University of Lausanne

What the position offers you:

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva. UNIL is internationally recognized for cutting-edge research in the geosciences, and shares a campus and resources with EPFL. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.
The Soil Biogeochemistry group within the Faculty of Geoscience and the Environment offers a vibrant work place in a multicultural, diverse and dynamic academic environment. The resources available in the Faculty as well as UNIL more broadly offer extensive opportunities for technical and professional training, international collaboration, personal growth.

We offer a full-time postdoctoral position at a competitive salary (82-92K CHF/year, maximum of 5 years) in an enriching academic environment.
Information on the salary scale:
https://www.unil.ch/files/live/sites/unil/files/05-travailler/0503-avantages/24-bareme-assistants-doctorants.pdf
Information on postdoctoral life at UNIL:
https://www.unil.ch/unil/en/home/menuinst/recherche/soutien-recherche/recherche-postdoctorale.html.

Homepage: https://www.unil.ch/unil/en/home.html

Presentation:

The Soil Biogeochemistry group (Prof. Dr. Marco Keiluweit) at the University of Lausanne is filling a 5-year Postdoctoral Researcher Position in Soil Biogeochemistry. The initial appointment is for 1 year, but will be renewed for up to 5 years based on performance.

Your responsibilities:

The successful candidate will join a strong and growing Soil Biogeochemistry group studying the interactions of minerals, microbes, and organic matter in the face of climate change. The candidate is expected to develop and lead research on the dynamics of microbe-mineral-organic matter interactions in the rhizosphere, and their vulnerability to climate change drivers. Our group offers the opportunity to conduct laboratory-, growth chamber- or field-based experiments. The candidate will also have access to cutting-edge geochemical and molecular approaches, including stable isotope tracers, spectro/microscopic techniques, and microsensors. The candidate is expected to work collaboratively within our group and utilize an extensive network of international collaborators across Switzerland, Europe, and the US. The candidate will also contribute to mentoring of Bachelor and Masters students and assist with a Masters-level field and laboratory courses.

The employment conditions are available here:

https://www.unil.ch/unil/en/home/profils/collaborateurs-collaboratrices.html

Your qualifications:

To expand our Soil Biogeochemistry group, we are looking for someone with the following background:

- Successfull candidates will have an excellent PhD in biogeosciences, geochemistry, plant and soil sciences, microbiology, or related field.
- Strong motivation to develop independent research on microbe-mineral-organic matter interactions in soils, with the possibility to apply for external funding.
- Excellent knowledge of biogeochemical processes within soils, particularly plant-microbe-mineral interactions, is a requirement.
- Prior experience with spectroscopic, microscopic, and mass spectrometry tools to characterize minerals and organic matter is required.
- Familiarity with experiments in plant and soil sciences, basic wet-chemical lab procedures and analyses, and data analysis is required.
- Excellent skills in written and oral English are required. Working knowledge of French is preferable but not necessary.
- Candidates with diverse backgrounds, well-honed interpersonal skills and an ability to work well within a multicultural team are particularly strongly encouraged to apply.

Application documents :

Motivation letter, Curriculum Vitae, copy of university degree certificates, and the contact information for two academic references. ONLY applications made through the UNIL career website will be taken into account.

Application portal:
https://career5.successfactors.eu/career?company=universitdP&career_ns=job_listing_summary&navBarLevel=JOB_SEARCH&_s.crb=PsccOVQ6GYtc2oETUbXzVmM3LAk%3d

Contact for further information:

Questions regarding the application can be addressed by email to Prof. Dr. Marco Keiluweit (marco.keiluweit@unil.ch). But you MUST only apply online.