Scientific collaborator – Building and Communal Energy System Simulation 80 - 100 % | ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften

Scientific collaborator – Building and Communal Energy System Simulation 80 - 100 %

This research position focuses on simulation of building and communal energy systems, thermal energy storage and their integration in district heating networks in an interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers and Swiss industry partners.

School: School of Architecture, Design and Civil Engineering

Starting date: By mutual agreement. Please apply by handing in your motivation letter, CV and references until the 15th of May 2024.

We offer a time-limited position until end of 2027, with the possibility for extension, as a scientific collaborator with research focus on simulation of building and communal energy systems.

The position is part of the Innosuisse Flagship project “SwissSTES - Swiss Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage Action Plan and Implementation" and other related research projects.

Your work includes the following responsibilities:

• Supporting ongoing research in building and urban energy systems simulation, including seasonal thermal energy storage (STES) and district heating networks
• Performing building energy systems and thermal network simulations
• Thermal energy system optimization, exploring component sizing and control strategies
• Performing spatial, multi-criteria analysis (GIS) for identification of renewable energy and thermal storage potentials
• Data handling and automatization of workflows, categorization/clustering
• Taking over/supporting project lead
• Writing technical/project reports
• Authoring/co-authoring articles in scientific journals
• Supporting the acquisition of research projects / proposal writing

We are looking for a widely interested and open-minded person who likes to work in an interdisciplinary team, at the interface between building systems, architecture and construction.

Sucessful candidates should bring:

• Master degree in engineering, physics or related fields with knowhow in building/urban energy systems
• A PhD in a related field is recommended
• Good mathematical modelling skills
• Expertise in conducting energy demand simulation at various scales, from individual buildings to the district level, using both top-down and bottom-up approaches
• Experience in processing climate scenarios and weather data from different sources
• Experience in scripting/programming in Python, ...
• Experiences with GIS analysis and data-driven methods is desired (understanding of clustering and spatial interpolation algorithms)
• Experiences with district heating systems is a plus
• Fluency in English oral and written, German level B1 and above desired

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 one of the leading universities of applied sciences in Switzerland. It offers teaching, research, continuing education and services that are practice-oriented and science-based.

The Institute for Building Technologies and Processes IBP is part of the department of Architecture, Design and Civil Engineering. Its research targets the exploration of the future of construction, featuring advanced, resource-efficient, lightweight hybrid construction, low carbon technologies and energy systems and novel digital processes in the built environment.

We offer you an exciting, versatile and challenging job in an inspiring environment. The workplace is centrally located in Winterthur, Switzerland.

ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams in order to promote equality, diversity and innovation. In order to increase the proportion of women in management positions, applications from women are particularly welcome.

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:

Luca Baldini

Institutsleitung / Dozent - Forschung im Bereich Gebäude- und Energietechnik

Jasmin Strobel

Recruiting Manager