Group Leader in Experimental Atmospheric Chemistry

The terrestrial biosphere is a key source of reactive gases and particles to the atmosphere. At the same time, it can operate as an important sink, where vegetation phenology and meteorology are a primary control on the deposition of reactive gases. These fluxes also respond to changing land use and climate. Despite the central role of biosphere-atmosphere exchange in controlling atmospheric composition, the detailed processes controlling this exchange are not well understood and highly parameterized in models. Long-term eddy flux observations, which are very limited world-wide, are needed to investigate these processes and to test and improve model parameterizations.

The Group Leader will lead and oversee the experimental atmospheric chemistry sub-group at ETH. They will implement and expand an eddy flux measurement capacity for reactive trace gases and/or particles. They will develop their own scientific and measurement portfolio at ETH. They will be responsible for deploying, analyzing, and maintaining the measurements as well as publishing scientific results. They will oversee MS, PhD, and postdoctoral researchers and are expected to apply for external funding to support doctoral and postdoctoral scholars. The Group Leader is expected to participate in teaching activities at ETH, primarily as the lead instructor for a Field Course in Atmospheric Chemistry.

Applicants should hold a PhD degree in atmospheric science or a related discipline, and have a minimum of eight years of research experience post-PhD. It is expected that the candidate will have undertaken their doctoral and postdoctoral research in the field of atmospheric chemistry. The candidate will have extensive experience in atmospheric chemistry field measurements, ideally including flux measurements and/or mass spectrometry. The candidate will have demonstrated strong communication skills via their publication and presentation record. Some experience in teaching and/or research supervision is required. The candidate is expected to evince both scientific leadership and independence. English proficiency (spoken and written) is essential; facility with German is not required but is beneficial.

Employment will be according to standard regulations at ETH. The projected start date is January 2026 but can be later upon mutual agreement. The initial appointment is fixed term for 4 years, with a possibility for permanent appointment.

The Atmospheric Chemistry group is headed by Prof. Colette Heald and conducts research exploring the processes controlling tropospheric composition (gases and particles) and their intersection with global change. Our research primarily makes use of global models along with field and satellite observations. This position would support the establishment of an experimental sub-group. The Atmospheric Chemistry group is composed of researchers from around the world and offers a friendly and supportive environment, with English as our working language. Researchers in the group work on a wide range of topics and are exposed to each others’ work through biweekly group meetings. The group is part of the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science which hosts a seminar series and maintains educational programs at the BSc and MS levels. The group is located at ETH’s central campus with access to high quality laboratory facilities. The Group Leader will be allocated this laboratory space and equipment funds for the development of the experimental atmospheric chemistry sub-group.