Postdoc position in Modeling crop water, carbon, and nutrient dynamics

EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,000 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 16,000 people, including over 12,000 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

Your mission :

The Catchment Hydrology and Geomorphology Lab (CHANGE) led by Prof. Sara Bonetti at EPFL in Sion is looking for a postdoctoral researcher with a focus on mechanistic modeling of agricultural crops and associated water, nutrient, and carbon dynamics.

CHANGE is a new EPFL laboratory which seeks to improve current understanding and forecasting capabilities of multiple catchment processes both in natural and managed ecosystems. The main research themes of the Lab include landscape evolution and soil erosion, ecohydrology, soil hydrology and soil hydraulic properties, and sustainable use of soil and water resources.

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with strong technical and analytical skills, a solid background in environmental science or engineering, and research interests in mechanistic modeling of ecohydrological dynamics in agroecosystems to join the Lab’s activity. Areas of interest include modeling and analysis of: i) climate change impacts on crop water, nutrient, and carbon dynamics, ii) crop water requirements and sustainability assessment, iii) the effects of regenerative agricultural practices on climate change mitigation and food security. Modeling and quantitative skills are a prerequisite for this position.

Main duties and responsibilities include :

• Perform original research on ecohydrological dynamics of agroecosystems.
• Lead and contribute to publications for high-impact journals.
• Contribute to broad Lab activities (including co-supervision of PhD and MSc students).

Your profile :

• You have (or are close to completing) a PhD in Environmental Sciences, Physics, or Engineering.
• You have experience in mechanistic modeling of water dynamics and soil biogeochemistry for rainfed and irrigated agroecosystems.
• You have strong computational and analytical skills, as well as experience handling large datasets.
• You have a strong publication record (relative to your career stage) in internationally leading journals.
• You have excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

We offer :

• A stimulating and international working environment in the new EPFL-Valais campus in Sion.
• Competitive salary and excellent working conditions.
• Opportunity to perform state-of-the-art research in one of the most dynamic scientific institutions in Europe.

Term of employment :
Fixed-term (CDD)

Work rate :
100%

Duration :
1 year

Contact :

Interested applicants should supply a SINGLE PDF containing: CV, a research statement (max 2 pages), and contact details of 3 references. The search will remain open until the position is filled. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sara Bonetti (

sara.bonetti@epfl.ch

).

Remark :
Only candidates who applied through EPFL website or our partner Jobup’s website will be considered. Files sent by agencies without a mandate will not be taken into account.

Reference :
Job Nb 2949

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