Postdoctoral Researcher on CO2 Solid Adsorbent Shaping and Degradation — Empa
- Location
- Dübendorf
- Contract
- full-time
- Posted
- 144 days ago
Role overview
Materials science and technology are our passion.
With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living.
Empa is a research institution of the ETH Domain.
- Materials science and technology are our passion.
- With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living.
- Your responsibilities will include:
- Help coordinate project activities and develop synergies within the team and between project partners.
- A high level of curiosity, independence, teamwork skills and motivation
- Doctoral degree or equivalent research experience in porous materials, surface or adsorption/separation science or a closely related field
Main responsibilities
- Your responsibilities will include:
- Help coordinate project activities and develop synergies within the team and between project partners.
- Supervise intern students contributing to the project.
- Elucidate chemical as well as structural ageing mechanisms of structured and pure solid sorbents under different ageing conditions.
- Develop accelerated and high throughput sorbent ageing protocols.
- Help define mitigation strategies for sorbent ageing.
- Develop versatile, upscalable sorbent shaping/coating procedures.
- Help shape new, emerging scientific research lines within the project scope and publish/communicate your scientific results
Key requirements
- A high level of curiosity, independence, teamwork skills and motivation
- Doctoral degree or equivalent research experience in porous materials, surface or adsorption/separation science or a closely related field
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
- Experience or familiarity with one of the following topics:
- Characterization of sorbent/porous materials characterization e.g. nitrogen sorption (BET, BJH, NLDFT), breakthrough measurements, SEM, TEM, TGA, FTIR, NMR, thermal conductivity measurements
- Synthesis and/or shaping of solid sorbents.
- Sorbent modelling and prediction of performance or ageing. Our offer
- We offer a stimulating, international, and collaborative research environment at a leading research institution with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
- The laboratory and supervisors provide a supportive and safe-to-fail work environment.
- As part of the ETH Domain, we offer attractive employment conditions and excellent opportunities for professional and personal development.
- Start date is upon agreement for a duration of 2 years.
- We live a culture of inclusion and respect.
Application process
- The Laboratory for Building Energy Materials and Components develops advanced and/or low eco-impact, porous materials for insulation, sorption, and energy-related applications.
- Our research portfolio spans fundamental materials chemistry, process–structure–property relationships, and application-driven R&D, in close collaboration with academic and industrial partners.
- To strengthen our team, we are seeking a highly motivated researcher with a strong background in solid adsorbents/gas adsorption/separation. Project Focus
- The project builds on Empa’s expertise in the field of sorbents and carbon capture.
- The position is part of the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) "Separations", a collaborative project lead by EPFL (Prof.
- Wendy Queen) and further involving ETH Zurich, University of Fribourg, HES-SO, Northwestern University (USA) and University of Alberta (Canada). The NCCR focuses on three key challenges:
- CO2 capture from air: Developing scalable, cost-effective processes to efficiently remove atmospheric CO2.
- High-temperature ammonia separation: Creating novel high temperature separation technologies to make ammonia synthesis significantly more energy-efficient.
Contacts
- Applications by e-mail and by post will not be considered.
Additional details
- To strengthen our team, we are seeking a highly motivated researcher with a strong background in solid adsorbents/gas adsorption/separation.
- Wendy Queen) and further involving ETH Zurich, University of Fribourg, HES-SO, Northwestern University (USA) and University of Alberta (Canada). The NCCR focuses on three key challenges:
- Recovery of critical metals: Developing processes to recover valuable metals such as lithium and cobalt from waste streams, enabling secure and sustainable material cycles.
- Sorbent modelling and prediction of performance or ageing.
Notes and original content
- Project Focus
- Wendy Queen) and further involving ETH Zurich, University of Fribourg, HES-SO, Northwestern University (USA) and University of Alberta (Canada).
- The NCCR focuses on three key challenges:
- Your tasks
- Your profile
Questions about this listing
What salary does Empa offer for this role?
Empa lists CHF 73'500 - 111'500 gross per year for this position in Dübendorf. This is the salary published in the original listing (or, when the employer omits a figure, a realistic estimate for the role and sector) — the calculator on this site converts it to your actual net take-home once cross-border tax and social contributions are applied.
Is this a full-time role, and what type of contract does Empa offer?
This listing is a full-time position. The contract type shown here comes directly from the employer's original posting; always confirm exact hours, notice period and probation length with Empa during the application process, since these details can vary by role even within the same contract category.
Do I need a cross-border work permit for a role in Zürich?
EU/EFTA residents living in the border zone of the country adjoining Canton Zürich can apply for a G permit; the Swiss employer files it with that canton's migration office after the contract is signed. Border-zone rules and processing times vary by neighbouring country and canton, so confirm the specifics with Zürich's cantonal migration office or with HR during the application.
How do I apply for this position at Empa?
Use the "Apply now" button on this page — it links directly to Empa's original listing at apply.refline.ch, so your application goes straight to the employer's own applicant-tracking system. Frontaliere Ticino does not collect or forward applications itself.
