal and environmental law.
• You independently plan, organize, and conduct events and activities of the center, thereby contributing to the visibility and networking of CARE.
• You acquire third-party funding for joint or independent research projects.

You have an excellent degree in law with a doctorate. In-depth knowledge of Swiss public law is desirable; alternatively, you are willing to familiarize yourself with Swiss public law within one year. In addition, you have a scientific track record in the field of animal law – either through your dissertation or through further publications.

Ideally, you also bring:

• Teaching experience and didactic skills in the field of public law,
• Fluent language skills in German and English or the willingness to acquire them promptly,
• Experience in research and publication in the field of animal and environmental law.

You are characterized by an independent, team-oriented, and committed working style. You are motivated to develop and implement independent research and publication projects and actively contribute to the development and advancement of the center. In addition, you take on a supportive role in leadership tasks and mentor doctoral candidates.

Your application should include the following documents: motivation letter; CV; list of publications and presentations; research plan for a current or planned research project (max. 2 pages); certificates (doctorate, master, bachelor); writing sample (at least 2 relevant publications in animal law and/or public law or dissertation); 2 reference letters; proof of teaching activities and evaluations (if available); overview of acquired third-party funding.

Have we sparked your interest? We look forward to receiving your application by December 24, 2025.

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.

The ZHAW School of Management and Law (SML), with around 9,500 students, is one of the largest business schools in Switzerland. It is the only university of applied sciences in the country represented in renowned rankings of the business newspaper "Financial Times" and accredited by AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA – labels for high quality standards in teaching, research, and continuing education. The internationally recognized bachelor and master programs, cooperative PhD programs, and numerous continuing education offerings are scientifically based, interdisciplinary, and practice-oriented. SML maintains numerous cooperations with over 190 selected partner universities worldwide.

The Center for Animal Rights and the Environment (CARE) at ZHAW is a center for research and teaching dedicated to animal law studies. We deal with the protection and status of animals in law and society as well as the diverse connections between animal, human, and environmental law and sustainability. Animal law examines how animals are legally treated, what rights they should have, and how the law could develop in the future. Of particular interest are the increasing ecological challenges of our time – climate crisis, species extinction, zoonoses. These highlight the interdependencies between humans, animals, and the environment and call for new, holistic approaches such as One Health or One Rights.

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

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 "Working at ZHAW" website. Here are the main points:

Prof. Dr. Saskia Stucki

Head of Center for Animal Rights and Environment

Dagmar Debrunner-Stachl

Recruiting Manager

Our offices will be closed from December 24, 2025, to January 4, 2026.