Research Engineer in atmospheric measurements in extreme environments
Research Engineer in atmospheric measurements in extreme environments
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, EPFLWorkplace Lausanne - Lake Geneva region - Switzerland
Category Environment | Earth Sciences
Position Engineer / Technician
Published 29 April 2026
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 6,500 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 18,500 people, including over 14,000 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.
Mission
The Extreme Environments Research Laboratory ( EERL ) is looking for a research engineer to support and enhance our field and laboratory measurements of atmospheric aerosols, trace gases and clouds. EERL is running several projects in the Arctic and Antarctic, including participation in large international endeavors such as Tara Polar Station and Antarctica InSync .Specifically, we are focused on vertical measurements, with our EERL helikite being the main platform. As payload we deploy both commercially available instruments as well as our own developments. Our newest helikite system (AVATAR) is nearly fully automated, allowing a single operator to handle the system in challenging conditions.
We plan to further develop it for large-scale deployment.
The successful candidate will be interested in further developing existing systems as well as developing new ones to push the boundaries of our observational capabilities. They will also have a genuine interest in atmospheric and aerosol sciences, as well as polar regions.
EERL forms part of EPFL’s new Alpine and Polar Environmental Research Centre ( ALPOLE ) of EPFL on the campus in Sion.
For the application via the EPFL recruiting platform, please submit a motivation letter including your interests and qualifications, a CV and - if applicable - a publication list, as well as the contacts of three referees.
The position will be granted initially for two years with a long-term vision. Desired start date is 15 July 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Main duties and responsibilities- Further develop and maintain the helikite system (winch, board computer, communication/ control system, instrument integration in payload) and other custom-made laboratory systems
- Obtain flight permissions
- Design experiments, and contribute with own ideas to new observational and instrumental needs that arise
- Support EERL researchers in maintaining and repairing instrumentation
- Support field logistics
- Participate in field campaigns
- Keep health and safety standards in the laboratory
- Documentation of work and systems
- General contribution to EERL’s activities.
- Participate in student supervision.
- Promote polar research and its impact to the public.
- MSc in engineering with experience in electrical and mechanical engineering, mechatronics and applied physics
- Skills in analog & digital circuit design, PCB design, embedded systems (ARM, Arduino, STM32), basics in signal processing
- Coding experience (e.g., python, Matlab) and data handling/visualization
- Experience in building prototypes
- Experience in lab work and fixing of instrumentation
- Experience in project management
- Experience in field work is an asset
- Good interpersonal skills, team player.
- Good knowledge of English (written and spoken).
- A dynamic, interdisciplinary and young research group.
- A vibrant, internationally visible and rising academic institution in alpine and polar environmental research.
- A great working atmosphere and ample opportunities for professional and personal development with access to many continuing education courses.
Informations
Contract Start Date : 07/15/2026 or as soon as possible thereafterActivity Rate Min : 80.00
Activity Rate Max : 100.00
Contract Type: CDD
Duration: 2 years
Reference: 2202
More informationIn your application, please refer to myScience.ch and referenceJobID69745.